Tab Article

Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
Genre: Non-Fiction, Academic, Women's Studies, Education Policy, Sociology, Political Science, Gender Studies, Critical Theory

Book Review:
''UnderEducating Women: Globalizing Inequality'' by Jacky Brine is a rigorous and essential critique for anyone studying the nexus of education, gender, and economic policy. Situated firmly within feminist scholarship, Brine dismantles the optimistic assumption that expanding access to post-compulsory education and training automatically leads to greater equality. Instead, she compellingly demonstrates how globalization and associated policy frameworks are ''gendered, racialized, and classed,'' often reinforcing the marginalization of working-class women. The book's strength lies in its rejection of simplistic determinism; it explores the complex interplay of state interests, training providers, and the agency (or resistance) of the women themselves. While academically dense and theoretically grounded, its analysis of how the very ''discourse of equality'' can be co-opted to limit opportunities is particularly insightful. This is not a light read but a necessary one for policymakers, educators, postgraduate students, and activists committed to understanding and challenging the deep structures of educational inequality in a globalized world. A cornerstone text in feminist educational thought.