This book examines the pervasiveness of status asymmetry between gender categories from a social-psychological perspective. It offers key insights to practitioners and policymakers, and will appeal to scholars and students across the social sciences.

This edited collection attempts to revive a unified anthropological approach to the study of sex and gender hierarchies. Seventeen distinguished contributors - from cultural anthropology, physical anthropology, archaeology, and anthropological linguistics - have produced a wealth of fascinating data on human and primate, ancient and contemporary, and 'primitive' and developed societies, covering topics such as mothering and child care, work, health, intrafamily relationships, and public power. The interdisciplinary approach successfully contributes to the development of better theory and methodology in anthropology.

Order on the Edge of Chaos answers the question: how do people today create and sustain order in their lives and in their groups?

Vivid narratives, fresh insights, and new theories on where gender theory and research stand today Since scholars began interrogating the meaning of gender and sexuality in society, this field has become essential to the study of sociology. Gender Reckonings aims to map new directions for understanding gender and sexuality within a more pragmatic, dynamic, and socially relevant framework. It shows how gender relations must be understood on a large scale as well as in intimate detail. The contributors return to the basics, questioning how gender patterns change, how we can realize gender equality, and how the structures of gender impact daily life. Gender Reckonings covers not only foundational concepts of gender relations and gender justice, but also explores postcolonial patterns of gender, intersectionality, gender fluidity, transgender practices, neoliberalism, and queer theory. Gender Reckonings combines the insights of gender and sexuality scholars from different generations, fields, and world regions. The editors and contributors are leading social scientists from six continents, and the book gives vivid accounts of the changing politics of gender in different communities. Rich in empirical detail and novel thinking, Gender Reckonings is a lasting resource for students, researchers, activists, policymakers, and everyone concerned with gender justice.

This volume focuses on two questions: why do people from one social group oppress and discriminate against people from other groups? and why is this oppression so mind numbingly difficult to eliminate? The answers to these questions are framed using the conceptual framework of social dominance theory. Social dominance theory argues that the major forms of intergroup conflict, such as racism, classism and patriarchy, are all basically derived from the basic human predisposition to form and maintain hierarchical and group-based systems of social organization. In essence, social dominance theory presumes that, beneath major and sometimes profound difference between different human societies, there is also a basic grammar of social power shared by all societies in common. We use social dominance theory in an attempt to identify the elements of this grammar and to understand how these elements interact and reinforce each other to produce and maintain group-based social hierarchy.

Covers important topics with multi-disciplinary appeal: gender stereotypes, gender in the workplace, and gender-related prejudice No equivalent up-to-date examination of this subject from a social psychology perspective Contains practical recommendations for translating research in the area into real-world action

'The book offers a thorough overview both of long-standing debates around gender and sexuality and of current issues. It nicely locates the debates within the sociological tradition, and this provides a distinctive and valuable feature. Not the least of the merits of this book is its international focus, and it will prove invaluable for students exploring the diverse pattern of sexuality and gender in an age of globalization. The authors are at the cutting edge of their subject, and so is the book.' Jeffrey Weeks, author of Sexuality, Third Edition and Emeritus Professor of Sociology, London South Bank University 'Finally, a book that bridges feminism and critical sex studies. Rahman and Jackson have written a smart, accessible overview of the dynamic relationship between gender and sexuality that will seriously engage an undergraduate audience. This book teaches students by raising questions and providing the intellectual resources to navigate the complex terrain of contemporary sexual and gender politics. One of the few "must-use" classroom texts I've read in a long time.' Steven Seidman, author of The Social Construction of Sexuality, State University of New York This new introduction to the sociology of gender and sexuality offers a fresh take on the importance of these concepts in modern society. It provides an insight into our rapidly changing attitudes towards sex and our understanding of masculine and feminine identities, relating the study of gender and sexuality to wider social concerns throughout the world and presenting a comprehensive yet readable summary of recent research and theory. In an accessible and engaging style, the book demonstrates how thinking about gender and sexuality can illuminate and enliven other contemporary sociological debates about social structure, social change, and culture and identity politics. Emphasis is placed on the diversity of gendered and sexual lives in different parts of the world. The book offers detailed coverage of wide-ranging topics, from international sex tourism to celebrity culture, from gender in the work-place to new sexual lifestyles, drawing examples from everyday life. By demonstrating the links between gender and sexuality this book makes a clear case for thinking sociologically about these important and controversial aspects of human identity and behaviour. The book will be of great value to students in any discipline looking to understand the roles gender and sexuality play in our lives.