Dear Susan,



Having looked through the Encyclopaedia, as a geographer and a UK based Irish feminist (you might say 'international'), I cannot at this stage participate.   My reasons are: 

1.  It is clear that this encyclopaedia is very US based (starkly exemplified in the entries on Sexual Orientation which contrast the US with the rest of the world).  

2. It strikes me as colonising and inappropriate that for example non-Irish Feminists are writing about Ireland, when there are numerous feminists/experts on women's lives in Ireland who would better take up this mantle.  Are any of your editors Geographers that would be sensitive to such issues? (Geography now has a long traditional of feminist scholarship and engagement which challenges 'mainstream' feminisms to recognise their location and the spatial importance of constructing 'women', men and gender relations.  The common misconception of women's/feminist Geographies is focused on a description of women in 'different' countries. An entry on feminist geographers/women's geographies written by a geographer would be an important addition as well.)

3. Following on from these two points is it to be presumed that the entries (many of which are US specific) will all be US focused?? 

4. I am also concerned by the heterosexual and cisgendered focus of the encyclopaedia (where are the entries on lesbian feminism; trans scholarship; lesbian separatism; lesbian spaces; queer women's identities in the global south etc., etc. - as well as homonormativity, homonationalism etc.).



I am also in agreement with Clara Greed (message below), about the focus of the entries which clearly seeks to engage a particular audience.  It is a shame these 'lighter' entries are not more balanced by further scholarly and critical ones to expand the knowledges of women's lives by those who might be attracted by 'lighter' consumption based entries. 



I am sure you are appealing to a particular audience and clearly your own positionalities and interests are playing a huge part in creating this volume.  Whilst I think it is a missed opportunity, I understand that this is a difficult task to undertake so I wish you all the best. 



Yours,



Kath Browne



From Clara Greed sent to the Women in Geography Study Group E-list:



you contacted me before and i said i was concerned at the lack of entries on urban planning, cities, women and architectural design and urban policy, which are all different from entries on 'women architects' and i frankly found it all too much like some women's magazine in terms of range of entries and not enough serious structural policy and urban politics stuff, too light, , the entries do not come across as academic enough but rather more media driven, and reflecting a certain form of 'feminism' that conforming to stereotypes of what constitutes the female realm. 

 

i have read through and printed out all your entries, and the problem is that all the real issues that shape and affect women's lives are not included like transportation, engineering, urban planning, politics and so forth,



Dr. Kath Browne,

Senior Lecturer,

School of the Environment,

Cockcroft Building,

Lewes Road,

Brighton,

BN2 4GJ,

England.

Tel: +44 1273 642377

Email: [log in to unmask]

 

***** Count Me In Too has released its final additional findings report ********

                                        www.countmeintoo.co.uk



****Now available in paperback with a 30% discount if you buy from Ashgate's website***** 

Geographies of Sexualities (Browne, K, Lim, J. and Brown G. eds)

To read more and get your copy go to: http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754678526



-----Original Message-----

From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] 

Sent: 09 September 2009 16:23

To: Browne Katherine Browne_Kath

Subject: RE: Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World



Dear Kath,



Thank you for your reply and interest in contributing to The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today’s World. Attached are the headword list, sample article and submission guidelines for your review.



Please select from the available articles that best suit your interests and expertise. E-mail your article selections to me and I will confirm availability. (Available articles do not have a name in the contributor

column)



If you decide to contribute, please provide me with your contact

information:

Name

Address (no post office box)

Phone number

University Affiliation (university, department, title) If you do not have a university affiliation, you will be listed as Independent Scholar.



Once the articles are finalized and contact information received, the articles will be processed in your name. After the articles are processed, you will receive an e-mail invitation with directions and a link to reply to the SAGE website to accept the articles and complete the online contributor agreements.



Best,

Susan Moskowitz

Director of Author Management

Golson Media

[log in to unmask]





On Wed, 9 Sep 2009 13:30:15 +0100, [log in to unmask] wrote:

> Susan,

> 

> I would be interested in contributing to this, perhaps around the idea 

> of lesbian geographies/spaces, women's separatist spaces, Michigan 

> Womyn's Music Festival. I am happy to have a look at the list you have 

> created

and

> see if I can fit something else as well.  Do you need to see a CV?

> 

> Kath

> 

> Dr. Kath Browne,

> Senior Lecturer,

> School of the Environment,

> Cockcroft Building,

> Lewes Road,

> Brighton,

> BN2 4GJ,

> England.

> Tel: +44 1273 642377

> Email: [log in to unmask]

>  

> ***** Count Me In Too has released its final additional findings 

> report

> ********

>                                         www.countmeintoo.co.uk

> 

> ****Now available in paperback with a 30% discount if you buy from 

> Ashgate's website***** Geographies of Sexualities (Browne, K, Lim, J. 

> and Brown G. eds) To read more and get your copy go to:

> http://www.ashgate.com/isbn/9780754678526

> 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Women and Geography Study Group Discussion List 

> [mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Susan Moskowitz

> Sent: 08 September 2009 18:10

> To: [log in to unmask]

> Subject: CFA: Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World

> 

> We are inviting academic editorial contributors to the Multimedia 

> Encyclopedia of Women in Today’s World, a new print and electronic 

> reference that will look at women today around the world and delve 

> into

the

> contexts of being female in the 21st century. Thus the scope of the 

> encyclopedia will focus on women’s status starting in approximately 

> 2000 and look forward. The work will present state-of-the-art 

> research, ready-to-use facts. The 1,000 signed entries (with 

> cross-references and recommended readings) will cover issues in 

> contemporary women’s and

gender

> studies and the articles will include information relevant to the

following

> academic disciplinary contexts: women in different cultures/countries;

arts

> and media; business and economics; criminal justice; education; family 

> studies; health; media; military; politics; science and technology;

sports;

> environmental studies; and religion. We are making assignments with a 

> submission due date of December 1, 2009.

> 

> This comprehensive project will be published in stages by SAGE 

> Reference and will be marketed to academic and public libraries as a 

> print and digital product available to students via the library’s 

> electronic services. The General Editors, who will be reviewing each 

> submission to

the

> project, are Dr. Mary Zeiss Stange of Skidmore College, and Dr. Carol K.

> Oyster of the University of Wisconsin-La Crosse.

> 

> If you are interested in contributing to this cutting-edge reference, 

> it

is

> a unique opportunity to contribute to the contemporary literature, 

> redefining women’s issues in today’s terms. Moreover, it can be a 

> notable publication addition to your CV/resume and broaden your 

> publishing

credits.

> SAGE Publications offers an honorarium ranging from SAGE book credits 

> for smaller articles up to a free set of the printed product or access 

> to the online product for contributions totaling 10,000 words or more.

> 

> The list of available articles is already prepared, and as a next step 

> we will e-mail you the Article List (Excel file) from which you can 

> select topics that best fit your expertise and interests. 

> Additionally, Style

and

> Submission Guidelines will be provided that detail article

specifications. 

> 

> If you would like to contribute to building a truly outstanding 

> reference with the Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today’s World, 

> please

contact

> me by the e-mail information below. Please provide a brief summary of

your

> academic/publishing credentials in women’s and gender issues. 

> 

> 

> Thanks very much.

> 

> Sue Moskowitz

> Director of Author Recruitment

> Golson Media

> [log in to unmask]