Introduction to Women’s & Gender Studies - First Edition

Reviewed by Cherie Ann Turpin, Associate Professor, The University of the District of Columbia on 2/28/24

Comprehensiveness rating: 4 see less

Overall, this textbook provides a brief, accurate historical background to women's movements, feminist movements, and relevant data regarding worldwide progress for women and girls in North and South America, Europe, Asia, and Africa.

Content Accuracy rating: 4

Given the political upheaval happening globally that is related directly and indirectly to gender, this is a text that needs to be constantly updated to maintain its usefulness as a teaching tool and provide students with data that is both current and accurate.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 3

With the Dobbs decision, along with the recent events in the United States regarding transgender youth and LGBTQIA people, as well as current hostilities towards birth control, several areas need much more detail, even though it is an introductory text for Women's Studies.

Clarity rating: 3

As a textbook that provides a broad history of women's studies, this could use a bit of an update clarifying definitions of words and concepts like intersectionality, as well as its connection to empowerment for women and femmes who are aligned with marginalized communities, such as communities pf color.

Consistency rating: 3

Work is needed to address the lack of detail in definitions of concepts like gender equity that reflect intersectionality with consistency, such as economic oppression and gender equity, as well as racial oppression and gender equity.

Modularity rating: 3

I am not sure students would have a clear distinction among women's movements in the United States that were active concurrently, especially since some of them were not inclusive, or as inclusive in their theoretical approaches or activism.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 3

I am curious about the decision to divide feminism into waves without considering specific movements that moved beyond 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and/or 4th wave feminism, such as Black feminism or Chicana feminism. Many of the works that were cited came from those latter movements and had generational waves within their own right.

Interface rating: 3

Students need more images of texts mentioned like This Bridge Called My Back, as well as more images from recent marches, gatherings, and conferences.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

The textbook's grammar contains no errors.

Cultural Relevance rating: 2

I am curious about the decision to divide feminism into waves without considering specific movements that moved beyond 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and/or 4th wave feminism, such as Black feminism or Chicana feminism. Many of the works that were cited came from those latter movements and had generational waves within their own right.