Justice, Gender, And The Family [Paperback]

Susan Moller Okin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 30, 1991 | ISBN-10: 0465037038 | ISBN-13: 978-0465037032

In the first feminist critique of modern political theory, Okin shows how the failure to apply theories of justice to the family not only undermines our most cherished democratic values but has led to a major crisis over gender-related issues.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Okin, also author of Women in Western Political Thought ( LJ 1/15/80), here is concerned with the lack of justice experienced by American women in both the public and private spheres. Lack of justice in the private sphere of gender-structured marriage leads to a lack of justice in the public sphere of the work place, the professions, and politics. Marriage makes women vulnerable due to the devaluation of human reproductive work and the persistence of a traditional division of labor within marriage. Divorce compounds the problem since it results in poverty for many women. This is a strong study of the contradictions in a democratic form of government, but Okin's recommendations lack analysis and are not fully linked to the political and economic arena. Recommended for undergraduate and graduate collections.
- Eleanor A. Schwab, South Dakota State Univ., Brookings
Copyright 1989 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

About the Author

Susan Moller Okin is a professor of politics at Stanford University.

Product Details

• Paperback: 224 pages
• Publisher: Basic Books (January 30, 1991)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0465037038
• ISBN-13: 978-0465037032
• Product Dimensions: 5 x 0.5 x 8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.9 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #580,138 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 10 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Rethinking of Justice April 30, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

Okin is powerful because she extends considerations of justice and civic equality to women and the family in ways that classical and modern political philosphers have not. However, in doing so, she saves and extracts vital elements of these patriarchal theories and traditions to expose their radical potential.

4 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the most influential books i've read May 29, 2004

By A Customer

Format:Paperback

A great thought provoking and stimulating work of deconstructing the division of labor between the sexes. Includes sound arguments and should be a required text in college to expose more individuals to the harmful effects of inequality on women, children, and men.

0 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Thought Provoking September 5, 2011

By Will Jerom

Format:Paperback

Okin's works is sure to be a classic of Feminism. Although the book is now 22 years old, many of its observations hit home as much in 2011 as they did in 1989. Okin strives for a more gender-neutral, or even "genderless" (I know - is that possible? Critics may wonder, and the idea should be discussed) model of the family, in which neither man nor women bear a greater share or burden of unpaid family work, and in which public institutions make possible both men and women sharing in the rearing of the family. It is a bold and challenging feminist vision, no doubt very controversial in its demands, but sure to provoke meaningful thought and conversations amongst readers interested in the issues of justice in the family. Okin convincing argues that divorce, gender expectations, and the general male-bias of society makes it very difficult for women to attain fully equal roles with men. Whether nor not Okin has the answer to women's needs, her ideas are bound to evoke a deep and challenging response in the reader's thought.