Women and Contemporary Scottish Politics: An Anthology

(Paperback)

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Women have an unprecedented voice and place in the politics of the new Scotland. It has joined world leaders such as Sweden and Norway in terms of gender balance, with women taking 37 per cent of the seats in the new Scottish Parliament. "Ordinary" women also have a greater say in the governance of Scotland through the Parliament's "power sharing" model. This study seeks to trace the move towards this state. It collects the key journal newspaper articles, research papers, policy documents and accounts of women and Scottish politics. Divided into three parts, coverage begins with the women's movement in Scotland, moves on to cover feminist politics and local government, and concludes with women and the campaign for the Scottish Parliament. The anthology includes key pieces from writers such as Alice Brown, Aileen Christianson, Katie Cosgrove, Sue Innes, Isobel Lindsay, Ronnie MacDonald, and Tom Nairn. In addition, biographies of the 48 women who were elected as MSPs in 1999 are included, as well as information on the 12 women currently serving as MPs for Scottish constituencies at Westminster and the two female MEPs who represent Scotland.

Reviews

A comprehensive and useful survey of organised feminist campaigning in Scottish politics!a book to keep on the shelf, and to dip into chapter by chapter as an essential resource on recent Scottish political history! there is simply no doubt about the immense value of the wealth of detailed information and analysis contained in this anthology. -- Joyce McMillan An anthology charting the fight and drawing on the accounts of women written in the past decade will, no doubt, seal their rightful place in the new history of Scotland ... Pieces from writers such as Alice Brown, Aileen Christianson, Katie Cosgrove, Sue Innes, Isobel Lindsay, Ronnie MacDonald and Tom Nairn make this book essential reading for anyone interested in the developing political platform of women in Scotland. Also biographies of the 48 women who were elected as MSPs in 1999, as well as the 12 MPs and the two Euro MPs serving Scotland, will ensure that the book is utilised as a valuable reference. Much of the material is unavailable and! the topic is highly pertinent following the relatively large proportion of women elected to the Scottish parliament ! This will be essential reading in any course on Scottish politics or gender or women's studies. -- Lindsay Paterson, University of Edinburgh It's not often we agree with publishers' hype abou 'important' books. But this one really is a landmark. This excellent book documents women's involvement in politics and areas of service development, mainly over the last decade. A comprehensive and useful survey of organised feminist campaigning in Scottish politics!a book to keep on the shelf, and to dip into chapter by chapter as an essential resource on recent Scottish political history! there is simply no doubt about the immense value of the wealth of detailed information and analysis contained in this anthology. An anthology charting the fight and drawing on the accounts of women written in the past decade will, no doubt, seal their rightful place in the new history of Scotland ... Pieces from writers such as Alice Brown, Aileen Christianson, Katie Cosgrove, Sue Innes, Isobel Lindsay, Ronnie MacDonald and Tom Nairn make this book essential reading for anyone interested in the developing political platform of women in Scotland. Also biographies of the 48 women who were elected as MSPs in 1999, as well as the 12 MPs and the two Euro MPs serving Scotland, will ensure that the book is utilised as a valuable reference. Much of the material is unavailable and! the topic is highly pertinent following the relatively large proportion of women elected to the Scottish parliament ! This will be essential reading in any course on Scottish politics or gender or women's studies. It's not often we agree with publishers' hype abou 'important' books. But this one really is a landmark. This excellent book documents women's involvement in politics and areas of service development, mainly over the last decade.

Author Bio

Dr Esther Breitenbach is Honorary Research Fellow in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology, University of Edinburgh. Previously Research Fellow in Social Policy, University of Edinburgh, she has held research and teaching posts in the School of History, Classics and Archaeology since 2007. Fiona Mackay is Lecturer in Politics at the University of Edinburgh and author of Women, Commonsense and the Politics of Care (Pinter).