Bananas, Beaches and Bases: Making Feminist Sense of International Politics Updated Edition with a New Preface

Book Description

This radical analysis of globalization reveals the crucial role of women in international politics today. Cynthia Enloe pulls back the curtain on the familiar scenes--governments promoting tourism, companies moving their factories overseas, soldiers serving on foreign soil--and shows that the real landscape is not exclusively male. She describes how many women's seemingly personal strategies--in their marriages, in their housework, in their coping with ideals of beauty--are, in reality, the stuff of global politics. In exposing policymakers' reliance on false notions of "femininity" and "masculinity," Enloe dismantles an apparently overwhelming world system, revealing it to be much more fragile and open to change than we think.

Customer Reviews:

Terrific Read.......2007-06-26

An excellent book for anyone interested in feminism, international politics, or simply if you want an informative and interesting non-fiction book. The pressing question of BB&B is: "'Where are the women at?'" Cynthia Enloe takes the reader on a tour of some international hot topics and explores this question. Terrific book and I could not put it down. For a long time I had been searching for a feminist critique of the military, etc and I found exactly what I was looking for here.

The Other Side of International Politics.......2007-06-06

This book is an original study of international politics through the lens of women who influence husbands who happen to be the major power brokers within the international system. Enloe also studies how third world women are used as expressions of sexual and national power through agribusiness, tourism, and military bases.

This work is enlightening because it examines the quiet yet immensely influential roles women play within the geopolitical economic system. Unfortunately where Enloe falls short is her limited scope of how she defines masculinity and femininity. Ultimately she defines them as constructs forged out of power, rather than choice, however when it comes to these types of dichotomized debates, the answers usually fall somewhere in the middle. Enloe's main thesis is that the personal is political, therefore the power plays within international politics correlates strongly with the power struggles within the personal relationships between men and women.

First, what isn't clear is Enloe's use of the term `political' in which she also uses to mean `economical'. The problem is if you don't clearly distinguish between the two then it's difficult to identify who is a genuine victim of the vicissitudes of international political fiat, versus someone who is making choices deciding between trade offs in an environment limited by scarcity. Enloe commits this fallacy because she views today's market system as a form of neo-mercantilism. In some cases she may be right but nevertheless it's important to make the distinction. In addition, if the personal is political and the political is economical, why should the political/economical be of concern to anyone if the source of it all is personal and people are happy within the personal? It only makes a difference if you believe the personal to be a construct forged primarily out of power, rather than of choice or even symbiotic in nature. In this case happiness isn't possible because when it comes to power, there is always a winner and a loser. Therefore commanding power over international politics means commanding power within the personal. The problem is power is subjective and arbitrary. If masculinity and femininity are simply power constructs then ones power is as good as the other. Questions of morality, rights, obligations and expressions of individual free will are inapplicable. Secondly, Enloe discusses how both first and third world women are `used by the makers of the international political system', who are primarily men. However, Enloe limits her definition of masculinity within the context of European nationalism. What about third world men who are `used by the makers of the international political system'? To discuss their role, Enloe risks watering down her general theory that the source of international politics lies primarily within the personal power struggles between men and women.

Despite these criticisms this is a great book and it's highly recommended for anyone interested in learning about the `quiet' power women have in influencing international affairs.

Fascinating.......2002-12-08

I've been studying international politics and gender issues for some time but they've always been presented as separate subjects. To find a cohesive, academic work integrating the two was fabulous. Her work is jointly informative and interesting providing enough theory to be of academic interest and enough examples to exceed the category of a mere textbook. Highly recommend this!

Women and Global Politics.......2001-10-18

What do nationalism, Chiquita bananas and Mexican garment factories have in common? In Cynthia Enloe's trailblazing book, they illuminate the interplay between global politics and women. Few scholars have investigated why and how international politics and global trade shape definitions of masculinity and femininity; this book does that and more, providing new perspectives on the gendering of power. For Enloe, power imbues the cultural, social and economic interactions that gird global politics; "relationships we once imagined were private or merely social are in fact infused with power, usually unequal power backed up by public authority (p.195)." Here, Enloe extends the analytical approach Friedan used in The Feminine Mystique (1963), which considered the connection between feminine stereotypes and evolving US global power and security interests. Enloe pushes Friedan's analysis into a global context and brings into sharper focus the way public politics are masculinized via the control of women's activities.

Each of the chapters in Enloe's book explores a different theme -- from tourism to US military bases -- in order to demonstrate how the personal is political and the political is personal. Enloe most successfully draws out the linkages between domestic life and public authority in her chapters on nationalism, banana republics and garment factories. Looking at the experiences of women in places as diverse as Sri Lanka and Palestine, Enloe finds women asserting a sense of national identity that conflicts with their feminine roles of tending home and children. Even more problematic, if increased militarization creates an emphasis on communal unity, issues of sexual inequality are often discounted; thus, the nation is redefined, but in a masculinized form. Enloe's most global chapter nicely couples women in the United States with women in Honduras, both of whom the United Fruit Company controls to a certain degree by promoting and relying on women's feminized roles. In the United States, housewives respond to advertising and turn bananas into a booming business, while in Honduras, mothers and daughters accept low paid work on banana plantations or in nearby brothels. In a later chapter, Enloe turns to the international garment industry, noting again how industry keeps women's work cheap by drawing on patriarchal ideas about labor. At the same time, concepts like risk and adventure underlie international financial decisions and masculinize global banking, the money driving the garment industry.

In arguing that international processes depend on particular configurations of masculinity and femininity, Enloe has produced an important work. However, this book is so wide ranging that it often forgoes providing a complex analysis of its topics; Enloe makes sweeping and often simplistic generalizations, such as "international tourism needs patriarchy to survive (p.41)." Yet Enloe depicts a tourism industry that responds to changing cultural and social norms; for example, the tourist industry incorporates the idea, launched by women, of the white female adventurer. Enloe wants to demonstrate the importance of gender in tourism; however, this reader was more struck by the way her book illustrates tourism's dependency on racism for its survival. In addition, many of Enloe's linkages, especially between female sexuality and the control of predominantly male populations, while intuitively comprehensible, are poorly supported by evidence. The presence of high levels of prostitution around US military bases, for example in the Philippines, seems at least equally tied to issues of international economics as it is to providing security for military bases. Why, I wonder, is there a collapse (in the host country) of previously defining notions about male / female domestic and sexual relations? Why are the patriarchal values that keep women at home or considering the needs of their compañeros in Afghanistan and Mexico suddenly demolished in the Philippines? Attention to the pressure that international economics places on the gendering of domestic relations in countries that maintain US military bases would have nuanced Enloe's argument.

Despite these flaws, Enloe should be commended for broadening our understanding of global politics. Indeed, Enloe challenges our conceptions of international politics while empowering female readers to think about how global issues might relate to their own experiences. The author's portrayal of the September 19th Garment Workers Union in Mexico highlights how women can recognize their dehumanized role in the global economic system; moreover, in examining the lives of working women across the globe, she calls on middle class feminists to hear and support a diversity of female needs. This book provides a welcome addition to current scholarship on the global market and will benefit anyone interested in considering the complex forms that power can take in international politics.

Sexploitation vs. just plain old exploitation.......2000-09-21

I can't call myself a feminist. That would be quite ridiculous. But I have never been one to disparage the motivations of the movement in general. Women have been suppressed and oppressed and still are, for the most part. Their male oppressors still want to tell them what they can or cannot do with their bodies, hence with their very lives. That's the bottom line. I didn't really ever do any deep reading in the voluminous literature on feminism, women's rights, etc. I didn't think that I was clever for having avoided it, I just didn't have time or (I admit) burning curiosity. So, when I saw BANANAS, BEACHES and BASES on a bookstore shelf some years ago, I bought it, thinking that the subtitle, "Making Feminist Sense of International Politics" brought together two topics about which I could learn more. I finally read it recently, but must give it a very mixed review.

The author picks some very interesting issues. Tourism for one---a global business that touches nearly every corner of the earth and has created as many problems as it has solved. Mass, commercial tourism can be compared with plantation agriculture or clear-cut logging in terms of the amount of damage it does to human lives and the environment. Enloe brings this out very aptly. Military bases, plantation agriculture (for instance, of bananas), the need for cheap but fashionable, ready-to-wear clothes, and the high demand for domestic servants all fall under her discerning eye. Nobody can argue with her general positions on these subjects or on lesser topics such as `diplomatic wives' and their ambiguous position in the foreign services of the world. However---and this is a big however---I do disagree with her overall presentation. Sentences like "Yet nationalist movements have rarely taken women's experiences as the starting point for an understanding of how a people becomes colonized or how it throws off the shackles...." appalled me. Why just women ? Haven't the men been exploited, albeit in different ways ? Is not the entire country affected ? Prostitution exploits women, we are reminded. There is a vast number of male and child prostitutes too, just as exploited. Domestic violence may assist base commanders, but this is very far from being what is centrally dangerous and exploitative about bases. Such simplistic examples are legion in this book.

I think the basic fault of BB & B is to separate the fate of women from that of men or rather, from the fate of all victims of imperialism, oppression, and exploitation. If Enloe's aim was merely to show how women have been severely oppressed in X numbers of ways, that would be fine. But it is a reductionist argument to claim that women should be the focus for anti-exploitative actions, that women are central to the solutions. As women are half the human race, it is OBVIOUS that they cannot be excluded. Men have controlled and do control women, but international politics cannot be interpreted as a system for controlling women ! It is a system of power and anything and everything will be controlled if it can be. Feminism, as an attack on the way the world is presently constructed, is strong. Gender, as an ideological mode or framework, is weak, just as race, class, religion or language would be. Male/female, light/dark, yin/yang---these are eternal principles that cannot be ignored. ANY solution which leaves out a part, is no solution. If that were the only message Enloe put out, I would have no quarrel with her. As it is, I do.

Book Description

Here is a practical, procedure-oriented guide for managers, supervisors, human resource professionals, and training and development specialists--to help identify the causes of failure of performance appraisal and supervision. Baker begins with a discussion of the need for procedures to identify the causes of failure of performance appraisal and supervision, and describes a sound practical concept of evaluation that can be used to meet this need. Systems analysis is used to describe a comprehensive performance appraisal system that contains all of the parts necessary to function effectively. The consequences of failure are also enumerated for each step of the process. Procedures are included to identify discrepancies in the system design of an organization, to determine if the parts of the system are being carried out in practice, and to determine if the desired objectives are being achieved. These procedures also include ways to determine if appropriate methods are being used to measure performance and ways to control human error. Finally, the requirements for a continuing evaluation effort are discussed.

Book Description

Diane Iverson has created an introduction to the wonders of nature for very young children. Children are shown enjoying such simple activities as climbing a tree, observing wildlife, and wading in a stream. The descriptive, rhyming storyline emphasizes the tactile aspects of the children's experience.

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I Celebrate Nature
Diane Iverson
Manufacturer: Dawn
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000K3C08W

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Thar's money to be made (in them thar hills)

Comprehensive Introduction to this Challenging Sport

Good introduction to the sport for everyone

Runner's World Complete Guide to Trail Running
Dagny Scott Barrios
Manufacturer: Rodale Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Running & Jogging | Exercise & Fitness | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
Running & Jogging | Individual Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
General | Sports | Subjects | Books
Track & Field | Other Team Sports | Sports | Subjects | Books
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The Ultimate Guide to Trail Running

Trail Running: From Novice to Master (The Mountaineers Outdoor Expert Series)

Running Through the Wall: Personal Encounters With the Ultramarathon

Trail Runner

50 Trail Runs in Southern California

Accessories:

Tanita BC554 Ironman Glass InnerScan Body Composition Monitor Elite Series

ASIN: 1579547206

Book Description

Trail running is the fastest-growing segment of the outdoor sports industry. According to the Outdoor Industry Association, more than 4.7 million people run on dirt and rock trails more than once a week. There are new challenges to be found running trails instead of roadways. Both the novice and the experienced runner will find helpful information to make their transition from road to trail fun, exciting, and injury-free. Trail running is far more technique-intensive than road running, and Barrios shares everything a good runner needs to know before they hit the trail. Since running on dirt or rock is also more gear-oriented, you'll learn what to do-and what not to do-to make the most of your trail time. -Special 'Trail Mix' sidebars share firsthand accounts from accomplished runners -Detailed explanation on staying found while running in the woods and mountains -Extensive interviews with the sport's best runners and most knowledgeable sources -Color photography captures the beauty and the excitement of the sport

Customer Reviews:

Thar's money to be made (in them thar hills).......2007-03-08

On the bright side, the author, Dagny Barrios admits as early as the acknowledgements that his knowledge of trail running is "far from complete", which seems fair enough, since I read the entire book and can confirm that the author has completely no knowledge or passion for trail running. An utterly soul-less get rich quick production from a publisher that specializing in glossy pap. So, yes it is glossy. Yes, it has colorful pictures. But oh god even Richard Dawkins has more soul than this.

For those who haven't discovered trail running- well, you'll just have to trust me that it is beautiful, primal, and uplifting. But, if like Barrios, you are "not aware that you have been trail running", well, then you haven't been trail running. It's like saying you are not sure if you've had sex yet. If you are a beginner, buy any other book on the topic than this one, or consider purchasing Trail Runner Magazine or Ultra Runner off the rack.

This particular book, like other sports books from the same publisher, has the feel of a calculated marketing scheme. Just a footnote: the magazine of the same publisher has recently run an article on the "importance of spirituality in running", including how prayers can improve your running time. Their marketing department obviously had some input there, don't you think? Hey, you wanna read about trail runners or you wanna get on Oprah?

Comprehensive Introduction to this Challenging Sport.......2007-01-13

The Runner's World Complete Guide to Trail Running is a comprehensive introduction to the challenging sport of trail running. It covers trail running from short (3-mile) to long (100-mile) trail runs. The author covers all of the pertinent issues to help one get started in leisure trail running or races. I wish I had read this book before I started trail running, but I'm the type who dives into something to experience it, then learn more about it later. The beauty of trail running is in the experience with nature. Every run, even on the same trail, is different. Trail conditions change with the seasons, weather, time of day, and over the years. If you are a mountaineer or enjoy other outdoor adventure activities, trail running can be a complimentary cross-training method for you.

Trail running can be extremely challenging or like gliding through a wooded park - it is up to you to select the right trail for your desires. As soon as you introduce the vertical world of hills and mountains, trail running steps up a notch on the difficulty scale. But, regardless of the type of terrain you choose to run in, I recommend you read this book. You can use this book to increase your existing knowledge of the sport, or to help determine if it is something you even want to pursue. It is also filled with helpful tips to help you prepare for your first trail race. I pulled the book back off the shelf to give me motivation to train for the 2007 trail running season.

If you want to read more about the personal experience of mountain adventure, I would suggest reading Rocky Mountain Adventure Collection by TJ Burr (my book). This book covers numerous adventure activities, including mountain running, caving, climbing, and backpacking. In TJ's book, he has a chapter on running cross-country in mountainous terrain, which is more like survival running. While that may not directly pertain to your interests, reading his book is a way to broaden your overall knowledge of outdoor adventure. Now, get out and hit the trail!

Good introduction to the sport for everyone.......2006-08-19

It's funny how, because there is a picture showing a woman running up front, that some people assume this is a book soley for women. Not so. This is a nice, rounded introduction to off-road running for everyone. Barrios gives useful advice on gear, technique, etiquette, health maintenance and first-aid. Even more enjoyable to me is her encouragement to see trail running as belonging to a much wider population than just the ultra adventurists. Trail running doesn't have to be only a competitive endeavour -- it can also be a fun way to bring some activity and connection to nature into our lives. It can even be meditative, a nice break from an otherwise frenetic life.

Well worth the investment, especially if you are tentatively considering starting in.

Book Description

This volume is the best book available for building New Testament Greek vocabulary with new improvements to make it even better!

Customer Reviews:

So Helpful.......2007-04-11

As a student of NT Greek I have found this volume indispensible. You have frequency, word groups and such like. Plus it has every word used in the Greek NT from Greek to Aramaic to Latin. Buy it!

This volume is indeed "complete" and is highly useful.......2006-12-11

Warren Trenchard's book is a fantastic resource for building vocabulary as well as for reference and review. This revised edition contains many updates that make it even more 'user-friendly' and comes with a hardcover binding that will make it hold up to the repeated use it will get.

The first section of the book lists words by their cognate group and is obviously the section to use in order to rapidly build a working vocabulary. Trenchard also lists the frequency of occurence of each word in this section, so students can decide which words are most important to memorize at first (however, with the cognate approach, it's easier to memorize many words that occur infrequently as well). Following this section is another section that lists words only by their frequency, from most frequent to least frequent.

The third major section provides the principal parts of all the verbs in the GNT. It is best used for review or for reference on those occasions when your mind just goes blank. If you are not careful, however, you will come to rely on this section as a crutch and will likely never memorize the principal parts of all verbs. Again, when used as intended, this section is valuable, but if you let it become a crutch, then it will actually become an impediment to learning Greek verbs.

Trenchard also provides a list of all proper nouns, which (for reasons I've never yet been able to figure out) tend to be omitted from a great many lexicons. He also has a catch-all section of 'Other Lists' that provides number words, Aramaic words, Hebrew words, and a slew of other useful items.

This is the definitive book for students who are building their NT Greek vocabulary. If you find this volume to be a valuable tool, then check out Trenchard's "A Concise Dictionary of New Testament Greek" as well (see my review of that book for more information).

wish I had this years ago.......2006-07-29

This is the best of several long overdue improvements on Metzger's old vocabulary guide. This book lists EVERY NT word by frequency and all words with at least one cognate in a separate list. It also has a list of principal parts of EVERY verb, so it is the most complete of any guide. But beyond this, it is worth the price in that the definitions simply list every possible meaning of each word, which makes it much more user-friendly than a dictionary such as BDAG. I use this book far more often than any other Greek resource I own. After a grammar and a Greek text, this is definitley the third book I would purchase.

Great book!!!.......2000-10-13

Warren Trenchard's book is an awesome resource for anybody doing serious greek study. Warren gives words in listings for both frequency and cognate groups. While the frequency list is the obvious choice for order of memorization, the cognate section has been the real key to me for memory retention. It transforms the learning from sheer memorization to the fluent understanding of concepts. Often times, seeing the commen root has instantely made difficult words easy. I am on a eight year plan to learn all the words in the Greek New Testament and Warren's book is my main source of study.

Top Vocabulary Resource for the New Testament.......2000-02-10

Trenchard's book is without doubt the most thorough and helpful work available for building the Greek vocabulary necessary to read the New Testament in the original language. While several other good books have been written for this purpose, none is as complete as this one. With an exaustive list of the New Testament Greek vocabulary organized by word families and by frequency of usage, plus several other helpful lists, this book lends itself well to the task of enlarging the reader's vocabulary.

Customer Reviews:

Excellent for developing a Greek New Testament vocabulary.......1997-12-01

For anyone who would like to study the New Testament in its original language of Koine Greek, this is an excellent book for the English reader to develop his or her vocabulary in a systematic and natural way. This makes reading the Greek New Testament less cumbersome by helping to eliminate an overuse of a lexicon. The book is quite comprehensive. --Professor in New Testament Greek, The University of Biblical Studies and Seminary

THE STUDENT'S COMPLETE VOCABULARY GUIDE TO THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT (COMPLETE FREQUENCY LISTS, COGNATE GROUPINGS & PRINCIPAL PARTS)

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THE STUDENT'S COMPLETE VOCABULARY GUIDE TO THE GREEK NEW TESTAMENT (COMPLETE FREQUENCY LISTS, COGNATE GROUPINGS & PRINCIPAL PARTS)
WARREN C. TRENCHARD
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OT4CF6

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