Women's Roles in Asia

by Kathleen Nadeau, Sangita Rayamajhi

Overview

This insightful book examines women's lives across Asia, challenging typical stereotypes and providing a fresh look at the changing role of women in various regions of the vast continent.

All around the world, women's important role in history has only recently been acknowledged. Asia is no exception. Despite a long record of achievements, women's experiences in South, Southeast, and East Asia go largely untold. This compelling book looks at women's lives in contemporary Asia, and reviews the cultural similarities—and differences—in the patterns and experiences of women across various regions.

Women's Roles in Asia examines the full scope of women's lives throughout history, including specific topics such as education, family life, marriage and childbearing, religion, public life, economics, legal status, and literature and the arts. A timeline and introduction provide a backdrop to the events, achievements, and issues that have impacted Asian women from pre-colonial time to the present day.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780313397486
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	06/11/2013
Series:	Women's Roles through History
Pages:	208
Product dimensions:	6.10(w) x 9.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Kathleen Nadeau, PhD, is professor of anthropology at California State University, San Bernardino.

Sangita Rayamajhi, PhD, is professor of literature and women's studies at the Central Department of English, Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu, Nepal, and instructor of Asian and world literature at the Asian University for Women in Bangladesh.

Table of Contents

Series Foreword ix

Acknowledgments xi

Chronology xiii

Introduction 1

1 Women and Religion 9

2 Women and Work 55

3 Women and Family 83

4 Women and Politics 109

5 Women and Literature 135

6 Women and Cultural Change 161

Glossary 187

Selected Bibliography 191

Index 197

Editorial Reviews

A succinct analysis and overview of important issues for Asian and women's studies collections.” —Library Jourbanal

“This is a brief yet engaging and informative volume that makes a large amount of scholarly information about women's lives in Asia accessible to a general audience. Highly recommended for most public and undergraduate academic libraries.” —Booklist

“Nadeau and Rayamajhi provide a broad understanding of women's lives in historic and contemporary Asia and seek to challenge stereotypical images of Asian women as portrayed by Western media in this well-researched book.” —ARBA

From the Publisher

11/15/2013
In this slim yet sweeping entry in a series intending to reclaim women's place in history, Nadeau (anthropology, California State Univ., San Bernardino) and Rayamajhi (literature & women's studies, Tribhuvan Univ., Nepal) seek to get past the stereotyping of Asian women as well as to put such practices as purdah and sati in the "social and historical contexts in which they are grounded." In six essay chapters the authors discuss Asian women's roles in religion, work, family, politics, literature, and cultural change. A chronology and a glossary are provided. VERDICT A succinct analysis and overview of important issues for Asian and women's studies collections.

Library Journal