Bandana Purkayastha is assistant professor of sociology and Asian American studies at the University of Connecticut. Mangala Subramaniam is assistant professor of sociology and women's studies at Purdue University.

This exciting book goes beyond furthering our understanding of the complex inter-linkages between poor women’s localized politics and transnational global processes. It is a major contribution toward connecting paradigm and praxis, thus challenging and expanding the boundaries of mainstream scholarship.

• 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Networking within Santal Society: Focus on WomenChapter 3 Women's Social Support Networks and Contraceptive Use in MaliChapter 4 Women's Networks and Social Change in BangladeshChapter 5 Impacts of Changing Patterns of Women's Association Membership in SenegalChapter 6 Using Informal Networks to Seek Formal Political Participation in GhanaChapter 7 Women Weavers in Nepal: Between Global Market and Local ProductionChapter 8 The Informal Collective as a Space for Participatory Planning: The Peri-Urban Interface in Hubli-Dharwad Twin City AreaChapter 9 Informal Networks, Gender, Change

Bandana Purkayastha is assistant professor of sociology and Asian American studies at the University of Connecticut. Mangala Subramaniam is assistant professor of sociology and women's studies at Purdue University.

This exciting book goes beyond furthering our understanding of the complex inter-linkages between poor women’s localized politics and transnational global processes. It is a major contribution toward connecting paradigm and praxis, thus challenging and expanding the boundaries of mainstream scholarship.

• 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Networking within Santal Society: Focus on WomenChapter 3 Women's Social Support Networks and Contraceptive Use in MaliChapter 4 Women's Networks and Social Change in BangladeshChapter 5 Impacts of Changing Patterns of Women's Association Membership in SenegalChapter 6 Using Informal Networks to Seek Formal Political Participation in GhanaChapter 7 Women Weavers in Nepal: Between Global Market and Local ProductionChapter 8 The Informal Collective as a Space for Participatory Planning: The Peri-Urban Interface in Hubli-Dharwad Twin City AreaChapter 9 Informal Networks, Gender, Change

Bandana Purkayastha is assistant professor of sociology and Asian American studies at the University of Connecticut. Mangala Subramaniam is assistant professor of sociology and women's studies at Purdue University.

This exciting book goes beyond furthering our understanding of the complex inter-linkages between poor women’s localized politics and transnational global processes. It is a major contribution toward connecting paradigm and praxis, thus challenging and expanding the boundaries of mainstream scholarship.

• 1 IntroductionChapter 2 Networking within Santal Society: Focus on WomenChapter 3 Women's Social Support Networks and Contraceptive Use in MaliChapter 4 Women's Networks and Social Change in BangladeshChapter 5 Impacts of Changing Patterns of Women's Association Membership in SenegalChapter 6 Using Informal Networks to Seek Formal Political Participation in GhanaChapter 7 Women Weavers in Nepal: Between Global Market and Local ProductionChapter 8 The Informal Collective as a Space for Participatory Planning: The Peri-Urban Interface in Hubli-Dharwad Twin City AreaChapter 9 Informal Networks, Gender, Change