Overview

Editors:

Jennifer McKinnon and Christine Ferrari
Centre for Rural Social Research, Charles Sturt University, NSW

This special women's issue of Rural Society raises the profile of rural women on a global scale to honour 'World Rural Women's Day'.

Several strong themes emerge from the articles, which include women's relationship to the landscape; the necessity for self reliance and confidence; the strength of women in overcoming adversity; balancing the demands of the family with rural work and / or leadership roles; the importance of female networks, and the overwhelming need to achieve parity at all levels of rural society.

Contributors evaluate the valuable work of women in rural society and their role in rural families.

Australian feminism is explored through the opportunities for rural women and the discourse of women and leadership in Australian agriculture.

This collection of research articles is a valuable addition to research on rural women, rural families and the rural societies in which they live and work.

Table of Contents

Women and Rural Issues

Editorial
Jennifer McKinnon, Christine Ferrari

Inside out: Exploring the connection between women's life stories and landscape
Ruth Beilin

Rural women, decision making and leadership within environmental and Landcare groups
CL (Ciel) Claridge

There are just no women out there: How the industry justifies the exclusion of women from agricultural leadership
Margaret Alston

The double bind: Being female and being rural: A comparative study of Australia, New Zealand and Canada
Elizabeth Kenworthy Teather

The emerging economic rationalist discourse on women and leadership in Australian agriculture
Barbara Pini

Prejudices, preconceptions or progress in agriculture?: Rural non-English speaking background women and leadership
Jane Wilkinson

Case studies of rural business women in Western Australia and their contribution to the region
Fiona Haslam McKenzie

A Selection of Abridged Papers: Second International Conference on Women in Agriculture
Christine Ferrari, Jennifer McKinnon

Book Reviews

Women and Empowerment: Illustrations from the Third World
Haleh Afshar
Reviewed by Barbara Johnson

The Foundations of Social Research: Meaning and Perspective in the Research Process
Michael J Crotty
Reviewed by AP Thompson

Economic Reform in Vietnam
Keith Griffin (ed)
Reviewed by Lyn Gorman

Development Economics and Policy: The Conference Volume to Celebrate the 85th Birthday of Professor Sir Hans Singer
Hans Wolfgang Singer, David Sapsford and John-Ren Chen
Reviewed by Lyn Gorman