The ‘Other’ Universe

The ‘Other’ Universe is an attempt to situate the ‘Other’ the woman, ghettoized and invisibilized- at the very centre of scholarship and thus challenge the androcentrism pervading exiting systems of knowledge. A collection of fifty essays, this volume mirrors path-breaking empirical findings and theoretical insights in the inter disciplinary field of Woman studies by contributors ranging from the stalwarts in this field to young scholars. The book comprises nine sections each representing a long-standing or emergent arena of Woman’s studies. While the much-researched main / ‘male’ stream fields of knowledge like literature, history, sociology, political science, philosophy, economic, education and science are revisited through the gender lens, the volume also addressed newly burgeoning fields of feminist scholarship such as films, performance, travel and sexuality. There is a remarkable degree crossover with several contributors departing from their own disciplinary tracks and venturing into other domains of scholarship. The volume also addresses some of the pressing issues of that concern the contemporary women’s movement, particularly, issues of violence and punitive justice.

Emblematic of the increasing diversification of feminist scholarship, and showcasing the best of inter-disciplinary research, the book is a must read for all who are engaged in Woman’s studies as students. Teachers are researchers. It promises to equip the feminist activist with the much needed critical perspective and also draw the hitherto uninitiated to the field. It is a volume to be cherished by all.