State of Struggle (Paperback)

Paperback. The political struggle for women's equality in Alberta has faced resistance from the Alberta Conservative government in the last three decades. Lois Harder examines the evolving dynamic between feminist claimsmakers and the Alberta state under the leadership of Peter Lougheed, Don Getty and Ralph Klein. In Harder's analysis, Alberta has addressed feminists' challenges with various strategies. During the oil boom of the 1970s, the province resisted feminists' demands, but with declining oil prices, the Charter, and changing public opinion, Alberta reluctantly began to implement initiatives that addressed issues of women's rights. With Klein's ascent to power, and under the guise of deficit reduction, Alberta adopted a neoliberal ideology that actively sought to shrink the province's role as a guarantor of equality. Lois Harder has written an important study of the radical evolution of politics in Alberta as seen through the lens of women's political struggles. Alberta's Conservative governments have employed several strategies to resist feminist claims for women's equality, from stonewalling during the 1970's oil boom, to grudging initiatives during the subsequent bust. Recently-under the guise of deficit reduction-Alberta has adopted a neoliberal ideology that seeks to shrink the province's role as a guarantor of equality. Lois Harder has written the definitive study of the modern evolution of politics in Alberta as seen through the lens of women's political struggles. Shipping may be from multiple locations in the US or from the UK, depending on stock availability.…