Female Well-Being: Toward a Global Theory of Social Change

Description

This global survey starts from the assumption that the significant transformations in women's lives deserve to be fully documented and interpreted. Janet Mancini Billson and Carlyn Fluehr-Lobban tackle the complexities of social change by using data from countries in every world region to illustrate the most critical challenges that women faced during the last century - challenges that are also likely to shape the 21st century. Global knowledge and feminism dovetailed in the 20th century, fed by international air travel, telecommunications, the internet, and a growing awareness that solving female oppression would improve the lot of all humankind. The authors therefore adopt a strong international, comparative, cross-cultural, and feminist framework that uncovers the fundamental processes that promote, sustain, or degrade the female condition. At the heart of Female Well-Being are case studies written by country teams of scholars, educators, and policy analysts, in Canada, The United States, Colombia, Iceland, the United Kingdom, Croatia, Japan, Bangladesh, Thailand, South Africa, and Sudan. Female well-being is measured by analysing trends in infant mortality, maternal mortality, literacy, life expectancy, education, work, income, family structure, and political power. These trends are contextualised in the light of the century's major events, legislative initiatives, social policies, and leadership, to illustrate the processes that enhance, sustain, or detract from the female condition. This book will be a critical resource for academics, development experts and policy analysts. Contents Acknowledgements Preface Part
one | Introduction 1 | The twentieth century as a transformative time for women The fate of female well-being The uneven patterns of social change Assessment of female well-being as of 2000 A comparative case study approach Comparative analysis of the case study countries A road map for this book References 2 | The complexities of defining female well-being The complexities of well-being International efforts to improve female well-being Eliminating discrimination against women: CEDAW Globalization versus local networks The ‘gender differential’ References 3 | A critique of social change theories The weakness of existing theories of social change Modernization theory Contributions of ‘second wave’ feminist scholars Globalization and feminist theories References Part two | Case studies 4 | Women in Bangladesh: a journey in stages Status of women in the constitution of Bangladesh A demographic portrait of Bangladeshi women Family status and structure Women’s economic participation Literacy and education Political, educational and cultural leadership Towards gender equality References 5 | Women in Canada: a century of struggle A demographic portrait of Canadian women Family status and structure Violence against women Economic participation Literacy and education Political, educational and cultural leadership Towards the future Note References 6 | Women in Colombia: ‘you forge your path as you walk’ The historical context The political context The social context A demographic portrait of Colombian women Family status and structure Violence against women Literacy and education Economic participation Political, educational and cultural leadership Towards gender equality References 7 | Women in Croatia: continuity and change The geo-political complexities of Croatia A demographic portrait of Croatian women Family status and structure Women’s economic participation Literacy and education Political, educational and cultural leadership Towards gender equality References 8 | Women in Iceland: strong women – myths and contradictions From settlement to independence The historical legacy of Icelandic women A demographic portrait of Icelandic women Family status and structure Economic participation Literacy and education Political, educational and cultural leadership Towards gender equality Note References 9 | Women in Japan: change and resistance to change The twentieth-century framework in Japan A demographic portrait of Japanese women Family status and structure Violence against women Economic participation Literacy and education Editors and contributors Index