Gendered Lives : Communication, Gender, and Culture (with InfoTrac) (Wadsworth Series in Communication Studies)

Rating:
Summary: Making the masses think
Review: This book makes one think about their own standards, virues, and biases about gender, masculinity, femininity, sexual orientation, and moral values. Wood's book is thought provoking. The reader should proceed through this book with a knowledge that Wood is providing the information that is available and that not all perspectives of the gender issues are presented. This book should not be used as the authority of gender studies. There is lack of information about masculinity issues and also a lack of information about religion and gender. Social class has a very brief reference and can not stand alone in relation to gender issues in Wood's discussion.

Rating:
Summary: Interesting Perspective
Review: This book was thought provoking and really made me think about my own views on gender and how they were developed. It gives an interesting overview of the history of feminism which lays a good foundation for understanding the various movements today. The discussion on male gender issues was interesting, and I would have liked more of that perspective. Some of the passages I found challenging to my conservative perspecitve and there were definately points of discussion that I didn't agree with. At the same time it was interesting to learn about the perspective others had. I really enjoyed the portions of the book that included other students responses and perspectives within the chapters.

Rating:
Summary: Gendered Lives Review
Review: Wood definitely had some interesting arguments that she brought forth in this book. Generally, I do not agree with much of what Wood had to say in her book, but I respect her thoughts because it gave me a new perspective on so many circumstances that I have considered irrelevant in the past. Reading the book gave me the opportunity and ability to acknowledge differences that I have been blind to. I think Wood is right about the idea that gender expectations are largely influenced by culture. It seems to me that the book spends much of the book focusing on harsh injustices that inflicted upon women and some minority groups because of differences. She recognizes that there are differences in gender communication, thinking patterns, and feelings, but does not use the differences to explore possibilities as to why men and women are different and what advantages can be gained from the differences in terms of home and family life. It also believe that the theories shared could be applied to explanations for the differences in men and women and the benefits of the distinct differences rather than accommodations that can be made to create equality.

Rating:
Summary: A positive addition to the field of gender studies
Review: Wood does a superb job presenting the research on gender as it stands, while striving to keep her own personal bias out. She presents arguments from both left and right, fortifying them with excerpts from student journals. While some of the chapters were difficult to plow through because of subject matter-such as the section on gendered violence-the book itself was a surprisingly easy read.
In presenting the arguments as they stand in the research, Wood chooses not to involve less critical ethical or moral viewpoints. Though this enhances her unbiased approach, it would be interesting to view the varying facets of gender through the lens of the world's most predominant religions or widely accepted ethical viewpoints. However, Wood does do us the great favor of including a section devoted to men's movements-a topic often overlooked in the study of gender.
The text sparks a great many thoughts about the way we, as a society, accept the inequalities of gender (both male and female biases), and is a significant addition to the field that would enhance any study of the topic.