Gender and Culture (Paperback) (ISBN-13: 9780745648002)

The idea that respect for cultural diversity conflicts with gender equality is now a staple of both public and academic debate. Yet discussion of these tensions is marred by exaggerated talk of cultural difference, leading to ethnic reductionism, cultural stereotyping, and a hierarchy of traditional and modern. In this volume, Anne Phillips firmly rejects the notion that 'culture' might justify the oppression of women, but also queries the stereotypical binaries that have represented people from ethnocultural minorities as peculiarly resistant to gender equality.

The questions addressed include the relationship between universalism and cultural relativism, how to distinguish valid generalisation from either gender or cultural essentialism, and how to recognise women as agents rather than captives of culture. The discussions are illuminated by reference to legal cases and policy interventions, with a particular focus on forced marriage and cultural defence.

Author: Anne Phillips
ISBN-10: 0745648002
ISBN-13: 9780745648002
Publisher: Polity Press
Language: English
Published: 06/01/2010
Pages: 192
Format: Paperback
Weight: 0.60lbs
Size: 8.90h x 5.90w x 0.60d