A Tradition That Has No Name: Nurturing the Development of People, Families, and Communities

by Mary Field Belenky, Lynne A. Bond, Jacqueline S. Weinstock

Mary Field Belenky, Lynne A. Bond, and Jacqueline S. Weinstock, hoping to carry Belenky's theoretical work in the bestselling Women's Ways of Knowing into the realm of everyday life, created the Listening Partners project, designed to help young women isolated in rural poverty give voice to their personal and communal needs and come together to create social change. A Tradition That Has No Name explores this project and the work of other women who have created organizations to give voice to and strengthen traditions of community organizing and leadership, particularly as they have developed in communities of women marginalized by race and class. Ranging across cultures and classes—from struggling inner-city neighborhoods to affluent middle-class suburbs, from African American communities in the South to poor rural communities in Vermont—the book teaches us how to appreciate the ways women create networks of listening and community-building, and how to bring these little-recognized traditions of women's activism to the forefront of public life. It is these “public homeplaces” women create together, the authors argue, that hold the key for empowering communities and creating social change.

Genres: Womens

384 pages, Paperback

First published April 24, 1997

Reviews

[Justice Tinker · Rating 4 out of 5]

"A Tradition That Has No Name" is a book that I think will have an impact on the life I hope to have as an activist, feminist & future academic. It analyzes, explores and provides solid findings for the importance of giving marginalized communities, especially women in those communities a voice. The book explores several organizations all rooted in maternal knowledge & voice production, looking at organizations in Germany, rural America and Urban Brooklyn. It cites some great activist work and is very inspiring with the findings the authors uncovered. My mom had to read this book in college as an Education major and now reading it almost two decades later I see how much of an influential book this is and could be if it received wider recognition. It is a book I intend to cite and look back on for a long time in my life and provides a great foundation to change the education system and several academic fields.

Overall a very great informative read that reminded me of why I am studying Sociology, Women Gender Studies & History. The book is a solid 4.5 and I find it very inspiring regarding the work it was shining a light on.