Women and Globalization (Paperback)

~ Delia D. Aguilar (Editor), Anne E. Lacsamana (Editor) "One wonders whether, with the events of September 11, 2001, and the declaration of a "war on terror" by U.S. president George W. Bush, a..." (more)
Key Phrases: United States, New York, South Africa (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Despite promises from Western policy makers and financial institutions that capitalist globalization will eventually improve the economic welfare of all nations, overwhelming evidence thus far indicates that it has not only succeeded in enriching the few at the expense of the many. It has also created an international division of labor in which a female proletariat, composed primarily of women of color, is consigned to the lowest-paid and least secure jobs with the worst working conditions.

Delia D. Aguilar and Anne E. Lacsamana have assembled a provocative collection of articles showing the various ways in which the neoliberal agenda of globalization has drawn women into productive labor and in the process radically reshaped their lives in the reproductive sphere. Implemented primarily through the structural adjustment programs required by international financial agencies, neoliberalism has intensified women's exploitation on the assembly line and spawned an unprecedented diaspora of women as mail-order brides, domestic helpers, and workers in the sex trade. Many of the essays describe the appalling conditions that characterize these work sites. Not less important, they underscore the vitality of grassroots organizations where women collectively wage battles for better work lives and envision a system more humane than what currently exists.

The first of its kind to address these issues from a global feminist perspective that views women as both laboring and desiring subjects, WOMEN AND GLOBALIZATION offers accessible, timely analyses sure to spark discussion among teachers and students of women's studies and the politics of globalization - or anyone concerned about the welfare of women worldwide and the negative effects of globalization.

About the Author

Delia D. Aguilar is the author of THE FEMINIST CHALLENGE, FILIPINO HOUSEWIVES SPEAK, and TOWARD A NATIONALIST FEMINISM. Formerly an associate professor of women's studies and ethnic studies at Bowling Green State University and Washington State University, she now teacher women's studies at the University of Connecticut.

Anne E. Lacsamana is assistant professor in women's studies at Minnesota State University, Mankato. She has published numerous articles in AMERASIA JOURNAL, SOCIALIST REVIEW, AGAINST THE CURRENT, SYNTHESIS, and other journals.

Product Details

• Paperback: 428 pages
• Publisher: Humanity Books (May 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1591021626
• ISBN-13: 978-1591021629
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #221,915 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars works in so many ways, April 22, 2005

By	J. Streamas - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The book is accessible to non-academic readers and perfect for college courses in ethnic studies, women's studies, cultural studies, political science, and others. Its primary goal is to expose and analyze globalization's exploitation of poor women, mostly in labor and migration; a secondary goal is to expose and analyze most academics' misunderstandings of this exploitation, a misunderstanding that, according to the closing argument by editor Aguilar, practically re-colonizes the already exploited. Exploitation on all continents and several island nations is covered. But the tone is not desperate and resigned. Rather, the writers here advocate a committed and informed urgency. One contributor argues that "international solidarity is necessary" in the work of ending the exploitation of impoverished women, but she insists that her "global vision" is realizable.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars An Important Book, October 18, 2005

By	Michael Viola (Eugene, Oregon) - See all my reviews

The collection of articles in Women and Globalization is important for activists, scholars, and concerned human beings looking to understand how corporate globalization relies on the exploited labor of women (from around the world) to generate profits. The diverse writings discuss the concrete conditions of women who are working in such places as Mexico, the Philippines, and South Africa. Furthermore, the writings congeal to provide a clear, explanatory, and absolutely critical analysis of a global economic system that is seeping with contradictions. I highly recommend this book! It is an important read with a great balance of case study material and theory.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Women and Globalization, May 5, 2005

By	Wilma (Storrs, CT) - See all my reviews

This book offers an unfiltered analysis and critique of the effects of globalization, past and present, on nations in the developing world. The contributors of the book account for the neoliberal policies implemented by international financial institutions and governments, and how those policies deeply affect peoples' labor and migratory patterns. Additionally, "Women and Globalization" pays particular attention to culture, society, race, economics, the environment, and politics and how they are all interrelated within the circumstances of women's lives, as women are the majority of the world's laborers.