How do various social theories explain gender inequality? In this collection of original essays, prominent sociologists discuss the strengths and the limitations of the theoretical traditions within which they have worked: Marxism, world system theory, macrostructural theories, rational choice theory, neofunctionalism, psychoanalysis, ethnomethodology, expectation states theory, poststructuralist symbolic interactionism, and network theory.
"A first-rate collection of commissioned essays. Each essay offers an overview of how a specific theoretical perspective (from orthodox Marxism to ethnomethodology) works to explain gender, a self-critique of the theory's limitations from a feminist perspective, and a sketch of the potential for future developments along more feminist lines... [T]he volume as a whole is a model of inclusive feminist dialogue. The collection could serve as a solid introduction to sociological theory, as tested by the application of these theories to a core issue. The volume could also be used as an introduction to the empirical literature on gender, as made relevant by diverse theoretical positions... [S]peak[s] to adherents of different theoretical schools along with the critical dialogue means that most of the terms are defined. The collection has the potential to "mainstream" feminist concerns into sociological theory. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty."
--M. M. Ferree, Choice
"A first-rate collection of commissioned essays. Each essay offers an overview of how a specific theoretical perspective (from orthodox Marxism to ethnomethodology) works to explain gender, a self-critique of the theory's limitations from a feminist perspective, and a sketch of the potential for future developments along more feminist lines... [T]he volume as a whole is a model of inclusive feminist dialogue. The collection could serve as a solid introduction to sociological theory, as tested by the application of these theories to a core issue. The volume could also be used as an introduction to the empirical literature on gender, as made relevant by diverse theoretical positions... [S]peak[s] to adherents of different theoretical schools along with the critical dialogue means that most of the terms are defined. The collection has the potential to "mainstream" feminist concerns into sociological theory. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty."
--M. M. Ferree, Choice
-A first-rate collection of commissioned essays. Each essay offers an overview of how a specific theoretical perspective (from orthodox Marxism to ethnomethodology) works to explain gender, a self-critique of the theory's limitations from a feminist perspective, and a sketch of the potential for future developments along more feminist lines... [T]he volume as a whole is a model of inclusive feminist dialogue. The collection could serve as a solid introduction to sociological theory, as tested by the application of these theories to a core issue. The volume could also be used as an introduction to the empirical literature on gender, as made relevant by diverse theoretical positions... [S]peak[s] to adherents of different theoretical schools along with the critical dialogue means that most of the terms are defined. The collection has the potential to -mainstream- feminist concerns into sociological theory. Advanced undergraduate; graduate; faculty.-
--M. M. Ferree, Choice
