Three Generations, Two Genders, One World; Women and Men in a Changing Century

This fascinating book is the result of a project researching changing lives around the world. It looks at changes in the values, attitudes, relationships and gender roles of three generations of men and women through in-depth interviews conducted by university students with members of their own families. The methodology used for the interviews was flexible and open-ended, taking an interpretative approach to social development. Individual narratives were collated over a period of time, and then compiled into country reports. A synopsis of the key historical, political and economic features of each country prefaces the personal interpretations of life given by the different generational groups. The findings shed new light on understandings of gender, sexuality, family, fertility, education and employment--and particularly on how these have changed. In particular, it explores the cultural barriers to women's equality.

Sylvia Chant is Reader in Geography at the London School of Economics.

Cathy McIlwaine is Lecturer in Geography at Queen Mary and Westfield College, University of London.