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Bashevkin combines individual voices with policy initiatives to provide the first complete picture of the recent past and uncertain future of contemporary feminism."--BOOK JACKET.
Women's participation in politics matters very much. Yet in Canada, women MPs have been stuck at a level of roughly one-fifth since 1993, and Stephen Harper has fewer women in his government than did Brian Mulroney. Although we may believe women are making progress, their representation in politics seems decidedly stalled. So it comes as no surprise that we hear little about issues of particular interest to women--breast cancer, violence against women, or the poverty of single mothers. In this engaging, no-nonsense, and witty book, Sylvia Bashevkin argues that Canadians have a profound unease with women in positions of political authority--what she calls the "women plus power equals discomfo...
Welfare Hot Buttons provides one of the first comparative assessments of contemporary social policy change in three Western countries: Canada, the United States, and Great Britain. Sylvia Bashevkin probes the fate of single mothers on social assistance during the period when three "third way" political executives were in office – Bill Clinton (US), Jean Chrétien (Canada), and Tony Blair (Great Britain) – and argues that despite seemingly progressive campaign rhetoric, the social assistance policy realities under each of these three leaders were in crucial respects more punitive and restrictive than those of their neo-conservative predecessors in the 1980s. Bashevkin addresses even more contentious issues in her study, including the question of whether Anglo-American welfare states are being eclipsed by what she views as newly emergent duty states. In her comparative approach and in her substantive analysis, Bashevkin makes an original and critical contribution to the existing body of literature on social policy.
How does reshaping local government affect citizen involvement in public life? As cities move between centralized and decentralized governance and conservative and progressive leadership, what brings out the best and the worst in civic engagement? In this thought-provoking book, Sylvia Bashevkin examines the consequences of divergent restructuring experiences in London and Toronto. By focusing on the forced amalgamation of local boroughs in Toronto and the creation of a new metropolitan authority in London, she explores the fallout for women as urban citizens. Ultimately, context is crucial to whether municipal change signals pessimism or promise.
From the days of the fur trade through the contemporary period, women have played important roles in the public life of Canada. Until the 1970s, however, these contributions were generally overlooked. This book focuses on two questions: are the doors to participation presently open wider than they were in the past? How can these doors be opened wider, both in terms of real-world participation and our scholarly understanding of public engagement? These tightly argued essays shed new light on the public involvement of women. Sophisticated discussions of both solutions and problems make this book an indispensable resource for students and practitioners of politics at all levels.
First Published in 1986. The modern women's movement has exerted a profound influence upon contemporary political thought, research, and action in Western Europe. Despite important differences within - and cross-national in - the ideological and political orientations of modern feminism, the overall impact of this movement has been pronounced, albeit largely unrecognised and unexplored within the Western European and especially European politics fields. The publication of this volume represents an important step towards bringing research on women and organised feminism, on the one hand, and European politics, on the other, to the attention of area specialists.
"Women have reached the highest levels of public office in Canada's provinces and territories, but what difference - if any - has their rise to the top made? Have they changed the content, tone, and style of politics? What role has gender played in their triumph and defeat? In Doing Politics Differently? leading researchers from across the country assess the track records of eleven premiers, including their impact on policies of particular interest to women and their influence on the tenor of legislative debate and the recruitment of other women as party candidates, cabinet ministers, and senior bureaucrats. Canada stands out for the variety and number of women who have reached the top in sub-national government. By evaluating the performance of women premiers across the country and comparing their records with those of men who preceded and succeeded them, this innovative volume probes how important demographic diversity is to government decision making."--
Ms. Prime Minister offers both solace and words of caution for women politicians. After closely analyzing the media coverage of former Canadian Prime Minister Kim Campbell; two former Prime Ministers of New Zealand, Jenny Shipley and Helen Clark; and Australia’s 27th Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, Linda Trimble concludes that reporting both reinforces and contests unfair gender norms. News about female leaders gives undue attention to their gender identities, bodies and family lives. Yet equivalent men are also treated to evaluations of their gendered personas. And, as Trimble finds, some media accounts expose sexism and authenticate women's performances of leadership. Ms. Prime Minister provides important insight into the news frameworks that work to deny or confer political legitimacy. It concludes with advice designed to inform the gender strategies of women who aspire to political leadership roles and the reporting techniques of the journalists who cover them.