Working Feminism

"Stylish and funny, Working Feminism is a wonderful, original and provocative book that splices theory, practice and empirical study in a way that few works do. The research provides important insights into many of the urgent issues in social and cultural theory of the past decade and demonstrates what a geographical imagination can do for/to social theory."
?Cindi Katz, author of Growing Up Global

Working Feminism looks at key concepts and debates within feminist theory and puts them to work concretely in relation to the real problems faced by Filipina domestic workers and Asian youth in Canada. Geraldine Pratt draws to the fore the metaphorical and concrete geographies that lie implicit and underdeveloped within much feminist theory and suggests that a geographical imagination offers a means of reframing debates beyond polarized theoretical and political positions. Alternating between theoretical and empirical chapters, substantial and wide-ranging discussions of human rights, multiculturalism, and feminist politics are brought down to earth and?by putting them into the context of individual predicaments?to life. The empirical chapters situate and describe a decade-long collaboration by an activist group?the Philippine Women Centre?and demonstrate the fruits of a close and innovative engagement between poststructuralist feminist theory and a participatory action project.

Contents

List of Figures
Acknowledgements
1. Putting Feminist Theory to Work
2. Spatialising the Subject of Feminism
3. From Registered Nurse to Registered Nanny
4. Liberalism, Universalisms and Democratic Feminist Politics
5. Working at the Borders of Liberalism
6. Gleaning the Home
7. Trafficking across Borders
8. Songs Flies Home
References
Index