Gender and CultureISBN: 978-0-7456-4799-9
Hardcover
192 pages
June 2010, Polity
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The idea that respect for cultural diversity conflicts with gender
equality is now a staple of both public and academic debate. Yet
discussion of these tensions is marred by exaggerated talk of
cultural difference, leading to ethnic reductionism, cultural
stereotyping, and a hierarchy of traditional and modern. In this
volume, Anne Phillips firmly rejects the notion that
‘culture’ might justify the oppression of women, but
also queries the stereotypical binaries that have represented
people from ethnocultural minorities as peculiarly resistant to
gender equality.
The questions addressed include the relationship between universalism and cultural relativism, how to distinguish valid generalisation from either gender or cultural essentialism, and how to recognise women as agents rather than captives of culture. The discussions are illuminated by reference to legal cases and policy interventions, with a particular focus on forced marriage and cultural defence.
The questions addressed include the relationship between universalism and cultural relativism, how to distinguish valid generalisation from either gender or cultural essentialism, and how to recognise women as agents rather than captives of culture. The discussions are illuminated by reference to legal cases and policy interventions, with a particular focus on forced marriage and cultural defence.