Men in contemporary Russia

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Yukio Noguchi and David A. Wise

Japanese and American economists assess the present economic status of the elderly in the United States and Japan, and consider the impact of an aging population on the economies of the two countries. With essays on labor force participation and retirement, housing equity and the economic status of the elderly, budget implications of an aging population, and financing social security and health care in the 1990s, this volume covers a broad spectrum of issues related to the economics of aging. Among the book's findings are that workers are retiring at an increasingly earlier age in both countries. In addition, as the populations age, baby boomers in the United States will face diminishing financial resources as the ratio of retirees to workers sharply increases. The result of a joint venture between the National Bureau of Economic Research and the Japan Center for Economic Research, this book complements Housing Markets in the United States and Japan (1994) by integrating research on housing markets with economic issues of the aged in the United States and Japan.

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Margaret Owen

A World of Widows provides a global overview of the status of widowhood. Neglected by social policy researchers, international human rights activists and the women's movement, the status of the world's widows - legal, social, cultural and economic - is an urgent issue given the extent and severity of the discrimination against them. Margaret Owen explores the process of becoming a widow; poverty and social security in the context of widowhood; differing laws and customs regarding widows' inheritance; the situation of widows who remarry and issues of sexuality and health. She also looks at the needs of specific groups of widows - refugees, older widows, child widows - and widowhood in the context of AIDS. Throughout, she shows the prevalence of discrimination against widows in inheritance rights, land ownership, custody of children, security of home and shelter, nutrition and health. The book concludes with a summary of widowhood as a human rights issue and an overview of widows themselves organizing for change.

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Nalini Visvanathan (co-ordinator

Third World women were long the undervalued and ignored actors in the development process but are now recognized as playing a critical role. This book has been designed as a comprehensive reader presenting the best of the now vast body of literature that has grown up alongside this acknowledgement. The book is divided into five parts, incorporating readings from the leading experts and authorities in each field. The first part acts as an introduction to the field, examining the key theoretical debates and discourses surrounding women and development from a historical perspective. Distinguished practitioners explore the ideas and concepts fundamental for understanding the area: class, ‘race’ and ethnicity, religion, reproduction, persistent inequalities, colonialism, modernization, economic exclusion and patriarchy.^ Part two goes on to look at the household as a unit of analysis exploring sexuality, single-parent families, agricultural production, and environmental relationships while the third part locates women within the global economy, addressing issues such as industrialization, multi-national companies, Free Trade Zones , the informal sector and the feminization of labour. Part four views the social transformation of women as a consequence of Structural Adjustment Policies and intrusive state policies into women’s health, reproductive rights and sexuality. Next, the volume poses the fundamental questions around women and ideology do national liberation struggles contradict with feminist movements? What is the impact of religious fundamentalism? Are socialist development processes similar or dissimilar to capitalist processes? How has the transition to capitalism affected women? The final section of the book shows how women from the ground up are organizing themselves for change.^ Case studies drawn from all regions, such as China’s one-child policy, prostitution tourism in Southeast Asia and women’s place in Cuban socialism, vividly illustrate the theoretical debates. A guide to further reading at the end of each chapter provides a foundation for any serious student of women in the development process. -- Publisher description.

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Doreen Kimura

In this fact-driven book, Doreen Kimura provides an intelligible overview of what is known about the neural and hormonal bases of sex differences in behavior, particularly differences in cognitive ability. Kimura argues that women and men differ not only in physical attributes and reproductive function, but also in how they solve common problems. She offers evidence that the effects of sex hormones on brain organization occur so early in life that, from the start, the environment is acting on differently wired brains in girls and boys. She presents various behavioral, neurological, and endocrinological studies that shed light on the processes giving rise to these sex differences in the brain.