Gender, Race, and Nation: A Global Perspective

Shelley Z. Reuter is an assistant professor of sociology at the Memorial
University of Newfoundland.

“Imperialism, racism, and sexism are embedded in the dominant
culture,” writes Vanaja Dhruvarajan. She and coeditor Jill Vickers
forcefully demonstrate that if these problems are to be eliminated,
feminism and feminist scholarship need to be more inclusive.

Moving beyond the gender-only approach taken by mainstream (white,
middle-class, Western) feminists—an approach that excludes important
differences among women—this book proposes a “one-world” paradigm.
Premised on coalition-building, a one-world approach recognizes that in
this age of globalization women have both common and conflicting
interests. Only when feminists recognize this—when they understand the
various, interlocking systems of power that produce unequal,
hierarchical relationships throughout the world—will the vision of
equality and justice for all people be realized. As Dhruvarajan and
Vickers argue, “thinking through difference” means understanding and
addressing all women’s concerns, and especially the ways in which some
women are privileged at the expense of others. Situating this inequity
within histories of colonialism and imperialism figures prominently in
this process.

The essays make a vital contribution to several debates stemming from
the relationship still being negotiated between “First” and “Third
World”/indigenous women. These debates are not limited to concerns in
feminist theory and methodology (Part 1), but encompass a range of
issues, including religion, violence, nationalism, work, reproductive
technologies, and men and feminism (Part 2). The editors contribute most
of the book’s 11 chapters; there are three essays by Parvin Ghorayshi,
Carla Rice, and Amanda Goldrick-Jones.

This accessible and provocative collection would be ideal for use in a
senior women’s studies seminar, or in courses on globalization or race
and ethnic relations.