Geography and Gender

In the 1980s feminist geography offered a stimulating new approach to the subject, providing fresh perspectives on traditional areas of the discipline. Originally published in 1984, the authors of Geography and Gender, members of the Women and Geography Study Group of the Institute of British Geographers, compiled an introductory text with an accessible, concise and jargon-free style which engaged the readers interest. It challenged the current thinking about geographic research and teaching at the time and suggested important new directions. The book opens with an introduction to feminist geography. It then demonstrates how a feminist approach changes and improves our understanding of geographic processes and patterns. Urban development and structure, industrial location and spatial variations in employment, access to facilities and processes of the developing world are re-examined from a feminist perspective. Finally, it discusses how a feminist approach can change the ways in which both teaching and research in geography are carried out. Interest and research in feminist geography had been growing both in Britain and elsewhere, but until now no introductory text had been available. It will also be useful to anyone wanting a concise and authoritative introduction to feminist ideas and their application in the area of geography and planning. Each chapter includes an annotated further reading list and topics for discussion. Suggestions for individual or group project work, keyed to topics discussed in the text, are given in the final section.