Women Worldwide: Transnational Feminist Perspectives - 2nd Edition

Reviewed by Nadia Mohamed, Professor, Global Studie, Anoka-Ramsey Community College on 6/22/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

One of the strengths of "Women Worldwide" is its emphasis on intersectionality. The editors and contributors consistently foreground the ways in which different forms of oppression intersect and impact women's lives. This approach not only enriches the reader's understanding of global feminism but also underscores the importance of considering multiple axes of identity and power.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book's dense academic language may be challenging for newcomers to feminist studies. Additionally, while the theoretical discussions are strong, there is sometimes a gap between theory and practical activism.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

"Women Worldwide" is an essential read for anyone interested in global feminism. It offers a comprehensive and empathetic exploration of women's lives and struggles, making a significant contribution to feminist literature.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is meticulously organized into sections that cover a wide range of topics, including women's rights, labor, health, migration, and activism. Each section offers a blend of theoretical insights and practical examples, highlighting the diversity of women's experiences and the various ways in which they navigate and resist oppression.

Consistency rating: 5

The inclusion of personal narratives and testimonies adds a powerful and relatable dimension to the theoretical discussions. These stories bring to life the real-world implications of feminist theories and provide a poignant reminder of the human faces behind the statistics and academic debates.

Modularity rating: 5

While "Women Worldwide" is an excellent resource, it is not without its limitations. Some readers might find the dense academic language and theoretical jargon challenging, particularly if they are new to feminist studies. Additionally, although the book aims to be comprehensive, the vast scope of the topics means that some areas are covered more thoroughly than others. For example, certain regions and issues may receive less attention due to the constraints of the anthology format.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Language: Dense academic jargon can be challenging for newcomers.
Theory vs. Practice: There's sometimes a gap between theoretical discussions and actionable strategies for activism.

Interface rating: 5

"Women Worldwide" is a vital resource for understanding and engaging with transnational feminist issues. It offers a comprehensive and empathetic exploration of women's lives, making it essential for students, scholars, and activists committed to gender justice.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The grammar in "Women Worldwide" is precise and well-edited, maintaining a high academic standard. The writing is clear, though at times complex, reflecting the depth and rigor of the subject matter. The use of academic jargon and theoretical language is appropriate for the book’s intended audience of scholars and advanced students, but may require additional effort for readers less familiar with feminist theory.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

Cultural Relevance "Women Worldwide" is highly culturally relevant, offering a transnational perspective that acknowledges the diverse experiences of women across different cultural contexts. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding local specificities while recognizing the interconnectedness of global feminist struggles. It addresses issues such as: The impact of globalization on women's labor. The cultural dimensions of health practices and policies. The role of cultural identity in migration and activism. By integrating these perspectives, the book provides a comprehensive view of how cultural factors influence and shape women's lives worldwide.

Comments

"Women Worldwide" is a vital resource for understanding and engaging with transnational feminist issues. It offers a comprehensive and empathetic exploration of women's lives, making it essential for students, scholars, and activists committed to gender justice. The book's cultural relevance and emphasis on intersectionality make it a significant contribution to feminist literature.

Reviewed by Yalda Hamidi, Assistant Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, Minnesota State University Mankato on 6/26/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

The book Women Worldwide: Transnational Feminist Perspectives offers an extensive range of subjects explored by transnational feminists from the 1990s onwards. Alongside its comprehensive coverage of various topics, the book also equips readers, particularly students, with the essential historical context, developmental trajectories, and fundamental definitions required for feminist classrooms.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

What sets this book apart from other Open Educational Resources (OER) materials is the collective collaboration of prominent feminist scholars renowned in their respective subfields. This extensive expertise lends unparalleled credibility to the resource, ensuring the accuracy and reliability of the scholarship presented within.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book covers an extensive array of topics, spanning from chapters on families and gender-based violence to discussions on war and peace, sexualities, and reproductive justice. Many of these subjects are current and trending within the academic field of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. By offering access to a survey that is highly relevant to our time and culturally sustainable for the lives of our students in 2023, the book ensures an engaging and meaningful learning experience.

Clarity rating: 5

The language used in transnational feminism can occasionally be complex and filled with jargon, which can pose a challenge for students. Nonetheless, each chapter in this book goes the extra mile to present examples, offer contextualization, and simplify intricate theoretical concepts, making them accessible and comprehensible for students and non-academic readers.

Consistency rating: 5

In the opening chapter of the book, Reshmi Dutt-Ballerstadt and Kiana Anderson establish the foundation of transnational feminism as a tradition rooted in critical race feminism and postcolonial feminism. This framework consistently guides the subsequent chapters, offering students a strong comprehension of the subject matter. By providing instructors with this resource, it empowers them to effectively utilize the book and assist their students in recognizing these theoretical elements across the various discussion topics explored in each chapter.

Modularity rating: 5

While maintaining a cohesive framework throughout, each chapter of this book possesses the ability to function independently and can be applied in a diverse range of courses, such as Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, as well as other disciplines within the humanities and social sciences. These chapters provide valuable insights into the lives and experiences of women worldwide, making them relevant and applicable across various academic contexts and valuable for different types of modules.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The organization of each chapter in this book is skillfully executed. While the chapters establish connections and maintain a coherent thread, they also function effectively as standalone units. In other words, the book exhibits a strong overall organization, yet the chapters could be arranged in different configurations without compromising their individual effectiveness.

Interface rating: 5

The book prints beautifully, catering to students and readers who prefer working with physical copies. Furthermore, it seamlessly integrates into D2L pages, allowing students to access and read it online without encountering interface issues.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammatical errors were detected.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The chapters of this book exhibit inclusivity, cultural responsiveness, and thematic sustainability, ensuring relevance and resonance for readers and students from diverse backgrounds, including those from underrepresented communities. The authors' expertise and careful consideration of these topics have resulted in a successful impact that fosters a sense of connection and understanding.

Comments

I extensively utilized this book in both my undergraduate (300-level) and graduate (600-level) courses on Transnational Feminism. In my graduate course, I supplemented it with The Oxford Handbook of Transnational Feminist Movements, as both resources share a similar approach. Moreover, I incorporated individual chapters from this book into various syllabi. Students have expressed their enjoyment of the reading process, and this book has proven instrumental in helping them grasp more intricate theories and concepts. It serves as a gateway to deeper understanding for them.

Reviewed by Arlene Sgoutas, Professor, Gender Women and Sexualities Studies, Metropolitan State University of Denver on 3/27/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

The textbook has a comprehensive list of subjects related to the events that shape the lives of diverse women around the globe. It lacks an index, and encourages students to collectively build their own glossary as a learning activity.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

The book's content is well-sourced and provides additional resources for students to do additional research and formulate their own opinions on the issues covered in each chapter.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This book is organized in such a way that updates will be straightforward to implement.

Clarity rating: 5

The book is clear, concise, and accessible to a range of students. I can see using sections of it for both for both lower and upper-division classes.

Consistency rating: 5

The book has a certain flow to it that will keep students' engage in its content.

Modularity rating: 5

The book is divided into chunks that allows for more in-depth discussion of particular issues within each section.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

The topics in the text are presented in a logical, clear fashion. Yet, I can see altering the order for particular courses without disrupting to its flow.

Interface rating: 5

I did not encounter any issues with the interface of the book.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I did not find any grammatical errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The text puts forth a transnational feminist perspective that is inclusive of a variety of races, ethnicities, and background. It challenges the reader to de-center Western, liberal frameworks and gives agency to multiple voices.

Reviewed by Beth Younger, associate professor, Drake University on 12/13/22

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book seems fairly comprehensive and does an excellent job of theorizing the differences among globalism and transnational feminism; these distinctions are vital especially when teaching in a PWI. Intersectionality is much more than considering multiple perspectives--and this textbook offers a comprehensive overview of what it means to theorize transnational feminism.

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I did not come across any inaccuracies.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This textbook is current and extremely relevant. The chapters on world media, sexuality in global context, the body, violence, religion, and activism are all topics that I currently cover in my introduction to women's and gender studies course. I can see how teaching the course through a transnational lens could be eye-opening and vital in the 21st century.

Clarity rating: 5

I found this book to be incredibly clear--even though there are multiple authors the book flows from one topic to the next in a smooth and seamless fashion. I especially think the way this book is written would be accessible for undergraduates learning about transnational feminism.

Consistency rating: 5

I'm not sure what consistency means in this context, but the book is consistently challenging and thought-provoking. I think the indues and ideas are presented clearly and cohesively, but with room to be challenged and interrogated.

Modularity rating: 5

I think this book is absolutely readily divisible. I have already thought about how I might use the section on "global politics of the body" in my next intro to WGS course. I think this chapter in particular does a fantastic job of challenging western, white, liberal feminist ideologies.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

Organization is perfect.

Interface rating: 5

No problems whatsoever with navigation or distortion.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

No grammar errors that I could see.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

The main idea of this book is to address the variety of human beings globally in terms of feminist thought and theory. It does an excellent job covering and illuminating a variety of races, ethnicities and backgrounds in a culturally sensitive fashion.

Comments

Great text.