Why Has Development Neglected Rural Women?: A Review of the South Asian Literature reviews literatures about the role of women in rural development in South Asia. The book details the concept of development and the importance of considering the role of women in development. Next, the selection discusses the extant literature on women's roles in rural life and economy. The title also analyzes the contemporary knowledge about rural women, and then discusses the general areas or research that should be considered in the future. The text will be of great interest to economists, political scientists, sociologists, and psychologists.

This is the first book which examines the nature and significance of a feminist critique in anthropology. It offers a clear introduction to, and balanced assessment of, the theoretical and practical issues raised by the development of a feminist anthropology. Henrietta Moore situates the development of a feminist approach in anthropology within the context of the discipline, examining the ways in which women have been studied in anthropology - as well as the ways in which the study of gender has influenced the development of the discipline anthropology. She considers the application of feminist work to key areas of anthropological research, and addresses the question of what social anthropology has to contribute to contemporary feminism. Throughout the book Henrietta Moore's analysis is informed by her own extensive fieldwork in Africa and by her concern to develop anthropological theory and method by means of feminist critique. This book will be of particular value to students in anthropology, women's studies and the social sciences.

The Reader's Guide to Women's Studies is a searching and analytical description of the most prominent and influential works written in the now universal field of women's studies. Some 200 scholars have contributed to the project which adopts a multi-layered approach allowing for comprehensive treatment of its subject matter. Entries range from very broad themes such as "Health: General Works" to entries on specific individuals or more focused topics such as "Doctors."

"... provides readers with a much-needed cross-cultural and multidisciplinary perspective on ecofeminist activism and scholarship." -- Iris "... a very important contribution to the literature on ecological feminism." -- Ethics "I think the unique collection of so many different perspectives will help to push readers out of their disciplinary views and work to bring theory and practice together in meaningful ways.... an excellent resource for scholars and teachers..." -- Teaching Philosophy Here the potential strengths and weaknesses of the growing ecofeminist movement are critically assessed by scholars in a variety of academic disciplines and vocations, including anthropology, biology, chemical engineering, education, political science, recreation and leisure studies, sociology, and political organizing.

A convincing argument against the widespread belief that rapid population growth is an obstacle to socio-economic development, while individual land ownership is a prerequisite. The author presents an in-depth study of traditional land tenure in Taita, Kenya, where the implementation of birth control programmes and the individualization of land tenure have failed to eradicate rural poverty and have brought about other sociopsychological problems. This book is of vital importance to development personnel to help them place the problem of population growth in its proper perspective.

The use of microfinance for poverty reduction and economic development in the developing world is growing. However, this concept needs to be expanded to ensure its successful application for achieving longer-term economic growth and sustainability in developing countries, particularly in parts of the world such as Africa. As such, further research into the relationship between microfinance and sustainable development in developing regions is required to fully understand the opportunities for effective use of microfinance for poverty reduction and economic development. Microfinance and Sustainable Development in Africa examines the complex relationship between receipt of microfinance, poverty reduction, economic growth, and microbusiness development, focusing on the provision of small credit facilities as a driver of sustainable development in Africa. Its coverage of topics such as microbusiness, social finance, and sustainable development make this book an ideal reference source for academicians, researchers, government officials, policymakers, organizations, managers, instructors, and students.

This book presents the results of a comprehensive longitudinal and cross-sectional seven-year study of the social ecology of growth and development of over 500 children living in a disadvantaged community on the edge of Guatemala City.

On the whole, the debates surrounding the issues of breast-feeding - often reflecting ethnographic and ill-informed medical and demographic approaches - have failed to treat the deeper issues. The significance of breast-feeding reaches far beyond its biological function; in fact, the authors of this volume argue, there is nothing `natural' about breast-feeding itself. On the contrary, attitudes and practices are socially determined, and breast-feeding has to be seen as an essential element in the cultural construction of sexuality.This volume offers an `ethnography' of breast-feeding by examining cultural norms and practices in a number of European and non-European societies, thus presenting valuable and often astonishing empirical material that is not otherwise readily available. The highly original focus of this volume therefore throws new light on gender and on social relationships in general.

This volume, a companion to Images of Women in Maharashtrian Literature and Religion (SUNY Press, 1996), approaches more closely the realities of women's lives. Using historical documents from the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, and photographs, interviews, and conversations from the twentieth, the book constructs images of the conditions of women's lives in the modern state and traditional region of Maharashtra over the past three hundred years. The authors search for the ideas, understandings, and judgments that have shaped those conditions, for the conscious and unconscious images that have made women's lives what they have been. The contributors examine ways femininity and the power, status, and potential of women have been viewed; actual women emphasizing ideas about women. Understanding ideas of this kind is a necessary first step toward understanding, and perhaps eventually affecting, the actualities of women's lives. This book is divided into three parts. Part I is based on documentary sources from the eighteenth century. Part II explores the subjects and terms of the conservatism versus reform debate in Maharashtra, and thus complements recent studies on images of women in Bengal and other parts of North India during the colonial period. Part III, which presents contemporary images of women in Maharashtra, includes an examination of village women's work, a photo essay, an oral life history, and a bibliographical essay.