Viking World: A Guide to 11th Century Scandinavia (Sightseers)

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Cruise the Scandinavian fjords and rivers - and visit a Viking settlement in North America - in this historical travel guide to the Norse civilization of northern Europe.

Book Description

The French government's 2004 decision to ban Islamic headscarves and other religious signs from public schools puzzled many observers, both because it seemed to infringe needlessly on religious freedom, and because it was hailed by many in France as an answer to a surprisingly wide range of social ills, from violence against females in poor suburbs to anti-Semitism. Why the French Don't Like Headscarves explains why headscarves on schoolgirls caused such a furor, and why the furor yielded this law. Making sense of the dramatic debate from his perspective as an American anthropologist in France at the time, John Bowen writes about everyday life and public events while also presenting interviews with officials and intellectuals, and analyzing French television programs and other media.

Bowen argues that the focus on headscarves came from a century-old sensitivity to the public presence of religion in schools, feared links between public expressions of Islamic identity and radical Islam, and a media-driven frenzy that built support for a headscarf ban during 2003-2004. Although the defense of laïcité (secularity) was cited as the law's major justification, politicians, intellectuals, and the media linked the scarves to more concrete social anxieties--about "communalism," political Islam, and violence toward women.

Written in engaging, jargon-free prose, Why the French Don't Like Headscarves is the first comprehensive and objective analysis of this subject, in any language, and it speaks to tensions between assimilation and diversity that extend well beyond France's borders.

Customer Reviews:

An Anthropology of Public Reasoning.......2007-02-25

Three years after the facts, is it still worthwhile to revisit the French government's decision to ban Islamic headscarves and other religious signs from public schools? Should we not rather just let go, have time heal whatever wounds may have been caused, and move on to something else? If John Bower chose to dedicate a book to that decision and to the deliberations that led to it, it is not just because the law seems strange to outsiders and cannot be easily interpreted starting from a liberal viewpoint. It is, above all, because he felt that "its passage was one of those key moments in a country's life at which certain anxieties and assumptions come to the surface, when people take stock of who they are and of what kind of social life they wish to have."

To be true, the French are adept at staging such debates about themselves. The nation that invented the salons philosophiques and the art of conversation has a passion for probing into its own identity and entertains the belief that all social ills may be amenable to abstract reasoning and enlightened lawmaking. This is not only a matter of belief, but of social organization: the author finds that "French politicians, writers about public affairs, television 'talking heads', and philosophers are much more likely to read one another's work, be related to one another, or indeed be the same person than is the case in most other countries." These literati tend to base their opinion about social trends on anecdotes and media commentary, not hard data or sociological evidence. In a strange twist of cartesian thinking, they believe that if a theory is refuted by facts, then you have to change the facts, not the theory.

The theory here is that schools are a sanctuary of republican values, a sacred institution whose mission is to create a universal social morality in the minds of French pupils and to mold them into autonomous, rational and public-minded citizen. Philosophically, this conception is rooted in a certain brand of political philosophy originating with Jean-Jacques Rousseau, one that emphasizes general interests and shared values over individual interests and pluralism. Historically, it is associated with the figure of the hussard noir de la Republique, the schoolteacher in rural districts who was the designated agent to turn "peasants into Frenchmen" and have the Catholic church abdicate its control over the minds of primary school pupils. The reality is that state schools in contemporary France have to integrate an increasingly diverse population, notably the children of immigrants from North Africa, and that they cannot really cope with all the social requests that are imposed upon them.

It is in this context that wearing headscarves in state schools came to be seen as a threat to the central values of the Republic and a challenge to three hard-won battles: the fight to keep religion from controlling young minds, the struggle to forge a common French identity, and the promotion of gender equality in public and private life. The law banning headscarves in schools can therefore be seen as a product of a historical trajectory as well as a political response to the perceived threats of Islamism, communalism and sexism. Explaining that law, as the author does, "requires unpacking a great deal about France, including France's very particular history of religion and the state, the great hopes placed in the public schools, ideas about citizens and integration (and the challenges posed by Muslims and by Islam to those ideas), the continued weight of the colonial past, the role of television in shaping opinion, and the tendency to think that passing a law will resolve a social problem." That the author does so without losing a sense of sympathy and understanding for the young girls most directly affected by this measure is a testimony to his humanity and to his skills as a storyteller.

Ottoman Women Builders: The Architectural Patronage of Hadice Turhan Sultan (Women and Gender in the Early Modern World)

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Ottoman Women Builders: The Architectural Patronage of Hadice Turhan Sultan (Women and Gender in the Early Modern World)
Lucienne Thys-Senocak
Manufacturer: Ashgate Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0754633101

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Beautiful and informative
a compelling look at design's next generation

Dish: International Design for the Home
Julie Muller Stahl
Manufacturer: Princeton Architectural Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Architecture | Professional & Technical | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1568984766

Book Description

The big design surveys of the past few years tend to have two things in common: a lot of creative design and very few women designers. Dish is here to set the record straight. This exciting collection features new work by over forty emerging and established female designers from over fifteen countries.
The innovative, cutting-edge work in Dish provides a fresh take on current trends in product design for the home, including furniture, ceramics, glassware, lighting, and textiles. Works range from Monica Nicoletti's "Place Holders" moving boxes that serve as transitional furniture to Matali Crasset's "Phytolab" that combines plants and plastic in a bathroom project. They explore materials, from Sara Unruh's chemically treated silk fabric to Anette Hermann's rubber and metal chair, in which the user becomes part of the construction. Each designer is featured with examples of her work, biographical information, and a personal statement that encapsulates her approach. A foreword by Susan Yelavich and essays by experts in making, selling, and critiquing contemporary design offer insights into the conceptual, aesthetic, functional, and political nature of the work. All together, this book dishes out the hottest work around.

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful and informative.......2006-04-04

I had the opportunity to read this as I was stuck at a party and it was on the coffee table... What a treasure! While I had some very basic knowledge of the impact of shape and color in domestic spaces, this book clarified that which I thought I already knew then expanded upon it tremendously after establish a solid vocabulary.
A great book for any homeowner or anyone interested in design and interior spaces.

a compelling look at design's next generation.......2005-10-16

This collection of thirty young designers' work is inspiring. Their ideas are diverse, compelling, and innovative, just what you hope a showcase like this would be. Each designer is represented by a short statement and a handful of photographs of project, and this is accompanied by a handful of essays and designer biographies too.

The connective thread through this talent is that the designers are women. That is as light a touch as the editor seemed to want to put on it - it is not a dogmatic approach like "women design in this way..." although you could point to a certain continuity of elegance, of wit, it would be difficult to argue (and the book doesn't try to force the point) that these necessarily are gender issues in design. In fact I think that the opposite and more optimistic point is where the book really succeeds - that contemporary women designers are creating such a diverse, multithreaded output that attributing certain inevitable characteristics merely to gender might be a limiting approach.

This is an excellent book and I would recommend it to anyone interested in contemporary design.

Tapestries of Hope, Threads of Love: The Arpillera Movement in Chile, 1974-1994

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Tapestries of Hope, Threads of Love: The Arpillera Movement in Chile, 1974-1994
Marjorie Agosin
Manufacturer: University of New Mexico Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0826316921

Book Description

This book tells the story of ordinary women living in terror and extreme poverty under General Pinochet's oppressive rule in Chile (1973-1989) and how their lives did and did not change following his reign. These women defied the military dictatorship by embroidering their sorrow on scraps of cloth, using needles and thread as one of the boldest means of popular protest and resistance in Latin America. The arpilleras they made—patchwork tapestries with scenes of everyday life and memorials to their disappeared relatives—were smuggled out of Chile and brought to the world the story of their fruitless searches in jails, morgues, government offices, and the tribunals of law for their husbands, brothers, and sons.

Marjorie Agosín, herself a native of and exile from Chile, has spent over twenty years interviewing the arpilleristas and following their work. She knows their stories intimately and knows, too, that not one of them has ever found a disappeared relative alive. Still, many of them maintain hope and continue to make their arpilleras. Even though the dictatorship ended in 1989 and democracy returned to Chile, no full account of the detained and disappeared has ever been offered. This book includes a history of the women's movement, testimonies from the women in their own words, and, for the first time, full-color plates of their beautiful, moving, and ultimately hopeful arpilleras. Anyone interested in the history of contemporary Latin America will want to read this powerful story.

Book Description

This important study offers a conceptual analysis of gender and human rights under Islamic law, state law and international law, and extends this analysis to a specific examination of the nature of women's rights in the Islamic tradition. It explores the disparity between the theoretical perspective on women's rights and its applications to Muslim jurisdictions, determined by elements of cultural practices, socio-economic realities and political expediences, and uses the example of Pakistan to demonstrate the divergence between the theory and practice of Islamic law in these jurisdictions. It discusses the concept of an emerging 'operative' Islamic law, which includes principles of Islamic law, secular codes and popular custom and usage.

Women and Demons: Cultic Healing in Islamic Egypt (International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology)

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Women and Demons: Cultic Healing in Islamic Egypt (International Studies in Sociology and Social Anthropology)
Gerda Sengers
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Interior Design | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Folklore & Mythology | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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General | Islam | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books

Islamic | World | History | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 9004127712

Women Reworked Empowering Women in Employment Transition

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Where There Is A Will There Is A Way
The power of persistence
You're not alone
If I had only known then...
Wonderful resource

Women Reworked Empowering Women in Employment Transition
Heather Resnick
Manufacturer: Creative Bound International Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1894439260

Product Description

Your discovery of inner strength, passion and your life's purpose begins here. Powerful, triumphant and heart-warming stories of women across U.S. and Canada who have conquored hurdles in their lives to follow their dream careers or find their life's purpose. A testament to the strength of the human spirit. Packed with practical employment information on employers expectations, self-employment, networking, volunteering, embracing technology... and including an extensive resource directory of services, organizations, books... to empower people to achieve their goals.

Customer Reviews:

Where There Is A Will There Is A Way.......2007-06-03

Written by
Sam S.Ruffalo, Author of "From The Great Depression To Millionaire"

Here's a wonderful woman who has survived two battles with cancer. During her survivorship years she has been intimately immersed in the lives of others with lifetime non-cancerous afflictions, but equally serious in surviving the effects of a difficult and hard life events. These are stories of extreme hardships with heavy roadblocks in the lives of women during their journey through life. They tell of their continuous desire and fortitude to survive while helping others.

Her book is written in a most captivating and attention-holding style while encompassing your heart's emotions. There are tales of many joys along with tales of sorrow bound to bring tears to your eyes.

Heather Resnick describes plans step by step for many different purposes that apply to women but would be equally valuable for men. Her stories tell trials through life as experienced by women and how they searched, fought, and overcame their most difficult times in life. She spells out how one can plan their actions and take action with their plans in an exceptionally helpful way.

The power of persistence.......2007-03-23

The most inspiring part of Heather's book is her story. In a warm, informal way, Heather shows that it is possible to have the career of your dreams, if you believe in it.

You're not alone.......2007-02-23

I was struck by the number of different women's voices Heaher Resnick has pulled together in writing this book. It's part motivation, part practical advice... but for me what works best is the sense that there are many women who've made this journey; and if they can do it, so perhaps can you

If I had only known then..........2007-02-21

Had I known this intuitive writer before the "great upheavel" of my life, I could have told her a story or two and given her "grist for the mill." However, I was the real loser. It is clear that the insights Ms. Resnick so adeptly shares would have helped me deal with my life transitions much more sanely. Even if you are not in mid-crisis, this book is good reading for all women. Understanding the problems we all share and how to deal with them are helps we always need. I highly recommend Ms. Resnick's enlightening book.

Wonderful resource.......2007-02-14

Heather has done a super job of telling women's stories of transition as well as supply the resources they need to become happily working and self-sufficient. Her own story is most inspiring and a testimonial to her own process and the ideas she shares with the reader.
Gail McMeekin, The 12 Secrets of Highly Creative Women

Architecture in the Family Way: Doctors, Houses and Women, 1870-1900 (Mcgill-Queen's-Hannah Institute Studies in the History of Medicine, Health and Society Series)

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Architecture in the Family Way: Doctors, Houses and Women, 1870-1900 (Mcgill-Queen's-Hannah Institute Studies in the History of Medicine, Health and Society Series)
Annmarie Adams
Manufacturer: McGill-Queen's University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0773513868

Book Description

A revealing look at the forces influencing domestic life, health, and architecture in Victorian England.

Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900

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Dictionary of Women Artists: An International Dictionary of Women Artists Born Before 1900
Chris Petteys
Manufacturer: G. K. Hall & Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0816184569

Emerging Sexual Inequality Among the Lisu of Northern Thailand: The Waning of Dog and Elephant Repute (Asian Studies)

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Emerging Sexual Inequality Among the Lisu of Northern Thailand: The Waning of Dog and Elephant Repute (Asian Studies)
O. Klein-Hutheesing , and Otome Klein Hutheesing
Manufacturer: Brill Academic Publishers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 9004090495

Book Description

The Lisu people, whose lives have been recorded in this publication, are predominantly women of a mountain community in northern Thailand. Along with their men, they have been growing poppies for opium for over a century, the sales of which have been sustained their non-authoritarian society and its implied repute ideology. While living with them for several years, the author observed how newly introduced substitute crops involving a change in production and trade relations had upset the previously egalitarian basis of female and male worth, as exemplified in the metaphor of elephant and dog. The modified gender system in which the Lisu female has become an underdog is described against the backdrop of conventional ideas regarding the cosmic forces, the division of labour, bridewealth and marriage.

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