Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Women and Japanese Management by Alice Lam. Women and the Labour Market by Teresa Rees. Women's Career Development: A Study of High Flyers by Barbara White, Charles Cox and Cary Cooper. Gender Divisions and Social Change by Nickie Charles.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: Stephen Whitehead and Roy Moodley (eds), Transforming Managers: Gendering Change in the Public Sector Julia O'Connell Davidson, Prostitution, Power and Freedom Su Maddock, Challenging Women Kathleen Weiler and Sue Middleton (eds), Telling Women's Lives Eileen Drew, Ruth Emerek and Evelyn Mahon, Women, Work and the Family in Europe Ian Proctor and Maureen Padfield, Young Adult Women, Work and Family     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: In the Way of Women: Men's Resistance to Sex Equality in Organisations by Cynthia Cockburn. The Transformation of Intimacy: Sexuality, Love and Eroticism in Modern Societies by Anthony Giddens. Gender and Bureaucracy by Mike Savage and Anne Witz (eds.) About Time: the Revolution in Work and Family Life by Patricia Hewitt.     

Extended review

China since the Gang of Four by Bill Bnigger (ed). The Soviet Theory of Development: India and the Third World Marxist Leninist Scholarship by Stephen Clarkson. University of Women and Rural Development: The People's Republic of China by Elisabeth Croll. Marx on the Choice between Socialism and Communism by Stanley Moore.     

Book Reviews

“Poppa” Psychology: The Role of Fathers in Children's Mental Well‐Being. Vicky Phares. Black Men and Divorce. Erma Jean Lawson & Aaron Thompson. Crossing the Line: Interracial Couples in the South. Robert P. McNamara, Maria Tempenis, & Beth Walton. Indicators of Children's Well‐Being. Robert M. Hauser, Brett V. Brown, & William R. Prosser (Eds.). The Scientific Basis of Child Custody Decisions. Robert M. Galatzer‐Levy & Louis Kraus (Eds.). The Third Job: Employed Couples' Management of Household Work Contradictions. Gurjeet K. Gill. Children's Adjustment to Adoption: Developmental and Clinical Issues. David M. Brodzinsky, Daniel W. Smith, & Anne B. Brodzinsky. Till Death Do Us Part: A Multicultural Anthology on Marriage. Sandra Lee Browning & R. Robin Miller (Eds.). Taking Time: Parental Leave Policy and Corporate Culture. Mindy Fried. Battered Women, Children, and Welfare Reform: The Ties that Bind. Ruth A. Brandwein (Ed.). Women, Families, and HIV/AIDS: A Sociological Perspective on the Epidemic in America. Carole A. Campbell. The Changing Family in Comparative Perspective: Asia and the United States. Karen Oppenheim Mason, Noriko O. Tsuya, & Minja Kim Choe (Eds.). Intimacy: Personal Relationships in Modern Societies. Lynn Jamieson. Relationships as Developmental Contexts. W. Andrew Collins & Brett Laursen (Eds.). Attachment Theory and Close Relationships. Jeffry A. Simpson & W. Steven Rholes (Eds.). The Custody Wars: Why Children Are Losing the Legal Battle and What We Can Do About It. Mary Ann Mason. Book Review Editor's note: Copies of the book, The Postdivorce Family The Postdivorce Family: Children, Parenting, and Society. Ross A. Thompson & Paul R. Amato (Eds.). Marriage, Divorce, and Children's Adjustment (2nd ed.). Robert E. Emery. The Postdivorce Family: Children, Parenting, and Society. Ross A. Thompson & Paul R. Amato (Eds.). Undercurrents of Divorce. Shelley Day Sclater & Christine Piper (Eds.). Problem Solving in Families: Research and Practice. Samuel Vuchinich.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Manufacturing Africa: Performance and Prospects of Seven Countries in Sub-Saharan Africa: Botswana, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Kenya, Nigeria, Zambia, Zimbabwe. By Roger C. Riddell with Peter Coughlin, Charles Harvey, Igor Karmiloff, Stephen Lewis Jr and Jennifer Sharpley Industry in Developing Countries: Theory, Policy and Evidence. By John Weiss Europe: 1992 and the Developing World. By Michael Davenport with Sheila Page Women in the Japanese Workplace. By Mary Saso After the Green Revolution: Sustainable Agriculture for Development. By G. R. Conway and E. B. Barbier The Third World Directory: A Guide to Organisations Working for Third World Development. By Shirley Giles Agricultural Policies for the 1990s. By S. Aziz Staying Alive: Women, Ecology and Development. By Vandana Shiva A Reaction Too Far: Economic Theory and the Role of the State in Developing Countries. By Tony Killick The World in Need of Leadership: Tomorrow's United Nations. By Brian Urquhart and Erskine Childers Political Economy in the Twentieth Century. Edited by Maxine Berg International Current Awareness Services: Economics and Related Disciplines Public Policy and Economic Development: Essays in Honour of Ian Little. Edited by Maurice Scott and Deepak Lal. Regional Integration among Developing Countries. By Rolf J. Langhammer and Ulrich Hiemenz     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Alternatives to Economic Globalization: A Better World Is Possible, 2^nd Ed. Farming for Us All: Practical Agriculture & the Cultivation of Sustainability, by Michael Mayerfeld Bell. Sundown Towns: A Hidden Dimension of American Racism, James W. Loewen. Developing Power: How Women Transformed International Development, edited by Arvonne S. Fraser and Irene Tinker. The Global Women's Movement: Origins, Issues and Strategies, by Peggy Antrobus. Fields of Power, Forests of Discontent: Power, Conservation, and the State in Mexico, by Nora Haenn.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed: L.A. Reese and K.E. Lindenberg, Implementing Sexual Harassment Policy: Challenges for the Public Sector Workplace Amy Flowers, The Fantasy Factory: An Insider's View of the Phone Sex Industry Helinä Melkas and Richard Anker, Gender Equality and Occupational Segregation in Nordic Labour Markets John Denton, Organisational Learning and Effectiveness Carol Lee Bacchi, Women, Policy and Politics     

Book Reviews

Celia Briar, Working for Women? Gendered Work and Welfare Policies in Twentieth Century Britain Rosemary Crompton, Duncan Gallie and Kate Purcell, Changing Forms of Employment Organisations, Skills and Gender Barbara Harrison, ‘Not Only the Dangerous Trades’. Women's Work and Health in Britain, 1880–1914 Suzan Lewis and Jeremy Lewis, The Work — Family Challenge: Rethinking Employment     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Social Theory and Modern Sociology Anthony Giddens A Reconstruction of Historical Materialism Jorge Larrain Place, Practice and Structure: Social and Spatial Transformations in Southern Sweden: 1750–1850 Allan Pred New Forms of Democracy David Held and Christopher Pollitt, (eds) Women and European Politics Joni Lovenduski Women of Europe Elizabeth Vallance and Elizabeth Davies Becoming a Feminist: The Social Origins of First Wave Feminism Olive Banks Justice for Women? Family, Court and Social Control Mary Eaton Women, Violence and Social Control Jalna Hammer and Mary Maynard The British Worker Question: A New Look at Workers and Productivity in Manufacturing Theo Nichols Routledge & Kegan Paul. The Enemy Within: Pit Villages and the Miners' Strike of 1984–5 R. Samuel, B. Bloomfield and G. Boanas (eds) Thurcroft: a Village and the Miners' Strike The Miners' Strike 1984-5: Loss without Limit M. Adeney and J. Lloyd German White-Collar Workers and the Rise of Hitler Hans Speier Democracy and Control in the Workplace Ed Davis and Russell Lansbury Towards a New Industrial Democracy: Workers' Participation in Industry Michael Poole, Routledge & Kegan Paul Unemployment: Personal and Social Consequences Stephen Fineman (ed.) Unions, Unemployment and Innovation Eric Batstone and Stephen Gourlay Public Acceptance of New Technologies. An International Review Roger Williams and Stephen Mills (eds) Education for Some: The Educational and Vocational Experiences of 15–18 Year Old Members of Minority Ethnic Origins John Eggleston, David Dunn, Mahdu Anjali The Power of Psychiatry Peter Miller and Nikolas Rose (eds) Love as Passion: the Codification of Intimacy Niklas Luhmann Quest for Excitement: Sport and Leisure in the Civilizing Process Norbert Elias and Eric Dunning All Work and No Play? The Sociology of Women and Leisure Rosemary Deem The Pub and the People A Worktown Study by Mass Observation Ageing and Social Policy C. Phillipson and A. Walker (eds)     

Women's Engagement in Pubic Hair Removal: Motivations and Associated Factors

Objectives: To examine the relationship between women's pubic hair removal (PHR) and genital satisfaction and explore whether attitudes toward, and personal consumption of, pornography are associated with women's engagement in PHR. Methods: Data were collected by online survey from women (N = 152) who were then categorized into groups based on the prevalence and extent of PHR during the previous 4 weeks. Groups were compared on demographic, background, and behavioral variables. Results: Eighty-three percent of respondents reported PHR in the previous 4 weeks and 40% of respondents removed all their pubic hair. Women who were younger, White, and were more satisfied with their genitals were more likely to engage in PHR. Of these, being younger, not having a degree, reporting less positive attitudes toward erotica, and 3 reasons for PHR predicted extensive PHR over limited removal. Conclusions: Findings provide insights into the reasons for, and extent of, PHR among women and factors associated with the practice. The possible influences of partners' preferences for genital hair removal by women and partners' consumption of pornography are important areas for future research.     

Book Reviews

Books reviewed; Jacqueline DeLaat, Gender in the Workplace: A Case Study Approach Jeff Hearn, The Violences of Men Janet L. Finn, Tracing the Veins: Of Copper, Culture, and Community from Butte to Chuquicamata Jill Blackmore, Troubling Women: Feminism, Leadership and Educational Change Kristen A. Myers, Cynthia D. Anderson and Barbara J. Risman (eds), Feminist Foundations: Toward Transforming Sociology Pat Mahoney and Christine Zmroczek (eds), Class Matters: ‘Working‐Class’ Women's Perspectives on Social Class     

Freshmen Women and the “Freshman 15”: Perspectives on Prevalence and Causes of College Weight Gain

Abstract

Objective: Freshman weight gain has been assessed using quantitative inquiry, but this qualitative study allowed for an in-depth exploration of freshmen women's experiences surrounding body image, nutrition, and exercise. The purpose of this study was to better understand the impact and explanations for the “Freshman 15.” Participants: Freshmen college women, aged 18 to 19 years. Methods: Participants (N = 235) were initially surveyed about body dissatisfaction. Thirty participants were selected for semistructured interviews (conducted in March 2008) using a criterion-based, multilevel stratified random sampling. Results: Freshmen women reported intense fears about gaining weight. Women most commonly attributed freshman weight gain to newly found food independence, social comparison with peers, and the influence of friends and family. Women frequently cited eating habit changes to explain college weight gain. Conclusions: Comparison among females was framed using Festinger's social comparison theory. Despite being cautious about food, females described freshman weight gain as inevitable.     

Women's Status and Social Capital in the United States

SUMMARY

Robert Putnam's Bowling Alone found that social capital is closely associated with a variety of important indicators of community health, and women benefit from many of these resources as members of their communities. But is there anything distinct about how women experience social capital? Is there a relationship between social capital and women's status overall? Using data on social capital from Bowling Alone and data collected by the Institute for Women's Policy Research for its Status of Women in the States project, we assess trends across the states on both dimensions. Overall, the findings suggest that there is a strong relationship between the two.     

Book Reviews

Women's Work Is Never Done: Comparative Studies in Care‐Giving, Employment, and Social Policy Reform. Sylvia Bashevkin. (Ed.) Learning to Be Old: Gender, Culture, and Aging. Margaret Cruikshank. How Families Still Matter: A Longitudinal Study of Youth in Two Generations. Vern L. Bengtson, Timothy J. Biblarz, & Robert E. L. Roberts. New Family Values: Liberty, Equality, Diversity. Karen Struening. Involved Fathering and Men's Adult Development: Provisional Balances. Rob Palkovitz. For Better and for Worse: Welfare Reform and the Well‐Being of Children and Families. Greg J. Duncan & P. Lindsay Chase‐Lansdale. (Eds.) The Power of Good Deeds: Privileged Women and the Social Reproduction of the Upper Class. Diana Kendall. Child Care and Inequality: Rethinking Carework for Children and Youth. Francesca M. Cancian, Demie Kurz, Andrew S. London, Rebecca Reviere, & Mary C. Tuominen.     

Attitudes Toward Housework and Child Care and the Gendered Division of Labor

Research on the division of household labor has typically examined the role of time availability, relative resources, and gender ideology. We explore the gendered meaning of domestic work by examining the role of men's and women's attitudes toward household labor. Using data from the Dutch Time Competition Survey (N = 732), we find that women have more favorable attitudes toward cleaning, cooking, and child care than do men: Women enjoy it more, set higher standards for it, and feel more responsible for it. Furthermore, women's favorable and men's unfavorable attitudes are associated with women's greater contribution to household labor. Effects are stronger for housework than child care, own attitudes matter more than partner's, and men's attitudes are more influential than women's.     

Women Who Work: The limits of the neoliberal feminist paradigm

This article examines Ivanka Trump's Women Who Work, arguing that it represents the newest permutation of the neoliberal feminist subject. After providing an overview of the recent emergence of neoliberal feminism, I explain why the book should be considered part of the wider cultural landscape in which this variant of feminism has increasingly become commonsensical. I then turn to demonstrate how Women Who Work construes the ideal female subject not only as generic human capital but also incites her to invest in herself constantly, where activities ranging from professional workshops through hobbies to friendships are understood as practices that appreciate the value of the self. The conversion of women into generic rather than gendered human capital remains, however, incomplete, since the ideal of a happy work–family balance continues to serve as a push back to the wholesale erasure of traditional notions of sexual difference. Finally, I highlight that neoliberal feminism is erasing other long‐standing divisions and political differences. Not only does the private–public divide collapse, but so, too, does the distinction between one's private self and one's public enterprise as the self itself becomes an enterprise. This dual process of collapse and reconfiguration shapes the newest neoliberal feminist subject, the main protagonist of Trump's Women Who Work.     

Women's Work? The Relationship between Farmwork and Gender Self‐Perception

Women have long been involved in agricultural production, yet farming and ranching have been associated with masculinity and men. In recent years women have become more involved and more likely to take active and equal roles on farms and ranches and thus increasingly are doing tasks that have been associated with masculinity. Prior work indicates that women are perceived by others as more masculine when they do these tasks, but less work has focused on the association between women's involvement in farming and women's own perceptions of their gender (i.e., how masculine or feminine they feel). Using 2006 survey data from a random sample of women in livestock and grain operations in Washington State, we find that women's involvement in farm and ranch tasks is associated with their gender self‐perception, with more involvement being associated with a more masculine self‐perception. Women who view their primary role as independent agricultural producers or full partners also perceive themselves as more masculine than women who view their primary role as homemaker. We discuss the implications of these findings for women's experiences in agriculture.     

Book Reviews/Comptes rendus

TANYA BASOK, Keeping Heads above Water: Salvadorean Refugees in Costa Rica. PER BRASK and WILLIAM MORGAN (eds.),Aboriginal Voices: Amerindian, Inuit and Sami Theater. BRIAN BURTCH, Trials of Labour: The Re-emergence of Midwifery. SALLY COLE, Women of the Praia: Work and Lives in a Portuguese Coastal Community. WALLACE CLEMENT and JOHN MYLES, Relations of Ruling: Class and Gender in Postindustrial Societies. JAMES E. CÔTÉ and ANTON L. ALLAHAR, Generation on Hold: Coming of Age in the Late Twentieth Century. GLORIA GOODWIN RAHEJA and ANN GRODZINS GOLD, Listen to the Heron's Words: Reimaging Gender and Kinship in North India. DAVID LYON, The Electronic Eye: The Rise of Surveillance Society.     

Book Reviews

Book reviewed in this article: Privatization of Information and Agricultural Industrialization, edited by Steven A. Wolf. Peasant Maids, City Women: From the European Countryside to Urban America, edited by Christiane Harzig. Land and Labour Relations in South‐West Bangladesh: Resources, Power and Conflict, by Anjan Kumar Datta. Debt and Dispossession: Farm Loss in America's Heartland, by Kathryn Marie Dudley. Disappearing Peasantries? Rural Labour in Africa, Asia and Latin America, edited by Deborah Bryceson, Cristóbal Kay, and Jos Mooij. A Nation Divided: Diversity, Inequality and Community in American Society, edited by Phyllis Moen, Donna Dempster‐McClain, and Henry A. Walker. Property and Value: Alternatives to Public and Private Ownership, edited by Charles Geisler and Gail Daneker. New Frontiers in Agricultural History, Vol. 1, edited by Kyle D. Kauffman.