Reinventing Political Science

A Feminist Approach

Jill Vickers

This book provides an alternate version of political science for students who want to make space for themselves and for the political activities they want to study. Vickers presents a framework which builds bridges between political science and feminism, allowing for a women-centred analysis of both formal and informal politics. It incorporates radical redefinitions of politics which can open up space to study identity politics, oppression, exploitation and the struggles against sexism, racism, ablism and homophobia, as well as women’s attempts to influence state decision-making by conventional means. A survival guide for women and other students trying to reinvent political science on their own.

Contents

• Introduction
• The Feminist Challenge to Political Science: Challenge of Politics for Feminists 
• A Framework for a Feminist Political Science 
• Thinking beyond Male Dominance: Revising Concepts and Reinventing Theories 
• Understanding and Comparing Political Systems with Women in Mind 
• ”What do Women Want?” Women Centred Approaches to Public Policy

About the Author

 Jill McCalla Vickers’ work shows a lifetime dedication to the endeavour of combining research on women and politics with engagement in political life. Educated at Carleton University, The State University Of New York (Buffalo), and the London School of Economics, Dr. Vickers joined the faculty of Carleton University in 1971, where she rose to the rank of Professor. At Carleton, she also served as Director of the School of Canadian Societies, Chair of the Inter-Faculty Committee on Women’s Studies, president and negotiator for the faculty union, and Associate Vice-President (Academic). Among her many achievements, she was named a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada in 2003, and Carleton University awarded her a Chancellor’s Professorship the same year . After her retirement in 2007, she was named Distinguished Professor of Political Science and Emeritus Professor at Carleton. Dr. Vickers is a renowned authority in the politics of women’s rights, comparative approaches to women’s participation, and the relationship between gender and nationalism. She is the author of numerous books and articles, among them Politics as if Women Mattered: a Political Analysis of the National Action Committee on the Status of Women, co-authored with L. Pauline Rankin and Christine Appelle; Re-inventing Political Science: A Feminist Approach; and Gender, Race and Nation: A Global Approach, co-authored with Vanaja Druhvarajan.