Gendered Bodies, Social Exclusions : Contemporary Issues in Women's Studies (Contemporary Issues in Social Science Research)

This book explores contemporary issues in women’s studies, focusing on the agency of marginalised and disenfranchised within political, cultural, and social spheres. It employs feminist pedagogies to articulate the multiple intersecting histories of class, caste, race, sexuality, disability and citizenship. Using feminist perspectives, the book challenges the hegemonic and patriarchal logic of heteronormativity by contextualizing verbal abuse, violence in the private sphere, and the tensions between women's and men's rights across the continuum of family, community, and state. The essays in this volume examine the (im)possibilities of creating violence-free, caring, and affordable living space on the one hand, and seek to understand the gendered experience of violence in the context of migration, as well as cultural and sexual labour on the other. In addition to interrogating the cultural taboos that restrict women's autonomy and rights, the essays prioritise a diverse range of voices, including those of dancers in the entertainment industry, sexual and gender minorities, urban poor populations living in slums, and disabled women. They also document and archive the academic agency of staff and students working to address injustices within higher education institutions. Part of the Contemporary Issues in Social Science Research series, this volume will be of significant interest to scholars and researchers in gender studies, women’s studies, history, political science, sociology, social anthropology, development studies, law, media studies and South Asia studies.