The Sociology of Women: An Introduction

The book opens with a short chapter on sex and gender, then traces women’s lives as they grow from childhood through to old age. There are chapters on childhood, adolescence and early adulthood in the first part of the book, which deals principally with the home, the school and friendship patterns. In part two the focus shifts to the adult lives of women. The chapters here are on work, illness and deviance; on class and community; on politics, leisure and religion; and on motherhood and old age. An important feature of the book will be the extensive guidance it provides on further reading and the inclusion of a full bibliography of material on women’s lives.