Reversed Realities: Gender Hierarchies in Development Thought

by Naila Kabeer

Reversed Realities  uncovers the deeply entrenched, hence barely visible, biases which underpin mainstream development theory and account for the marginal status given to women’s needs in current development policy.

Naila Kabeer traces the emergence of “women” as a specific category in development thought and examines alternative frameworks for analyzing gender hierarchies. She identifies the household as a primary site for the construction of power relations and compares the extent to which gender inequalities are revealed in different approaches to the concept of the family unit. The book assesses the inadequacies of the poverty line as a measuring tool and provides a critical overview of an issue that has been fiercely contested by population control. While feminists themselves have no unanimous view of the meaning of “reproductive choice,” Kabeer argues that it is imperative for them to take a lead in the construction of population policy.

Genres: Gender, Nonfiction, Feminism, Gender Studies, Economics

346 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1994

Reviews

[Jon Kapp · Rating 4 out of 5]

A seminal text providing new perspectives on gender in the context of human development. Recommended reading for practitioners in the field!

[Marva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reversed Realities is a tremendous academic endeavor to develop a feminist development agenda, one which will destabilize gender inequalities and empower women especially the women of the global south. It attempts an elaborate feminist critique of mainstream social sciences in general as applied to the field of development studies. Its starting point is focusing the light on the unofficial actors of the development process, the women whose countless contributions to the progress of individual, family, community, nation and the world has been made invisible historically, voice and agency denied. Her language, commendable for its lucidity makes the book accessible for academics, social activists and policy planners alike.
Read More at https://restrospect.wordpress.com/201...

[Michael McIntyre · Rating 2 out of 5]

The author needed to publish a book for career reasons, so she threw together ten distinct papers and convinced Verso to publish them as a book.

[Katherine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing.

[Fany Wedahuditama · Rating 5 out of 5]

Prepare for another realities... it makes you think... deeply.. another great book... enjoy

[Monster · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was skeptical that a book from 1994 could be this relevant, but it seems likely that feminist analyses of development have slowed since the accelerated globalization period during which this book was written. This book is comprehensive in its scope and thorough in its critique.

Should be required reading. Pairs nicely with the article (Un)doing Marxism from the Outside by Anjan Chakrabarty and Anup Dhar. PM me if you'd like a copy of the article.