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B3 W2: Gender and Social Inclusion - Reading questions

- What is main argument of each article?

Riley: The development of the 'woman' in historical contexts (especially in England from the 19th Century) She ends writing about how Virginia Woolf is "fully aware of social injustice founded on sexual divisions. Yet sex-consciousness was an impediment to change" p.65
Fraser: To problematize the interpretation of women's needs within the welfare system that has driven women to be the main figure of poverty. How women's needs are interpreted by men.
Ong - How NGO's that impose gender justice need to take into consideration the vast majority of ethical, religious and cultural locations of the 'woman' before initiating global legislation.

- What sentence can you imagine quoting in a paper or thesis?  Why?

"The economic assignation of 'women' continued to be uncertain, but their status as elevating agents was simpler and less troubling." p.48, Riley

- What concrete practices do the authors refer to? Are these examples, illustrations or core of the text?

Gender justice (Ong)

- To what political contexts do Riley and Fraser refer?
Riley: Colonialism, Industrialization, Post-war Equality
Fraser: The American Welfare State,

- Are women’s movements and feminism implicated in the rise of control and surveillance? How could this be countered?  What could, according to the authors, be the role of feminist researchers in countering or supporting such co-option?

- According to Ong, what role can NGO’s play?

They can work alongside local women to find out what there needs are beyond gender justice - as race, class and age are all often more important to the equality of a woman.

- Can you think of feminist groups or women’s movements that might profit from the insights of Fraser, Riley and Ong? In what way?
The UN, NGO's, White Feminism,

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