Defining Women

This is an introductory textbook written by the Open University to support their new "Issues in Women's Studies" course and for others requiring an introduction to the role women play in society today. The text provides an analysis of the social, economic and political position of women in contemporary societies. Making use of key concepts the authors consider the changing position of women in the labour market, (including a comprehensive study of both waged and unwaged work), within families, in relation to motherhood, the welfare state and the law. The book brings a comparative perspective to bear on areas of specific concern such as the public/private distinction, the relations between equality and difference and between dependence and independence, the notion of caring inside and outside the family, and citizenship and power. The book further provides a chronological examination of the interrelationships between changes in socio-economic conditions, the development of feminist perspectives and the political practice of the women's movement.