Product Description

The gap between rich and poor is widening in most countries, putting more pressure on women in particular who often find themselves with the ultimate responsibility to provide for their families, especially their children, in the face of economic and political discrimination. Based on participant observation and in-depth interviews in four low-income neighborhoods in Cairo, this book offers rich, novel and intimate data relating to poor women's lives and everyday forms of resistance to gender inequalities in the labor market and at home. In contrast to the common stereotype of Middle Eastern women as totally oppressed and devoid of agency, this study shows the complex and diverse ways in which low-income women devise strategies to contest existing gender arrangements and improve their situation. It is a significant contribution to current debates about poverty, gender, power, and resistance.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #2171822 in Books
• Published on: 2003-02-11
• Original language: English
• Dimensions: .1 pounds
• Binding: Paperback
• 288 pages

Review
"Crystal-clear analysis, persuasive writing, and contextualised ethnography combine to make Defiance and Compliance an intellectual and political challenge." - Peter Loizos, London School of Economics