Gender and Rural Globalization

This book explores how rural gender relations are changing in a globalized world. It analyses their development in specific places and the effects of the increasing connectedness and mobility of people. It integrates global experiences by discussing mobility, agriculture, gender identities and international development. Each theme is introduced with an overview of the state of the art in that specific area and integrates the case studies that follow. The contributors present empirical work from the global north and south and, more particularly, Sweden, Norway, Northern Ireland, Republic of Ireland, UK, Poland, Greece, Italy, Slovenia, Uzbekistan, India, Africa, Asia, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA. The first section explores gender differences in mobility patterns and analyses how mobility affects rural gender identities and relations. The second section focuses on the development of agricultural and rural policies, the response of individuals within farm households, and the implications for gender relations in rural areas. The third section focuses on the construction of identities and the changes occurring in the definition of rural femininity and masculinity as a result of rural transformations. The fourth section examines the role of international development policies in advancing women's well-being in the less developed parts of the world, and some of the unintended consequences of such interventions. The book closes with conclusions and reflections on the position of gender in rural research agendas and in rural academia more generally. Key features: Empircal work from a wide range of geographical areas Examines how gender identities are constructed in rural agriculture Considers how effective development policies are in improving women's well-being This book will be of interest to researchers in rural development and gender issues in the global North and South, and to students of rural sociology, social geography, development studies and gender studies.