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Gender, Work, and Economy: Unpacking the Global Economy

ISBN: 978-0-745-64764-7

November 2012

Polity

224 pages

Description

This engaging new text uses a feminist lens to crack open the often hidden worlds of gender and work, addressing enduring questions about how structural inequalities are produced and why they persist. Making visible the social relationships that drive the global economy, the book explores how economic transformations not only change the way we work, but how we live our lives.

The full extent of changing patterns of employment and the current financial crisis cannot be fully understood in the confines of narrow conceptions of work and economy. Feminists address this shortcoming by developing both a theory and a political movement aimed at unveiling the power relations inherent in old and new forms of work. By providing an analysis of gender, work, and the economy, Heidi Gottfried brings to light the many faces of power from the bedroom to the boardroom. A discussion of globalization is threaded throughout the book to uncover the impact of increasing global interconnections, and vivid case studies are included, from industrialized countries such as the US and the global cities of New York, London, and Tokyo, as well as from developing countries and the emerging global cities of Beijing, Shanghai, and Dubai.

This comprehensive analysis of gender and work in a global economy, incorporating sociology, geography, and political economy perspectives, will be a valued companion to students in gender studies and across the social sciences more generally.

About the Author

Heidi Gottfried is Associate Professor of Sociology at Wayne State University.

Features
  • An eye-opening and engaging overview of understanding how the world of work and the economy intersects with gender.
  • Fully up-to-date, the book draws on recent data, and analyses contemporary trends and political/economic issues such as the financial crisis and recession.
  • Takes a global perspective from both industrialized and developing countries to broaden the debates and reflect the global interconnections in today’s world.
  • Highly relevant across different fields including sociology, political science, geography, political economy and gender studies.