47 pages • 1 hour read
Caroline Criado PerezA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
According to economist Ester Boserup, societies with historical reliance on the plough are likely to have less gender equality than those without that reliance. This plough hypothesis is based upon the fact that plough agriculture is less accessible to women because of the upper-body strength and capital investment it demands (by contrast, hoeing is less labor intensive and can more easily be combined with childcare). Research suggests that descendants of plough-based societies hold more sexist views, though the theory’s detractors claim that men dominate cultivation even in the absence of ploughs.
Perez highlights the data gaps on women’s participation in agriculture: Surveys are often not sex-disaggregated and when they are, questions are poorly worded and understate women’s involvement. Women’s productivity in agriculture is hindered by its male-based design. Labor-saving devices reduce demand for male labor, but do not assist traditionally female chores such as weeding. Educational programs do not reach women, as they often require land ownership. In designing helpful interventions, it is imperative that researchers speak to and gather data from women, yet they often do not.
The history of clean stoves provides a telling example.
Art
View Collection
Business & Economics
View Collection
Contemporary Books on Social Justice
View Collection
Equality
View Collection
Feminist Reads
View Collection
Health & Medicine
View Collection
Political Science Texts
View Collection
Politics & Government
View Collection
Safety & Danger
View Collection
Science & Nature
View Collection
Sociology
View Collection
The Past
View Collection
Valentine's Day Reads: The Theme of Love
View Collection
Women's Studies
View Collection