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Hardship and health in women's lives
472
Book Reviews
there were no obvious differences between those who could be relocated 10 and 20 years after the original research that could explain the improved competency of those re-examined. In summary, the original research provides a vivid account of the post-institutional adaptation of some mildly intellectually disabled people and is useful for a glimpse into their complex lives. The language used in the early chapters is, however, somewhat abrasive in these
more 'politically correct' times. Moreover, themes are not supported adequately by evidence and the follow-up data is insufficiently analyzed to do justice to a longitudinal analysis.
and Health in Women's Lives, by Hilary Graham. Harvester Wheatsheaf, Hertfordshire, 1993. 221
personal accounts and sociological studies. For example, information from official statistics on sources of income from the Department of Social Security are integrated with research examining the issues of credit, loan sharks and debt. Of particular interest is the incorporation of material about how policies such as those in relation to housing, immigration and maintenance have impacted on women's lives. The last two chapters cover the topics of women's and children's health and how these are integrally related to the social conditions in which women live. The issue of cigarette smoking is selected to illustrate this point. Again the author is clear in her goal in that the analysis concentrates on the role that smoking plays in women's domestic lives, rather than attempting a wider account as to why women smoke. As such, broader explanations which include the role of factors such as advertising are not covered. While the book deals with a subject which is at times very depressing, the style is relatively informal with care being taken to guide the reader along the way. Although the information it presents is very sobering, it concludes positively, emphasizing that women are not "powerless victims of poverty and oppression" but rather "actively engaged in caring for health and struggling against hardship". There are also numerous accounts of the way that women provide support for other women. There is plenty of use of diagrams and tables to present data in an easy to read format. Most chapters conclude with an explanation of how the next chapter is linked with the issues already covered. The book would be valuable for anyone who wants to gain a broader understanding of the way that a large segment of the community live in Great Britain today. It provides a practical analysis and as such would be useful to read alongside theoretical texts.
Hardship
pp., U.S.$19.95 (paperback). This book examines the domestic lives of the 6 million women in Britain aged 16 59 who live in households with children under 16. As such, one of its strengths is its well defined subject, with the reader being very clear at the outset of the scope which the author has chosen to cover. A rich variety of sources is drawn on in order to bring these women to life and topics covered include: housing, responsibilities for caring, work and sources of income, coping strategies and health. The book brings together the recognised sources of information about women's lives, such as routinely collected national data, with personal stories of the women themselves. This two-pronged approach is used because official sources "can miss and misrepresent what goes on in women's lives". The result is a "patchwork' with an acknowledgement that pieces are missing. Nevertheless, this method is useful in that it provides a more complete analysis of the domestic lives of women. In particular it tells the stories of women who are often invisible in our community such as the homeless, the disabled and Asian and African-Caribbean women. The book commences with a critique of the sources of information on women's lives and gives an insight into the problems of relying solely on official statistics and social surveys. Numerous illustrations are given of the way that these statistics can mis-represent and indeed exclude large numbers of women, and often men as well. An example of this problem is the restrictions placed on eligibility for income support for 16- and 17-year-olds, introduced in 1988 which removed this group from social security statistics. The author also takes some care in setting the scene for her analysis in explaining the language which she has chosen to describe social diversity amongst women. The following chapters give a comprehensive analysis of the issues integral to women's lives such as housing, caring for children and sources of income. The explanations are in-depth with routinely collected data being supported by
Migration and Health in a Small Society, The Case of Tokelau, edited by Albert F. Wessen, Anthony Hooper, Judith Huntsman, lan A. M. Prior and Clare E. Salmond. Oxford Science Publications, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992. x + 446 pp., price not stated. The 'Western Diseases' theory, propounded in 1981, related certain aspects of the environment and life-style of highly developed Western societies with a high incidence of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and asthma. These are relatively rare in
Faculty' of Applied Science University of Canberra Canberra Australia
Department of Communi O' Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
Debra Rickwood
Deborah Turnbull
traditional societies, where communicable diseases tend to predominate and to reduce life expectancy. There have been a number of epidemiological studies linking the experience of migration with qualitative and quantitative changes in the nature of the disease burden. However, the Tokelau Island Migration Study is a uniquely multidisciplinary longitudinal study undertaken by anthropologists, sociologists and medical epidemiologists, all of whom contributed to planning, analysis and writing this book. The result is not just one more collection of essays, but a comprehensive picture of a small and distinctly attractive society in tran-
Book Reviews
there were no obvious differences between those who could be relocated 10 and 20 years after the original research that could explain the improved competency of those re-examined. In summary, the original research provides a vivid account of the post-institutional adaptation of some mildly intellectually disabled people and is useful for a glimpse into their complex lives. The language used in the early chapters is, however, somewhat abrasive in these
more 'politically correct' times. Moreover, themes are not supported adequately by evidence and the follow-up data is insufficiently analyzed to do justice to a longitudinal analysis.
and Health in Women's Lives, by Hilary Graham. Harvester Wheatsheaf, Hertfordshire, 1993. 221
personal accounts and sociological studies. For example, information from official statistics on sources of income from the Department of Social Security are integrated with research examining the issues of credit, loan sharks and debt. Of particular interest is the incorporation of material about how policies such as those in relation to housing, immigration and maintenance have impacted on women's lives. The last two chapters cover the topics of women's and children's health and how these are integrally related to the social conditions in which women live. The issue of cigarette smoking is selected to illustrate this point. Again the author is clear in her goal in that the analysis concentrates on the role that smoking plays in women's domestic lives, rather than attempting a wider account as to why women smoke. As such, broader explanations which include the role of factors such as advertising are not covered. While the book deals with a subject which is at times very depressing, the style is relatively informal with care being taken to guide the reader along the way. Although the information it presents is very sobering, it concludes positively, emphasizing that women are not "powerless victims of poverty and oppression" but rather "actively engaged in caring for health and struggling against hardship". There are also numerous accounts of the way that women provide support for other women. There is plenty of use of diagrams and tables to present data in an easy to read format. Most chapters conclude with an explanation of how the next chapter is linked with the issues already covered. The book would be valuable for anyone who wants to gain a broader understanding of the way that a large segment of the community live in Great Britain today. It provides a practical analysis and as such would be useful to read alongside theoretical texts.
Hardship
pp., U.S.$19.95 (paperback). This book examines the domestic lives of the 6 million women in Britain aged 16 59 who live in households with children under 16. As such, one of its strengths is its well defined subject, with the reader being very clear at the outset of the scope which the author has chosen to cover. A rich variety of sources is drawn on in order to bring these women to life and topics covered include: housing, responsibilities for caring, work and sources of income, coping strategies and health. The book brings together the recognised sources of information about women's lives, such as routinely collected national data, with personal stories of the women themselves. This two-pronged approach is used because official sources "can miss and misrepresent what goes on in women's lives". The result is a "patchwork' with an acknowledgement that pieces are missing. Nevertheless, this method is useful in that it provides a more complete analysis of the domestic lives of women. In particular it tells the stories of women who are often invisible in our community such as the homeless, the disabled and Asian and African-Caribbean women. The book commences with a critique of the sources of information on women's lives and gives an insight into the problems of relying solely on official statistics and social surveys. Numerous illustrations are given of the way that these statistics can mis-represent and indeed exclude large numbers of women, and often men as well. An example of this problem is the restrictions placed on eligibility for income support for 16- and 17-year-olds, introduced in 1988 which removed this group from social security statistics. The author also takes some care in setting the scene for her analysis in explaining the language which she has chosen to describe social diversity amongst women. The following chapters give a comprehensive analysis of the issues integral to women's lives such as housing, caring for children and sources of income. The explanations are in-depth with routinely collected data being supported by
Migration and Health in a Small Society, The Case of Tokelau, edited by Albert F. Wessen, Anthony Hooper, Judith Huntsman, lan A. M. Prior and Clare E. Salmond. Oxford Science Publications, Clarendon Press, Oxford, 1992. x + 446 pp., price not stated. The 'Western Diseases' theory, propounded in 1981, related certain aspects of the environment and life-style of highly developed Western societies with a high incidence of chronic diseases such as coronary heart disease, hypertension, cancer, diabetes and asthma. These are relatively rare in
Faculty' of Applied Science University of Canberra Canberra Australia
Department of Communi O' Medicine The University of Adelaide South Australia 5005 Australia
Debra Rickwood
Deborah Turnbull
traditional societies, where communicable diseases tend to predominate and to reduce life expectancy. There have been a number of epidemiological studies linking the experience of migration with qualitative and quantitative changes in the nature of the disease burden. However, the Tokelau Island Migration Study is a uniquely multidisciplinary longitudinal study undertaken by anthropologists, sociologists and medical epidemiologists, all of whom contributed to planning, analysis and writing this book. The result is not just one more collection of essays, but a comprehensive picture of a small and distinctly attractive society in tran-