Feminism/ Postmodernism/ Development

The 1990s have seen increasing globalization of the international economy, contrasted with the tendency toward social, political and economic fragmentation and differentiation. In this world of dualtiy, development issues involve relations of power and expertise between Western development specialists and Third World women. Feminism/Postmodernism/Developmentexplores these relations and the emergence of Third World "new voices" in development theory and practice. Case studies examine the experience of indigenous women in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East (as well as that of Asian women in Britain and indigenous American Indian women in Canada), questioning the role of the development expert and the nature of development expertise. This collection suggests that the gap between local development knowledge and Western development expertise can be (and is) bridged in practice. Feminism/Postmodernism/Developmentbrings postmodern questions to thefield of gender and development, not only acknowledging the importance of Third World women's experiences in development issues, but attempting a workable communication between Western theory and Third World practice.