From the Foundations in Global Studies series, this student-friendly text follows a three-pronged approach. First, it presents foundational material that gives students the conceptual underpinnings required for rigorous analysis. This section opens with a brief historical overview of women’s status in the lead-up to the contemporary era and a brief history of women’s and gender studies. Following this, the text will then present key concepts and theoretical constructs that define the global context of women and gender, such as transnational feminisms, cultural agency, family organization, class structure, race, and ethnicity. The second part of the book examines the space where theory meets reality. It touches on such topics as the condition of women in today’s world, women’s roles in human rights and social justice movements, women and economic empowerment, international instruments and organizations dedicated to women’s issues, and the like. The third section employs case studies to examine theory and practice at work in particular situations. The case studies have been selected with an eye toward comprehensiveness of coverage across disciplines and across regions.
