Women and Property: Women As Property

First published in 1984, Women and Property studies the idea of wealth and property in relation to women in diverse countries. It attempts a definition of the term 'property' itself and goes on to look at the relationships and rights associated with these various kinds of property. The authors assess the effects of wider economic forces and State intervention, indicating the changing contexts in which these systems are set today. In some cases, life-cycle markers such as marriage, divorce and widowhood are critical, and in many cases, it is the organisation of the household, residential patterns and kinship rights which are seen to structure the relationships of women, men and property. Ideological constructs regarding female sexuality, and also those in which women and children may be conceptualised as 'objects' are considered in detail. Surprisingly, little attention has been paid to the significance of property as a critical factor affecting the position of women in society, and the original papers presented here provide new dimensions for a neglected area of feminist debate. This book will be of interest to students of sociology, political science, law and gender studies.

Renee Hirschon