Global Perspectives on Gender offers a multidisciplinary exploration of gender as a global, dynamic, and deeply embedded social construct. Coming 30 years after the 1995 Beijing Declaration and Platform for Action, this book examines the construction of gender roles and related influences, including culture, history, religion, and structural inequality. The first section introduces key theoretical frameworks, using the biopsychosocial model, and addresses global patterns for women, men, and gender diverse individuals.
The second section analyzes gender within major societal domains, including violence, health, religion, and climate change, highlighting how gender inequities are reinforced or challenged across institutions. The third section presents region-specific case studies from India to Oceania, exploring how colonization, modernization, policy, and local traditions impact gender ideals and experiences. Additional topics addressed throughout the book include gender-based violence, intersectionality, the enduring impact of colonialism, the role of technology, and building resilience in marginalized communities.
Global Perspectives on Gender concludes by posing the question: Will gender become so fluid that it becomes increasingly irrelevant? Readers of all backgrounds, from scholars to students to practitioners, are invited to analyze present constructs to advance gender equity worldwide.
Foreword: A Global Lens on Gender-based Violence; Kalyani Gopal
Chapter
1. Introduction; Melissa E. Malley, Judith L. Gibbons, Elaine P.
Congress, and Uwe P. Gielen
SECTION I. Main Themes
Chapter
2. Biological, Psychological, and Sociocultural Perspectives on
Gender; Deborah L. Best and Cassandra N. Raymond
Chapter
3. Women's Realities and Resilience in a Global Context; Melissa E.
Malley and Judith L. Gibbons
Chapter
4. Men and Masculinities: International Perspectives from Psychology;
Grant J. Rich and Sophia Lonardo
Chapter
5. Gender Diversity in a Global Context; SJ Dodd and Brieanna
Scolaro
SECTION II. Contexts for Gender Dynamics
Chapter
6. War and Interpersonal Violence; Katie Kurnick and Grant J. Rich
Chapter
7. Gender and Health; Ashna Basu, Patrick Dooley, and Gabrielle
Casper
Chapter
8. The Impact of Religion and Worldview on Gender Ideologies and
Roles; Richard A. Spenst and Alexis L. Zimmerman
Chapter
9. Addressing Gender Inequality in the Face of a Global Climate
Crisis; Nancy M. Sidun and Érinn C. Cameron
SECTION III. Gender Differences in Parts of the World
Chapter
10. Dreams from their Mothers: Gender and Feminism in India and the
U.S.; Dinesh Sharma, Brittney Romagna, and Zara Lowenthal
Chapter
11. Gender Issues in China; Yiyin Zhang and Mo Yee Lee
Chapter
12. Gender in the Middle East and North Africa: Recognizing
Commonalities and Respecting Diversity; Brien K. Ashdown, Chris Choueiri, and
Youmna Haddad
Chapter
13. Gender Perspectives in Sub-Saharan Africa: Diversity and
Inequality; Hugo Kamya and Hayley Cowart
Chapter
14. Gender in Latin America and the Caribbean; Élison Silva Santos
and Edivani Reghin
Chapter
15. Colonization, Gender Roles, and Violence Against Indigenous
Women; Josephine C. H. Tan and Staci Person
Chapter
16. The Journey Toward Gender Equality in Europe; Donna M. Chirico
Chapter
17. Gender and Sexuality in Southeast Asia: Indigenous Perspectives
and the Influence of Social Media; Jessica McKenzie and Patricia Yang
Chapter
18. Gender, Culture, and Mental Health in Pacific Island Nations;
Nancy M. Sidun and Judith L. Gibbons
Chapter
19. Conclusion; Melissa E. Malley, Judith L. Gibbons, Elaine P.
Congress, and Uwe P. Gielen
Melissa E. Malley, LMSW, is an independent scholar and Mental Health Clinician at the Greater Hartford Family Advocacy Center.
Judith L. Gibbons, PhD, is Professor Emerita of Psychology at Saint Louis University.
Elaine P. Congress, DSW, LCSW, is Associate Dean and Professor at Fordham Universitys Graduate School of Social Service.
Uwe P. Gielen, PhD, is Professor Emeritus at St. Francis College and founder of the Institute for International and Cross-Cultural Psychology.
