Gender Differences

Gender differences touch all aspects of life, including the different impact public policy has on men and women. Inequalities persist in the areas traditionally treated as feminist concerns--day care, pay equity, equal access to credit--but they also abound in such issues as tax policy and plant shutdowns. This collection of essays illustrates the durability and complexities of existing inequities by examining the impact of gender differences in public policy outcomes. The book evaluates the manner in which public policy analysis and political theory can be used to gain increased insight into the major issues of the day.

Using existing forms of public policy analysis, the chapters explore gender differences in a variety of subject areas. Following an introduction by editor Mary Lou Kendrigan, a survey of compensation for victims of crime examines criminal justice policy. Four separate essays address the topic of employment policy: manufacturing-job loss among blue-collar women; gender differences in the impact of a plant shutdown; women, employment, and training programs; and sex differentials in employment rates in male-dominated occupations during economic downturns. Tax policy and its treatment of women is the focus of an updated study; an analysis of the impact of American tourism policy covers economic development; and the neglected group of women veterans represents the area of veterans policy. A study of the social world and political community of the head injured characterizes the issue of family policy, and a concluding chapter by Kendrigan completes the volume. For courses in public policy analysis, women's studies, and contemporary political theory, this book will be a valuable references source. It will also be a significant addition to the collections of public, college, and university libraries.

MARY LOU KENDRIGAN is Assistant Professor in the Department of Social Science at Lansing Community College in Michigan.