Defining Women explores the social and cultural construction of gender and the meanings of woman, women, and femininity as they were negotiated in the pioneering television series Cagney and Lacey, starring two women as New York City police detectives. Julie D'Acci illuminates the tensions between the television industry, the series production team, the mainstream and feminist press, various interest groups, and television viewers over competing notions of what women could or could not be--not only on television but in society at large. Cagney and Lacey, which aired from 1981 to 1988, was widely recognized as an innovative treatment of working women and developed a large and loyal following. While researching this book, D'Acci had unprecedented access to the set, to production meetings, and to the complete production files, including correspondence from network executives, publicity firms, and thousands of viewers. She traces the often heated debates surrounding the development of women characters and the representation of feminism on prime-time television, shows how the series was reconfigured as a 'woman's program,' and investigates questions of female spectatorship and feminist readings. Although she focuses on Cagney and Lacey, D'Acci discusses many other examples from the history of American television.

Defining Women is a major in-depth analysis of the social, economic and political position of women in contemporary societies. It explores the ways in which social institutions, practices and discourse define women and their position in present-day societies. The book examines the essential debates about the social construction of gender divisions in and by the key institutions of the labour market and the state. Focussing on notions of power, dependence and equality, it addresses questions of the differences between women and men, and between women themselves, in the economy and civil society. Women's political struggles to challenge their subordinate position are also assessed. The recognition of the diverse interests of women currently poses a real challenge to the central project of feminism, but Defining Women confidently argues for it's future. This book will be widely used as a text book in feminism and women's studies and will have a broad interdisciplinary appeal.

Develops a new account of historical injustice and redress, demonstrating why a consideration of history is crucial for gender equality.

Drawing on the case files of the State Training school of Geneva, Illinois, the author presents a history of delinquent girls in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. Focusing on contemporary perceptions of gender, sexuality, class, disability and eugenics, the work examines the involuntary commitment of girls and young women deemed by reformers to be "defective" and shows both the dominant social trends of the day as well as the ways in which the victims of these policies sought to mitigate their conditions.

Second, Revised EditionTo what are we referring when we speak of women? What is the nature of women in society; what is the nature of women in society? These are the central questions of this classic text which looks at areas ranging from England and Greece to Mongolia and Africa. The authors - anthropologists, sociologists, ethnologists, neurologists and psychologists - consider the structural position of women; how they are defined by reference to physiological and social markers, and how they are required to behave. They also consider ways in which different cultures identify and deal with such `natural' aspects of women as virginity, sexuality and childbearing. The broad variety of geographical perspectives reveals dissimilar as well as similar ideas about women - in their use of language and of space, matrifocality, and life trajectories.

Thirteen professional women recount the career challenges they've faced and how they have overcome bias, sexism, and the power imbalance.

From the outside, you have it all: the advanced degree and fulfilling career, the loving family and nice home. But inside, it's a different story. Student loans and credit card debt still follow you around, and living paycheck to paycheck feels like you've missed an important memo only your financially free counterparts received. You're relying on the next promotion and big raise to feel better about your finances, but what if making more money isn't the solution you need? What if you could have all the money you want with a few simple adjustments? Changing your financial status-like many things in life-is mind over matter: The way you think about money impacts the amount of money you have. In Defining Wealth for Women, Bonnie Koo, MD, shows you why everything you've ever learned about money is probably wrong. She reveals the common misconceptions and limiting beliefs that many professional women have when it comes to money, helping you see what's possible when you break through the self-imposed ceiling. Even if you've never struggled with finances, this book helps you take your financial status to the next level and make your money work for you.