The Kaleidoscope of Gender: Prisms, Patterns, and Possibilities provides an accessible, timely, and stimulating overview of the cutting-edge literature and theoretical frameworks in sociology and related fields in order to understand the social construction of gender. The kaleidoscope metaphor and its three themes—prisms, patterns, and possibilities—unify topic areas throughout the book. By focusing on the prisms through which gender is shaped, the patterns which gender takes, and the possibilities for social change, the reader gains a deeper understanding of ourselves and our relationships with others, both locally and globally. Editors Catherine Valentine, Mary Nell Trautner and the work of Joan Spade focus on the paradigms and approaches to gender studies that are constantly changing and evolving. The Sixth Edition includes incorporation of increased emphasis on global perspectives, updated contemporary social movements, such as #BlackLivesMatter and #MeToo, and an updated focus on gendered violence.

Whether considered from an American or a European perspective, the past four decades have seen family life become increasingly complex. Changing Family Dynamics and Demographic Evolution examines the various stages of change through the image of a kaleidoscope, providing new insights into the field of family dynamics and diversity.

Time is at the forefront of contemporary scholarly inquiry across the natural sciences and the humanities. Yet the social sciences have remained substantially isolated from time-related concerns. This book argues that time should be a key part of social theory and focuses concern upon issues which have emerged as central to an understanding of today's social world. Through her analysis of time Barbara Adam shows that our contemporary social theories are firmly embedded in Newtonian science and classical dualistic philosophy. She exposes these classical frameworks of thought as inadequate to the task of conceptualizing our contemporary world of standardized time, computers, nuclear power and global telecommunications.

Today’s youth struggle with difficult questions of sexual identity. How can a youth worker offer wise care and counsel on such a controversial and confusing subject? Mark Yarhouse, Director of the Institute for the Study of Sexual Identity, writes to equip youth ministers so they can faithfully navigate the topic of sexual identity in a way that is honest, compassionate, and accessible. Reframing the focus away from the culture wars, Yarhouse introduces readers to the conversation beginning with the developmental considerations in the formation of sexual identity—all of which occurs in the teen years. He offers practical and helpful ways to think about people who experience same-sex attraction. Sections of the book are also dedicated to helping parents respond to their children and teens who struggle with questions of sexual idenity, as well as how youth ministry can become more relevant in the lives of youth who are navigating these issues.

Rev. ed. of: The gender of sexuality / Pepper Schwartz, Virginia Rutter. Thousand Oaks: Pine Forge Press, c1998.

"I have found Spade and Valentine's Kaleidoscope of Gender to be the most effective reader that I have used in my undergraduate Sociology of Gender class, and I was delighted to see what promises to be an even better second edition that recently arrived." -Linda Grant, University of Georgia "In a substantial theoretical introduction, Spade and Valentine move their discussion forward by introducing their kaleidoscope metaphor which is comprised of the "prisms" of culture...that intersect to produce patterns of difference and systems of privilege. Because it captures the fluidity and uniqueness of the intricate patterns, the kaleidoscope is a valuable analytical tool. Though it enters a terrain already littered with terminology, this "prismatic" understanding of gender has great potential for transforming current conceptualizations." -Jennifer Keys, North Central College Examining the elusive, evolving construct of gender in a unique text/ reader format An accessible, timely, and stimulating introduction to the sociology of gender, The Kaleidoscope of Gender: Prisms, Patterns, and Possibilities, Second Edition, provides a comprehensive analysis of key ideas, theories, and applications in this field as viewed through the metaphor of a kaleidoscope. This collection of creative articles by top scholars explains how the complex, evolving pattern of gender is constructed interpersonally, institutionally, and culturally and challenges students to question how gender shapes their daily lives. Like the prior edition, the Second Edition maintains a focus on contemporary contributions to the field while incorporating classical and theoretical arguments to provide a broad framework. Integrating a cross-cultural focus and intersectional inquiry, this unique text/reader

Through its unique kaleidoscopic lens, this book analyzes the work of Algeria’s first postcolonial woman writer to publish a novel in Arabic, Ahlam Mosteghanemi. Her novels Memory in the Flesh and Chaos of the Senses return to the trauma of the Algerian War of Independence to address the lingering anxieties of national belonging and memory in postcolonial Algeria at a time when the nation is caught between two forces: entrenched bureaucratic-political elites and populist Islamists, who imagine a return to a pre-modern, utopian past. This book argues that Mosteghanemi’s polyphonic narratives reveal that national narratives are always multiple—“unity” is not one, all-encompassing narrative, but instead an ever-evolving Bakhtinian dialogism accommodating multiple perspectives, memories, and stories. The study interprets Mosteghanemi’s metaphor of the bridge as a powerful device for exploring tensions between reality and imagination, exile and belonging, and traditional concepts of gender in ways that reimagine nationhood and gesture towards a new, collective future.