Sylvia Walby provides an overview of recent theoretical debates - Marxism, radical and liberal feminism, post-structuralism and dual systems theory. She shows how each can be applied to a range of substantive topics from paid work, housework and the state, to culture, sexuality and violence, relying on the most up-to-date empirical findings. Arguing that patriarchy has been vigorously adaptable to the changes in women's position, and that some of women's hard-won social gains have been transformed into new traps, Walby proposes a combination of class analysis with radical feminist theory to explain gender relations in terms of both patriarchal and capitalist structure.
About the Author
Sylvia Walby has been involved in developing Women's Studies courses nationally and in Europe, and is founding Director of Women's Studies Research Centre at Lancaster. She is the author of several books.
Features
Original theory about how to theorize women's changing position in society
Comprehensive overview of recent debates
Up-to-date empirical data of women's position in society.
