Sylvia Walby
Encyclopedia
Sylvia Walby OBE
, is one of the world's leading authorities on gender. She is a British sociologist
, currently Professor of Sociology at Lancaster University
. She is noted for work in the fields of the domestic violence
, patriarchy
, gender relations in the workplace and globalisation.
Walby is coordinator of the Gender Equality Research Network International (GENIe) the aim of which is to develop, through research, the knowledge base to understand and reduce gender inequality
. She is principal Investigator of the Lancaster node of Quing, an Integrated Project funded by the European Union under Framework 6 to investigate gender and citizenship in a multicultural context, 2006–2011, Member of the Executive Board, and Leader of the strand on Intersectionality. She is also co-organiser of an international network on Gender Globalization and Work Transformation (GLOW).
Walby is the first UNESCO
Chair in Gender Research and coordinates the associated UNESCO Chair in Gender Research Group. She was appointed in 2008.
, Professor and Head of Department of Sociology at Bristol University; Reader in Sociology and Director of the Gender Institute at the LSE
; Lecturer in Sociology and Director of the Women's Studies Research Centre at Lancaster University
; Visiting Associate Professor in Sociology at UCLA and Honorary Visiting Scholar at the Schlesinger Library, Harvard University
. She was the first President of the European Sociological Association and has been Chair of the Women's Studies Network UK.
Her current research is situated within the tension between general social theory and specific forms of inequality, especially gender. Over the years this led her from theories of patriarchy to a current concern to mainstream difference into social theory. She has an interest in economic matters, a fascination with new political forms, and concern with marginalised groups. Today, all of these issues are framed by globalisation, the understanding of which requires new forms of social theory, especially complexity theories.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is funding developmental workshops at Lancaster to take forward new ventures in gender analysis
.
in each of the 27 EU member states, and Turkey and Croatia. This involves close textual analysis of key policy documents on gender equality in employment, gender-based violence and intimate citizenship, as well as the comparative analysis of the varied institutional and social structural environments under which these meanings develop. Quing will contribute to the development of gender theory, especially in relation to intersectionality
and to the theorisation of differences in gender regimes, as well as to more effective gender equality policies. With partners in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey, the project is coordinated by professor Mieke Verloo in Vienna. The total budget is 4,742,000 Euros, with 634,000 Euros for Lancaster. Sylvia Walby is the Principal Investigator of the Lancaster node, Member of the Executive Board, and Leader of the strand on Intersectionality. The Lancaster node consists of, in addition to Walby, Dr. Jo Armstrong and Dr. Sofia Strid.
Chair in Gender Research in 2008. Members of the UNESCO Chair in Gender Research Group include Dr Jo Armstrong and Dr Sofia Strid.
The objectives of the Chair are to:
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, is one of the world's leading authorities on gender. She is a British sociologist
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, currently Professor of Sociology at Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
. She is noted for work in the fields of the domestic violence
Domestic violence
Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...
, patriarchy
Patriarchy
Patriarchy is a social system in which the role of the male as the primary authority figure is central to social organization, and where fathers hold authority over women, children, and property. It implies the institutions of male rule and privilege, and entails female subordination...
, gender relations in the workplace and globalisation.
Walby is coordinator of the Gender Equality Research Network International (GENIe) the aim of which is to develop, through research, the knowledge base to understand and reduce gender inequality
Gender inequality
Gender inequality refers to disparity between individuals due to gender. Gender is constructed both socially through social interactions as well as biologically through chromosomes, brain structure, and hormonal differences. Gender systems are often dichotomous and hierarchical; binary gender...
. She is principal Investigator of the Lancaster node of Quing, an Integrated Project funded by the European Union under Framework 6 to investigate gender and citizenship in a multicultural context, 2006–2011, Member of the Executive Board, and Leader of the strand on Intersectionality. She is also co-organiser of an international network on Gender Globalization and Work Transformation (GLOW).
Walby is the first UNESCO
UNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Chair in Gender Research and coordinates the associated UNESCO Chair in Gender Research Group. She was appointed in 2008.
Career
Walby has been Sociology Professor at the University of LeedsUniversity of Leeds
The University of Leeds is a British Redbrick university located in the city of Leeds, West Yorkshire, England...
, Professor and Head of Department of Sociology at Bristol University; Reader in Sociology and Director of the Gender Institute at the LSE
London School of Economics
The London School of Economics and Political Science is a public research university specialised in the social sciences located in London, United Kingdom, and a constituent college of the federal University of London...
; Lecturer in Sociology and Director of the Women's Studies Research Centre at Lancaster University
Lancaster University
Lancaster University, officially The University of Lancaster, is a leading research-intensive British university in Lancaster, Lancashire, England. The university was established by Royal Charter in 1964 and initially based in St Leonard's Gate until moving to a purpose-built 300 acre campus at...
; Visiting Associate Professor in Sociology at UCLA and Honorary Visiting Scholar at the Schlesinger Library, Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. She was the first President of the European Sociological Association and has been Chair of the Women's Studies Network UK.
Her current research is situated within the tension between general social theory and specific forms of inequality, especially gender. Over the years this led her from theories of patriarchy to a current concern to mainstream difference into social theory. She has an interest in economic matters, a fascination with new political forms, and concern with marginalised groups. Today, all of these issues are framed by globalisation, the understanding of which requires new forms of social theory, especially complexity theories.
She was appointed Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in the 2008 Birthday Honours.
Gender Equality Research Network International (GENIe)
Walby is coordinator of the Gender Equality Research Network International (GENIe). The aim of GENIe is to develop, through research, the knowledge base to understand and reduce gender inequality.The Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences is funding developmental workshops at Lancaster to take forward new ventures in gender analysis
Gender analysis
Gender analysis is a type of socio-economic analysis that uncovers how gender relations affect a development problem. The aim may just be to show that gender relations will probably affect the solution, or to show how they will affect the solution and what could be done...
.
QUING: Gender Equality in the EU
Quing is an Integrated Project funded by the European Union under Framework 6 to investigate gender and citizenship in a multicultural context, 2006–2011. QUING is comparing the meanings of gender equalityGender equality
Gender equality is the goal of the equality of the genders, stemming from a belief in the injustice of myriad forms of gender inequality.- Concept :...
in each of the 27 EU member states, and Turkey and Croatia. This involves close textual analysis of key policy documents on gender equality in employment, gender-based violence and intimate citizenship, as well as the comparative analysis of the varied institutional and social structural environments under which these meanings develop. Quing will contribute to the development of gender theory, especially in relation to intersectionality
Intersectionality
Intersectionality is a feminist sociological theory first highlighted by Kimberlé Crenshaw . Intersectionality is a methodology of studying "the relationships among multiple dimensions and modalities of social relationships and subject formations"...
and to the theorisation of differences in gender regimes, as well as to more effective gender equality policies. With partners in Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Netherlands, Slovenia, Spain, and Turkey, the project is coordinated by professor Mieke Verloo in Vienna. The total budget is 4,742,000 Euros, with 634,000 Euros for Lancaster. Sylvia Walby is the Principal Investigator of the Lancaster node, Member of the Executive Board, and Leader of the strand on Intersectionality. The Lancaster node consists of, in addition to Walby, Dr. Jo Armstrong and Dr. Sofia Strid.
UNESCO Chair in Gender Research Group
Professor Sylvia Walby was appointed to the UNESCOUNESCO
The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
Chair in Gender Research in 2008. Members of the UNESCO Chair in Gender Research Group include Dr Jo Armstrong and Dr Sofia Strid.
The objectives of the Chair are to:
- facilitate the development of policy-relevant research on gender equality and women's human rightsHuman rightsHuman rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...
around the world; - support and develop international networking to facilitate the exchange of ideas, research and policy developments, especially between the North and South;
- support research and build capacity on policy-relevant gender equality issues; curriculum development, student training at graduate level; staff exchanges;
- facilitate exchanges between researchers and policy makers, in the context of UN instruments for promoting women's human rights and the Millennium Development GoalsMillennium Development GoalsThe Millennium Development Goals are eight international development goals that all 193 United Nations member states and at least 23 international organizations have agreed to achieve by the year 2015...
; - collaborate with UNESCOUNESCOThe United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations...
in its gender equality policy and strategy.
Social theory, Complexity theory
. Globalization and Complex Inequalities (Sage 2009) is a book from a long-term programme of research.- 'Modernities/Globalisation/Complexities'
- 'Complexity theory, realism and path dependency'
- 'Against epistemological chasms: the science question in feminism revisited' Signs: A Journal of Women in Culture and Society, 2001, 26, 2, 485-509, led to a debate with Sandra Harding in Signs.
Gender, Globalization and Work Transformation
Walby is co-organiser of an international network on Gender Globalization and Work Transformation (GLOW), with members in US, Japan, Germany and UK. Key interests are in the relationship between the new knowledge based economy and new non-standard employment forms in the context of changing forms of regulation and deregulation and globalisation.- Gendering the Knowledge Economy, book edited with GLOW (Palgrave 2007).
- 'Gender and the new economy: regulation or deregulation?'
- 'Gender (in)equality and the future of work'
Gender-based violence
Work for the UN on improving statistics and indicators on violence against women:-
- 'Improving the statistics on violence against women', Statistical Journal of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe, 22, 4, 193-216, 2005.
- Developing Indicators on Violence Against Women, 2006.
- Towards international standards for data collection and statistics on violence against women, 2006
- Member of UN Task Force on Violence Against Women, 2006-.
- Domestic Violence, Sexual Assault and Stalking: Findings from the British Crime Survey Home Office Research Study 276, 2004, with Jonathan Allen, based on a consultancy to the Home Office British Crime Survey.
- The Cost of Domestic Violence, 2004, from research funded by the DTI Women and Equality Unit.
- 'Comparing the methodology of the new national surveys of violence against women', British Journal of Criminology, 2001, 41, 3, 502-522, with Andrew Myhill, is based on Nuffield Foundation funded work.
Politics in a global era
- 'The myth of the nation-state: Theorizing society and polities in a global era', Sociology, 2003, 37, 1, 531-548. (Debate with Bruce and Voas, 2004).
- 'The European Union and gender equality: Emergent varieties of gender regime', Social Politics, 2004, 11, 1, 4-29.
- 'Feminism in a global age', Economy and Society, 2002, 31, 4, 533-557;
- 'From community to coalition: the politics of recognition as the handmaiden of the politics of redistribution', Theory, Culture and Society, 2001, 18, 2-3, 113-135;
Measuring Gender Equality
- 'Gender transformations and global processes: Situating Beijing + 10', International Social Science Journal, September 2005. Originally prepared for UNESCO.
- Contributed research to EU Presidency (Luxembourg) report on 'Beijing+10: Progress Made Within the European Union', 2005. (with Anne-Marie Theisen, Nadine Spoden and Mieke Verloo).
- Modelling Gender Pay Gaps. (with Olsen) Equal Opportunities Commission, 2004.
- 'Gender, Economic Development, Economic Growth and Democracy', ESRC funded project with Wendy Olsen, 2004-5.
- Fellow of the Royal Statistical Society and member Official Statistics Committee.
ESRC Gender seminars
ESRC funded seminar series, 'Gender Mainstreaming' 2003-4.- 'Comparative Gender Mainstreaming', International Feminist Journal of Politics, December 2005, 7, 4. Special issue of papers from seminar. ‘Introduction: Comparative gender mainstreaming in a global era’, International Feminist Journal of Politics, 7, 4, 453-471.
- 'Gender Mainstreaming Theory', Social Politics, December 2005, 12, 3. Special issue with papers from seminar. 'Gender mainstreaming: Productive tensions in theory and practice':Social Politics: International Studies in Gender, State & Society 2005 12(3):321-343
ESRC funded seminar series, 'What is Gender Equality', 2005-7
- 2006, March. Gendering the Knowledge Economy, March 2006, special issue of Gender Work and Organization (forthcoming 2007).
- 2006, May. 'Indicators and statistics of gender based violence'; co-hosted by Royal Statistical Society, Programme and presentations here.
- 2007, April 'Developing indicators and official statistics to monitor the new duty to promote gender equality', Programme and presentations here.
Publications
- Localities, Class and Gender (with Lancaster Regionalism Group) Pion 1985.
- Patriarchy at Work, Polity 1986.
- Gender Segregation at Work (edited) Sage 1988.
- Theorizing Patriarchy, Blackwell 1990.
- Restructuring Place Class & Gender (with Lancaster Regionalism Group) Sage 1990
- Sex Crime in the News (with Soothill) Routledge 1991.
- Out of the Margins (edited with Aaron) Falmer 1991.
- Medicine and Nursing: Professions in a Changing Health Service (with Greenwell, MacKay and Soothill) Sage 1994
- Gender Transformations, Routledge 1997.
- European Societies: Fusion or Fission? (edited with Boye and Van Steenbergen, Routledge 1999).
- New Agendas for Women (edited) (foreword by Clare Short) Macmillan 1999.
- Contemporary British Society (with Abercrombie, Warde et al.) 3rd edition Polity 2000
- Gendering the Knowledge Economy, March 2006, special issue of Gender Work and Organization (forthcoming 2007).