Gender: v.1 (Polity Short Introductions) - Tapa blanda

"In his earlier works ... Connell showed himself to be more in tune with the feminist concerns of gendered power relations than many in the field ... His new research aims to consolidate and expand the research vision for masculinity theory ... (an) important book." -- Feminist Theory "An impressive attempt at introducing readers to the question of gender from a broad interdisciplinary and international scope ... An engaging text covering a vast amount of scholarship that is at once intellectually challenging and personal. It is timely, meticulously documented and succinct. As an instructor I know the power of a brief introduction ... I am eager to use this text." -- Contemporary Sociology "[Gender] is an exemplary work for its interdisciplinarity, and for the creative ways in which Connell theorises and applies gendered categories to a complex range of cultural practices. ....Connell's rigorous examination of gender takes us through an enriching and enlightening intellectual journey." -- Overland "Bob Connell has established himself as a leading theorist and analyst of gender. In Gender, he draws on a breathtakingly wide range of scholarship to offer a comprehensive and accessible sociological introduction to the study of gender in a multicultural, global world. A stunning, thought-provoking, wonderfully engaging volume to learn from and argue with." -- Steven Seidman, State University of New York at Albany "Once again Bob Connell brings wonderful clarity and insight to the field of gender. His theoretical scope and the range of his knowledge are impressive. A terrific book!" -- Barrie Thorne, University of California at Berkeley "Connell manages to convey some key trajectories in the sociological analysis of gender succintly, yet without oversimplifying the sociological approach. I particularly welcome the way Connell resists all forms of sociological shorthand, found in too many introductory texts, such as implying that there is a straightforward distinction betwen 'sex' and 'gender', and that sociologists are simply intersted in the cultural icing on the anotomical cake, the recipe for which remains taken-for-granted and unproblematised. So the way in which Connell incorporates his own sophisticated analyses of the body into a sociological text on gender is excellent. In addition, Connell provides accessible summaries of other aspects of his work, which look at the different levels of the social and how these are gendered. I shall certainly be using the book on my Body and Society course, as I deal with both Connell's work and with the topic of gendered embodiment. " -- Anne Witz, University of Leicester

How can we understand the gender patterns of modern society? Are gender identities unstable? How do masculinities and femininities develop? Do gender patterns change under globalization? In this book R. W. Connell, one of the world's leading scholars in the field, answers these questions, and more. He provides a readable introduction to modern gender studies, gender theories, and gender politics. He presents contemporary classics of research, traces the history of Western intellectuals' ideas, and discusses current findings on gender differences, inequalities and patterns in the state and corporations. However, the book is more than an introduction. It provides a powerful contemporary framework for gender studies, based on a synthesis of structural and post-structural analysis. Connell demonstrates the multidimensional and dynamic character of gender relations. He shows how to link individual life with large-scale social patterns, and how to locate gendered bodies in the historical process that constantly transforms gender relations. He also shows, in a deeply personal way, how gender politics arises in personal life and why we need to address injustice.