In this issue, in The Feminist Frontier, Hines explores the relationship between feminism and transgender. Through the use of case study material information is gathered on events used to highlight particular tensions between feminism and trans. Central themes running through the case studies include the constitution of ‘woman’, the policing of feminist identities and spaces, and questions of bodily autonomy. In conclusion, the paper stresses the importance of rejecting trans-exclusionary feminism and of foregrounding the links between feminism and transgender as key to social justice.
In Revenge Pornography and Manhood Acts, Hall and Hearn investigate non-consensual distribution of explicit images by those seeking revenge or entertainment – also referred to as revenge porn. The vast majority of this is committed by men on women ex-partners. Here, the authors consider the texts accompanying postings on MyEx.com. Situating these acts as a contemporary form of gendered violence/abuse, impacts on victims/survivors, and possible interventions, are also discussed.
In Legitimate Subjects, Timiri and Shirazi study a progressive high school programme that privileges critical thinking amongst its students. Drawing upon feminist poststructuralist educational research, they propose an analysis of classroom discourse in order to highlight the diverse legitimation processes that enable gendered subjectivities. While appeals to teacher authority are the basis for the legitimation of alternative gendered subject positions, agential student-led interactions are more apparent in challenging normative gender scripts. The study demonstrates the need to consider the sources of discursive authority and seeks nuance in understanding pedagogical authority and gendered knowledge construction.
In Bridging the Gender Gap in Agricultural Development through Gender Responsive Extension and Rural Advisory Services Delivery in Ghana Asafu-Adjaye, Quaye, Fuseini and Boadu research the importance of gender-responsivity in agricultural development. A case study of the Agricultural Development and Value Chain Enhancement Program that put in extra efforts to reach more female farmers, with extension delivery and other rural advisory services, was conducted. The study found a new sociocultural order that seems to break down the gendered associations with the adoption of improved technologies.
For In the Pursuit of a Gender-Equal Society, Lee explores whether the Japanese government’s attempts to promote gender-equality and thereby boost the country’s economy, is reflected in contemporary Japanese EFL textbooks. The findings revealed evidence of gender awareness, including common use of gender-neutral vocabulary and a neutral term of address. Some texts also displayed a balanced distribution of male and female speakers and their amount of talk. However, underrepresentation of women and their achievements is still prevalent in contemporary Japanese textbooks. Other observations include the portrayal of men in a wider range of social roles than women, and the depiction of men using material and cognitive processes and women using relational processes. A gender dichotomy was also noted in mixed-sex dialogues, with a tendency for men to provide information and for women to seek it.
In ‘You can tell which ones are the laddy lads’, Stentiford addresses the narrated accounts by female students of their interactions with male peers in the engineering classroom. Drawing on a qualitative case study conducted at one high-performing English university, this paper details how women described two different versions of laddish masculinity evident within their engineering classroom; a hostile laddish masculinity, and a ‘friendly’ or ‘genial’ upper/middle-class laddish masculinity. Whilst the hostile lads were seemingly frowned upon and socially excluded, the ‘friendly’ or ‘genial’ upper/middle-class lads appeared largely liked and tolerated by the women.
In Home and the Materialization of the Divergent Subjectivities of Older Women in Hong Kong, Choi looks at the continued performance of mothering, caregiving and homemaking by women in Hong Kong. Employing an agential realist approach to examine the practices of older women, this paper demonstrates that the patrilineal and male-dominated family system is still manifest in Hong Kong.
In Gender differences in European Volunteer Rates, Saz-Gil, Gil-Lacruz, Marcuello identify reasons for gender differences in European volunteer rates. Drawing on European Values Surveys, the authors look at the individual likelihood of working as a volunteer in four categories: social awareness, professional, education and social justice. The results suggest that social factors might be more relevant for decisions to volunteer than individual socio-economic factors and also highlight important gender differences. For example, education is positively correlated with decisions to volunteer for both genders in all categories, but the educational effect is stronger for men in relation to professional activities and stronger for women in relation to social awareness and social justice activities.