The articles collated in this text explore: how social policy constructs gendered relations; the difference/equailty debate; representations and discourses in social policy; the tensions and issues associated with restructuring domestic relations; and feminist alternatives to mainstream social policy solutions. The book adopts a comparative and international perspective taking on board the importance of global changes as well as illustrating its argument with practices and research from a number of countries. Overall, the text raises issues for students, academics and practitioners dealing...

Some cities have grown into mega cities and some into uncontrolled sprawl; others have seen their centres decline with populations moving to the suburbs. In such times, questions of the public realm and public space in cities warrant even greater attention than they have previously received.
Investigating ordinary spaces in the city where power operates more subtly and differences are negotiated, Sophie Watson uses a number of different ethnographies of public spaces, materializing some of the theories of the urban public realm to see how difference is played out and negotiated in the...

Some cities have grown into mega cities and some into uncontrolled sprawl; others have seen their centres decline with populations moving to the suburbs. In such times, questions of the public realm and public space in cities warrant even greater attention than they have previously received.
Investigating ordinary spaces in the city where power operates more subtly and differences are negotiated, Sophie Watson uses a number of different ethnographies of public spaces, materializing some of the theories of the urban public realm to see how difference is played out and negotiated in the...

A Companion to the City provides the reader with an indispensable and authoritative overview of the key debates, controversies, and questions concerning the city from a variety of theoretical vantage points with an international perspective.

• Indispensable companion for students of the City.
  
• Multidisciplinary approach of interest across several fields.
  
• Includes contributions from major scholars in the field.

A Companion to the City provides the reader with an indispensable and authoritative overview of the key debates, controversies, and questions concerning the city from a variety of theoretical vantage points with an international perspective.

• Indispensable companion for students of the City.
  
• Multidisciplinary approach of interest across several fields.
  
• Includes contributions from major scholars in the field.

Open air markets are as old as the market towns they spawned but in the modern world of 24 hour shopping, credit cards, super stores, sprawling multi shop malls and one stop shopping do they still have a place in the contemporary social landscape? Are continental and farmers markets the answer? What do shoppers traders and council have to say about the places they shop in, work in and control? This survey is the first comprehensive account of English markets as a social space. It investigates markets throughout the country and comes to some surprising conclusions about the role they play in...

Updated to reflect the most current thinking on urban studies, The Blackwell City Reader, Second Edition features a comprehensive selection of multidisciplinary readings relating to the analysis and experience of global cities.

• Includes new sections of materialities and mobilities to capture the most recent debates
• The most international reader of its kind, including extensive coverage of urban issues in Asia, China, and India
• Combines theoretical approaches with a wide range of geographical case studies
• Organized to be used as a stand-alone...

Updated to reflect the most current thinking on urban studies, The Blackwell City Reader, Second Edition features a comprehensive selection of multidisciplinary readings relating to the analysis and experience of global cities.

• Includes new sections of materialities and mobilities to capture the most recent debates
• The most international reader of its kind, including extensive coverage of urban issues in Asia, China, and India
• Combines theoretical approaches with a wide range of geographical case studies
• Organized to be used as a stand-alone...