Shady Practices: Agroforestry and Gender Politics in the Gambia (California Studies in Critical Human Geography, 5)

Rating:
Summary: a gap filled
Review: Shady Practices not only fills a gap in gender research, it is also interesting to read. Schroeder describes the context in which he researched in detail including his personal motivation for the research, methods and ethical consideraditions. This is something far too litlle published yet useful and informative for both junior and senior researchers. Altogether the book provides a comprehensive description of the rise of female gardeners in the Gambia. Part of that description is an analysis of changing gender relations in the studied villages. It is here that the author reveals the care with which he embarked upon the project and the challenges he faced himself as a male researcher investigating the role of women in a traditionally male-oriented society. Athough the theme remains in the foreground, carefully described, the role of the author in the research and the changes he experiences himself remain present. In particular for these reasons, i.e. the honesty of the researcher and the clarity of his writing, I recommend this book for gender researchers whose interest is in the theory of gender research and those who are concerned with feminist methodologies.