From Homebreakers to Jailbreakers
Southall Black Sisters
Published on 8. December 2003
Book
Hardback
320 pages
978-1-84277-440-3 (ISBN)
Description
Against all the odds, Southall Black Sisters, a poorly funded, radical women's group has become synonymous with black British feminism over the last twenty-one years. They have not merely offered welfare advice from their West London base but have spearheaded campaigns on a range of issues from abused women who kill (such as the celebrated case of Kiranjit Ahluwalia) to the dangers posed to women by the rise of religious fundamentalism.
This important anthology makes the connections between race, gender and class and ensures that a neglected area of current feminist debate is not lost to history through a failure to record insights gained in the heat of activism. A provocatively argued book, From Homebreakers to Jailbreakers is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the relationship between the disempowered margins of society and the state and the power balance between men and women.
This important anthology makes the connections between race, gender and class and ensures that a neglected area of current feminist debate is not lost to history through a failure to record insights gained in the heat of activism. A provocatively argued book, From Homebreakers to Jailbreakers is essential reading for anyone who wants to understand the dynamics of the relationship between the disempowered margins of society and the state and the power balance between men and women.
Reviews / Votes
'Standing at the intersection of race, gender and class, Southall Black Sisters have changed the landscape of feminist activism.'Baroness Helena Kennedy QC
'A truly remarkable and inspiring account of the struggles of Asian women in domestic violence and the challenges presented to their families, communities and the state.'
Dr Surinder Guru, University of Birmingham
'Engaging and revealing... I can wholeheartedly recommend this book to a wide range of readers. It will be of immense value to practitioners working in the field of domestic violence research and activism, and it is an essential reference book for all those concerned about gender and human rights, as well as for sociology, law, political science, and social theory students and academics.'
Dr Aisha Gill, University of Roehampton, reviewed in Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies
'A refreshing antidote to the myth that everything is hunky dory in Black and Asian Britain. Every multicultural library, public and university should stock a copy of this brave book.'
New World: The Thinking Person's Paper
'Every chapter of this anthology is uncomfortable and timely. From Homebreakers to Jailbreakers is essential reading for anyone concerned with the intersections of "race", gender and class in fields of social policy, regeneration, education, housing, domestic violence and health where discourses of multiculturalism have led to the often uncritical acceptance of authoritative voices and the silencing of those whom they dominate.'
Anthropology and Health and Healthh
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
Dimensions
Height: 222 mm
Width: 145 mm
Thickness: 21 mm
Weight
536 gr
ISBN-13
978-1-84277-440-3 (9781842774403)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Person
Rahila Gupta is Editor and member of the Management Committee of Southall Black Sisters. A leading Asian women's group, active in Southall near London since early 1979, they have spearheaded many high profile campaigns on domestic violence, for example on abused women who kill, and on changes to immigration rules. Their reputation is national and international.
Content
1. Some recurring themes: Southall Black Sisters, 1979 - and still going strong - Rahila Gupta
2. Struggle not submission: domestic violence in the nineties - Anita Johal
3. Taking or giving refuge? - Muneeza Inam
4. It was written in her kismet: forced marriage - Hannana Siddiqui
5. Silent witnesses: domestic violence and black children - Meena Patel
6. Sad, mad or angry? Mental illness and domestic violence - Meena Patel and Hannana Siddiqui
7. Jumping through hoops: Immigration and Asylum - Poonam Joshi
8. The tricky blue line: black women and policing - Pragna Patel
9. Orange is not the only colour: Young women, religious identity, youth and the Southall community - Sukhwant Dhaliwal
10. Ram or Rambo? The rise of Hindu fundamentalism - Pragna Patel
11. Shifting terrains - Old struggles for new? - Pragna Patel
12. Walls into bridges: the losses and gains of making alliances - Rahila Gupta
13. Black feminism in the 21st century: The Age of Women? - Hannana Siddiqui
2. Struggle not submission: domestic violence in the nineties - Anita Johal
3. Taking or giving refuge? - Muneeza Inam
4. It was written in her kismet: forced marriage - Hannana Siddiqui
5. Silent witnesses: domestic violence and black children - Meena Patel
6. Sad, mad or angry? Mental illness and domestic violence - Meena Patel and Hannana Siddiqui
7. Jumping through hoops: Immigration and Asylum - Poonam Joshi
8. The tricky blue line: black women and policing - Pragna Patel
9. Orange is not the only colour: Young women, religious identity, youth and the Southall community - Sukhwant Dhaliwal
10. Ram or Rambo? The rise of Hindu fundamentalism - Pragna Patel
11. Shifting terrains - Old struggles for new? - Pragna Patel
12. Walls into bridges: the losses and gains of making alliances - Rahila Gupta
13. Black feminism in the 21st century: The Age of Women? - Hannana Siddiqui