Power, Reproduction and Gender: The Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge - Softcover

Harcourt, Wendy

9781856494267: Power, Reproduction and Gender: The Intergenerational Transfer of Knowledge

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1856494268 ISBN 13: 9781856494267

Publisher: Zed Books, 1996

This comparative study of women's empowerment, sexuality and reproductive rights explores issues that are fundamental to the debate on population and gender. Drawing on material from a wide varieties of societies all immersed in deep change, the contributors investigate when and why people change their reproductive and sexual behaviour, and how knowledge is transferred within and between the generations. They confront the ethical dilemma for feminist researchers and activists: can we change cultural knowledge, codes and practice in this field, and should we? Tensions arise in acknowledging both that family planning knowledge and practice have forced change on to different cultures with little regard for the potential impact, but that the techniques and knowledge can be, in themselves, of great use to women. This book highlights tensions and concerns which are too often blithely ignored.

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About the Author:

Wendy Harcourt is a feminist researcher and activist working at the Society for International Development in Rome Italy as senior advisor and chief editor of the quarterly journal Development. Since 1988 she has built up the journal to be one of the most honest and critical quarterly publications on development. Born in Australia she now lives in Italy and is actively engaged in global feminist politics through her work with Women in Development Europe, European Feminist Forum and the Feminist Dialogues. Her work and commitment to global gender justice has taken her around the world teaming up with UN policy makers, research institutes, women's groups and social justice movements. She has written extensively on globalization and development from a gender perspective. Body Politics in Development is her first full-length book and won the 2010 FWSA Book Prize.

Review:

'A new challenge to traditional notions of women's reproductive behaviour... By exploring the 'zones of silence' these case studies profoundly deepen the way we think about women's negotiation of reproduction and sexual rights' - Gita Sen, DAWN and Professor, Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore

'The book will, without doubt, contribute a great deal to the understanding of those who are working to facilitate the enforcement and respect for cultural and behavorial diversity and the enforcement of the individual rights for personal fulfillment' - Nafis Sadik, Executive Director, UNFPA

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