Description
"Women in Asia" surveys the transformation in the status of women since 1970 in a diverse range of nations: Malaysia, China, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, India, Taiwan, Vietnam, Hong Kong, Korea, Japan, and Burma. Using these thirteen national case studies the book presents new arguments about being women, being Asian, and being modern in contemporary Asia. The book provides a comprehensive analysis of the change of women's status against a range of key indicators including education, health, population, politics, law, employment, violence against women, and militarism. In addition, the contributors unravel the complexities for women presented by globalization and modernization, and also the specific contributions of women to national development. Each chapter explores how women across the Asian region are refiguring feminism within a diverse range of distinct cultures. Divergent narratives about the modern Asian woman are explored in comparison to powerful discourses of the imagined traditional Asian woman. The various national case studies expose how these contesting gender narratives both challenge and inspire women around the Asian region as they create dynamic new visions of the modern Asian woman. Complete with a list of recommended readings and a website with links to electronic resources, the book will be of particular interest to undergraduate students of Asian studies and women's studies as well as scholars and postgraduate students interested in comparative women's studies. Louise Edwards is Senior Lecturer, Department of Humanities, Australian Catholic University. Mina Roces is Lecturer, School of History, University of New South Wales.
