Second-Wave Women of the World : WOMEN AND POLITICS An International Perspective, 2nd Edition<i> by Vicky Randall (University of Chicago Press: $32.50</i> ,<i> cloth</i> ;<i> $12.95</i> ,<i> paper</i> ;<i> 368 pp.)</i>

The impact of politics on the status of women and the influence of feminism on public policy are the simultaneous strains of this well-constructed, meticulously substantiated book. Author Vicky Randall, senior lecturer at Polytechnic of Central London, introduces the complex relationship between women and politics and the intriguing debates surrounding this theme. It is a comprehensive, synthetic analysis of the enormous volume of literature on this subject which has appeared since the 1960s’ “second-wave of feminism.” “Women and Politics” is not, however, light reading for the uninitiated: The text assumes prior knowledge and passionate interest.

Innumerable factors obstructing women’s participation and the under-representation resulting from them are impressively discussed. They range from childhood socialization, to time constraints because of child-rearing and household duties, to the uninviting masculine--styled political institutions, to systemic male dominance on a societal level. Most important, the distinctive feminist criticism of conventional political thinking is the assumption of a private (apolitical) sphere and the public (political) sphere. This bifurcation has been historically used to justify women’s exclusion from public politics. Even now, in most of the world, public policies assume and reinforce women’s primary responsibility for the care of the young and home.

What politics has taught feminism, on the other hand, is that public policy counts. Laws and regulations, throughout time and across borders, significantly shape women’s life options. Despite the conventional view that law doesn’t enter the private realm, the book’s examination of 18th- and 19th-Century England and the United States show how policies surrounding women’s rights in marriage, fertility and sexuality, as well as income, education and employment opportunities have enforced her dependence on men.

Taking into account specific national variations, cultural patterns, political structures and economic policies, the basic trends in advanced capitalist countries are at present, a liberalization of marriage laws, measure to remove overt job discrimination and expand educational opportunities for women. The most striking contrast in policies is between the United States and Scandinavian nations, particularly Sweden. Child upbringing in Sweden is seen as a public responsibility. Maternity clinics have been obliged to provide contraceptives free to all females over 15 since the 1950s. Working women can stay home after childbirth up to six months and receive between 20-80% of their salary.

In order to overview trends in Third World countries, Randall first discusses the impact of colonial rulers who generally imposed patriarchal nuclear families and accompanying laws to ensure their maintenance. More recently, Western development policies excluded women from economic planning and removed their traditional forms of social status. Given global economic recession, massive foreign debt, low national revenues (and the rise of fundamentalism in certain countries), the author finds a general liberalization of abortion and birth control, but few policies affecting women’s income and employment. Additionally, many Third World nations are slow to expand educational opportunities to women.

Socialist states have promoted women’s legal and economic independence, together with access to education and employment. There is, however, less government interest in conceding to women control over fertility or to free them from “double shift” responsibilities, either by socializing domestic labor or by encouraging men to share domestic roles.

The book traces the history of first- and second-wave feminism, particularly in the United States and Britain, and the movement’s impact on policy in the 1970s and changing prospects for the 1980s. The author shows that reformist feminist politics wins no dramatic victories and in areas of, for example, abortion policy, equal rights and employment opportunities, progress is modest and very precarious. On the other hand, she asks, without reformist politics, would any progress have been made at all?

What “Women and Politics” does, it does well. The book’s biggest flaw is in what it promises to deliver, but doesn’t. As a comparison of women and politics in Western democracies, the book is a substantive contribution. But it is not , as the title claims, an international perspective. There is an unsatisfying sampling of information on women in socialist systems and the material on Third World women is far too scarce. This shortcoming noted, Randall has made a significant contribution of importance.