The Political Interests of Gender: Developing Theory and Research with a Feminist Face (SAGE Modern Politics series)

The Political Interests of Gender starts from the premise that contemporary political theory is inadequate when approached from the perspective of gender. This volume indicts contemporary political analysis for its silence about or ignorance of women′s interests, and challenges the hypothesis that the central concepts of political thought, and its basic techniques, are value neutral. The contributors go on to consider how political theory and political communities would appear if women′s interests were addressed. In particular, their aim is to reconstruct the methodology of political analysis to conceptualize political reality in terms of gender. This book presents a powerful argument that to consider gender as an analytically distinct category in political theory involves redefining and enlarging the scope of politics, the practice of citizenship and authority, and the language of political action, as well as recognizing the political dimensions of sexuality. The Political Interests of Gender will be an invaluable resource for all students and researchers in the fields of politics and women′s studies. "The strength of this collection lies not only in its cohesion, but also in its diversity. Third World concerns, matters of race, problems of class, and an international authorship prevent this book from assuming a homogeneous tone. In its ability to teach as well as critique, this book is an important step not only toward exposing but also toward ending sexism within political science. Recommended for graduate students and faculty." --Choice "The scholars should be complimented for their efforts in making women′s issues more visible and women, as a collectivity, a force to reckon with in the political arena. This book is a must for sociologists, political scientists, researchers and above all, women themselves." --The Indian Journal of Social Science