Matriliny and Modernity: Sexual Politics and Social Change in Rural Malaysia

Matriliny and Modernity (1996) examines the situation of women in Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, exploring the impact of colonial and post-colonial matrilineal cultural practices on their social agency and autonomy. It challenges Western feminists' judgments and considers the influence of Western knowledge production and the Western imagination on debates about these societies. The book also contributes to broader discussions about sexual inequality and gender equality.

Format: Hardback
Length: 330 pages
Publication date: 06 November 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

Matriliny and Modernity (1996) delves into the multifaceted realities of women's lives in the matrilineal society of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, as it undergoes rapid modernization. Authored from a feminist anthropological perspective, this book explores the extent to which both the colonial and post-colonial reinterpretations of matrilineal cultural practices within modernity have granted women a measure of social agency, if not autonomy, as perceived by many Western feminists. Maila Stivens critically assesses the appropriateness of such judgments while also reflecting on how Western knowledge production and the enduring fascination with images of exotic matriarchies in the Western imagination have influenced discussions about these societies. Beyond appealing to scholars interested in gender-and-development, Asian Studies, and women's experiences in modernizing societies, the book's comprehensive account of the past and present of relatively more egalitarian gender arrangements also contributes to broader debates on the causes of sexual inequality and the prospects for gender equality.

Matriliny and Modernity (1996) explores the complex situation of women living in the matrilineal society of Negeri Sembilan, Malaysia, as it undergoes rapid modernization.

Written from a feminist anthropological viewpoint, the book examines how far both the colonial and post-colonial reimaginings of matrilineal cultural practices within modernity have impacted women's social agency and autonomy, as perceived by many Western feminists.

Mila Stivens critically assesses the appropriateness of such judgments while also reflecting on how Western knowledge production and the persistent fascination with images of exotic matriarchies in the Western imagination have shaped debates about these societies.

The book appeals to scholars interested in gender-and-development, Asian Studies, and women's experiences in modernizing societies, as well as contributing to broader discussions on the causes of sexual inequality and the possibilities for gender equality.

Weight: 780g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032598772