This book examines the place of women within ethnic and national communities in nine different societies, and the ways in which the state intervenes in their lives. Contributions from a group of scholars examine the situations in their religious, economic and historical context.

An examination of nationalism and gender.

Facts, figures, and essays on women and poverty by Barbara Ehrenreich, Kirsten Gillibrand, LeBron James, and other high-profile contributors. Fifty years after President Lyndon B. Johnson called for a War on Poverty and enlisted Sargent Shriver to oversee it, the most important social issue of our day is once again the dire economic straits of millions of Americans. One in three live in poverty or teeter on the brink—and seventy million are women and the children who depend on them. The fragile economic status of millions of American women is the shameful secret of the modern era—yet these women are also our greatest hope for change, and our nation’s greatest undervalued asset. The Shriver Report: A Woman’s Nation Pushes Back from the Brink asks—and answers—big questions. Why are millions of women financially vulnerable when others have made such great progress? Why are millions of women struggling to make ends meet even though they are hard at work? What is it about our nation—government, business, family, and even women themselves—that drives women to the financial brink? And what is at stake? To forge a path forward, this book brings together a power-packed roster of big thinkers and talented contributors, in a volume that combines academic research, personal reflections, authentic photojournalism, groundbreaking poll results, and insights from frontline workers; political, religious, and business leaders; and major celebrities—all focused on a single issue of national importance: women and the economy. “A startling wake-up call for policymakers and anyone hoping to survive a culture that siphons wealth upward to a very powerful few.” —Booklist Contributors include: Carol Gilligan, PhD * Barbara Ehrenreich * Beyoncé Knowles-Carter * LeBron James * Anne-Marie Slaughter * Kirsten Gillibrand * Hillary Rodham Clinton * Tory Burch * Sister Joan Chittister * Arne Duncan * Kathleen Sibelius * Howard Schultz * and more!

Yuval-Davis provides both an authoritative critique of the literature on gender and nationhood, and an original analysis of the ways in which gender relations are affected by national projects and processes.