Gender in History Paperback - 2021

In Gender in History: Global Perspectives, Merry E. Wiesner-Hanks provides a concise yet comprehensive account of the construction and evolution of various conceptions of gender in cultures throughout the world. This acclaimed volume explores the connections between gender and social hierarchies, the family, politics, economics, education, the arts, sexuality, and other structures and institutions stretching from Paleolithic times to the modern era. Wiesner-Hanks investigates why gender variations developed in diverse social, ethnic, and racial groups, describes how ideas about gender shaped both informal societal norms and formalized laws, discusses ongoing debates over the origins of patriarchy, examines the influence of gender on movements for social change, and more.

Now organized chronologically rather than topically, this extensively revised third edition addresses the gender implications of contemporary issues including the global COVID-19 pandemic and worldwide cultural and economic shifts. Chapters offer rich insights into the role of gender in the development of agriculture, the growth of cities and political structures, the spread of world religions, colonialism and imperialism, cultural and political revolutions, changing ideas of race, class, and sexuality, and many other topics. This expanded edition is supported by an up-to-date instructor's website with a wealth of visual and written original sources.

Featuring a student-friendly introduction to key theoretical and methodological issues, Gender in History: Global Perspectives, Third Edition, is an ideal text for under graduate and graduate courses on women's history, women in world history, and gender in world history, and is a valuable supplement for general survey courses within History and Women's and Gender Studies programs.