Gender and Nation

by Nira Yuval-Davis

Nira Yuval-Davis provides an authoritative overview and critique of writings on gender and nationhood, presenting an original analysis of the ways gender relations affect and are affected by national projects and processes. In Gender and Nation Yuval-Davis argues that the construction of nationhood involves specific notions of both `manhood′ and `womanhood′. She examines the contribution of gender relations to key dimensions of nationalist projects - the nation′s reproduction, its culture and citizenship - as well as to national conflicts and wars, exploring the contesting relations between feminism and nationalism. Gender and Nation is an important contribution to the debates on citizenship, gender and nation

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Politics, Sociology, Gender, Academic, Feminist Theory

167 pages, Hardcover

First published March 1, 1997

Reviews

[Rachel Green · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a tough read - worth a few go-overs. Her analysis was well-organized and well thought-out. Beginning with an overview of how she will show the gendered context of national reproduction, culture, citizenship, war and militarization, and identity politics and transversal perspectives, Yuval-Davis reveals from the start that this book will go deep into theory while maintaining a fresh, realistic perspective.

One of my favorite parts was the chapter on women's roles as carriers of the burden of the reproduction of national culture. Women not only have a responsibility to physically bear children to populate the nation (or to bear fewer children) to "maintain ethnic purity," but also they must engage in 'appropriate' behavior and appearances and exert control over other women 'deviants' to reinforce the national culture. Women also, Yuval-Davis discusses, have the burden of representation of national culture, which she explores through a discussion of the concept of honor. She talks about how, in many societies around the world, women are murdered by male relatives because of shame brought to families. Despite this seemingly powerful role women have in reproducing and policing culture - as physically bearing the children and socially engaging in and producing culture - Yuval-Davis talks about how women are not usually actors within their societies. They are usually objects, kept in their 'proper position' by these cultural codes. This pluralism fascinated as well as sickened me. Yuval-Davis did a wonderful job discussing the concept of national culture through a gendered lens.

[Olive · Rating 3 out of 5]

interesting but a tad repetitive and sluggish.

[Wenjing Fan · Rating 3 out of 5]

The reference book for SIMP 27. Although it may be creative and groundbreaking at that time(1990s), it seems boring now. Missing the most important and fundamental relationship, 'women do not have country', between women and nation, other pages are all like empty words.

[Hazal]

koca bir literature review, hiç argümanı yok ama nefis
seviyorum seni yuval-davis <3

[Johannes Lindelöw · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dialogue, rather than fixity of location, becomes the basis of empowered knowledge (p. 129). WAF, Haraway, Hill-Collins.

Transversal politics p. 130

Barefoot boogie

[Cynthia · Rating 2 out of 5]

Despite the small page number and the interesting content, this was a struggle to read for me.

[Steph Orme · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yuval-Davis provides a comprehensive overview of the vital role that gender plays in nationalist projects, and, in doing so, covers a lot of ground. Nonetheless, it's a good introductory text to an understanding of nation as inherently gendered.

[Andrea · Rating 2 out of 5]

This definitely includes more "overview" than "original analysis," and it is much heavier on the nation/state than on gender or gender's role in the construction of the nation. Not bad, just not what I expected based on the description.