BOOK REVIEW: Dislocating Cultures: Identities, Traditions, and Third-World Feminism by Uma Narayan

A good exploration of the dichotomies between Eastern and Western feminism and the ability of Western feminism and Eastern traditions to both positively and negatively influence gender practices in India. An excellent in-depth examination of the history of feminist issues in the Indian subcontinent particularly in relation to dowries, sati and the many differences between culture, identities, tradition and nationality and the interplays between each. Narayan also offers a forward thinking perspective on authenticity and identity as it relates to cultural practices specifically the cultural practices of food and marriage and ask us to challenge long standing concepts of culture and identity and to question our place within the boundaries of our own social, national and familial localities.

Review written by Narzia