Women's Informal Associations in Developing Countries: Catalysts for Change?

177 Pages·1986·37.465 MB·English

by  Kathryn S. March, Rachelle L. Taqqu

WOMEN IN CROSS-CULTURAL PERSPECTIVE

•
Women's Informal Associations
in Developing Countries
WOMEN IN CROSS-CULTURAL
PERSPECTIVE
Sue-Ellen Jacobs,
University of Washington,
series editor
About the Book and Authors
Informal associations among women in developing countries constitute an
important source of vitality and integrity for women. This· book evaluates the impact
of development programs on women's informal associations and sharpens our
understanding of them. The participation of women in development via their
informal networks presents a dilemma insofar as intervention by development
organizations into the informal sphere often forces women to use their associational
resources defensively and, at times, even insulates them from development itself.
The authors look at credit, labor, ritual, and religious associations; compare structures;
describe differences; and assess the capacity of these women's organizations to make
use of developmental assistance. They conclude that mobilizing existing associations
is often an inappropriate development strategy, and they advise the creation of new
associations "by analogy"-using knowledge of informal organizational structures to
generate new groups modeled after the old.
Kathryn S. March is assistant professor of anthropology, women's studies,
and Asian studies at Cornell University and is a fellow at Mary Ingraham Bunting
Institute, Radcliffe College. Rachelle L Taqqu received her MBA from the Cornell
Graduate School of Management and has taught at both Stanford and Cornell
universities.
PENN STATE
•
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARIES

Women's Informal Associations
in Developing Countries
Catalysts for Change?
Kathryn S. March
and Rachelle L. Taqqu
Westview Press / Boulder and London
\
W=n in Cro.1.!-Cultural Perspectiw
This Westview softcover edition was manufactured on our own premises using equipment and methods
that allow us to keep even specialized books in stock. It is printed on acid-free paper and bound in
softcovers that carry the highest rating of the National Association of State Textbook Administrators,
in consultation with the Association of American Publishers and the Book Manufacturers' Institute.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any brm or by
any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and
retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.
Copyright © 1986 by Kathryn S. March and Rachelle L. Taqqu
Published in 19!!6 in the United States of America by Westview Press, lnc.; Frederick A. Praegcr,
Publisher; 5500 Central Avenue, Boulder, Colorado 80301
Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data
March, Kathryn S.
Women's informal associations in developing countries.
Bibliography: p.
Includes index.
1. Women's networks- Developing countries. I. Taqqu,
U.
Rachelle. Title.
HQ1870.9.M37 1986 305.4'09172'4 84-19664
ISBN 0-86531-856-5
Composition for this book was provided by the authors.
This book was produced without formal editing by the publisher.
Printed and bound in the United States of America
The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of the American
National Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials 239.48-1984.
6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Preface
1X
Acknowledgments
xiii
PART ONE: WOMEN'S INFORMAL ASSOCIATIONS IN PERSPECTIVE
1. TOW ARD A DEFINmON 1
Legitimacy and Law 1
StructUl'e of Formal and Informal Associations 6
The Problem 8
2. WOMEN'S INFORMAL ASSOCIATIONS 11
Public Versus Private 11
Descent-Based Constituencies 19
Alliances After Marriage 21
Solidarity, Legitimacy, and Power 25
Shahsevan: An Introduction to the Women's World 26
PART TWO: DYNAMICS OF THE INFORMAL SPHERE
3. INFORMAL ASSOCIATIONS: DEFENSIVE OR ACTIVE ? 33
Active and Reactive Strategies 33
The 'Woman Network' as a Defensive Strategy 34
Solidarity as an Active Strategy 40
4. WOMEN'S ECONOMIC ASSOCIATIONS:
PATTERNS IN THE REDISTRIBUTION OF RESOURCES 45
Economic Bases for Organization 45
Figure 1: Identifying Women's Informal Associations 46
Rotating Associations 54
5. WOMEN'S RITUAL AND REUGIOUS ASSOCIATIONS:
PATTERNS OF AUTHORITY AND POWER 67
Resistance and Change 68
Ritual Leadership and Secular Power 72
An Autonomous Religious Authority? 75
PART THREE: LINKAGES TO THE FORMAL SPHERE
89
6. PERSONAL CONNECTIONS
Leadership in Defensive Networks 89
95
Leadership in Active Associations
98
Communication as Change
Planning Change Through Informal Leaders 100
7. INSTITUTIONAL LINKAGES AND GROUP
ORGANIZATION FOR DEVELOPMENT 103
Formalizing Informal Associations 103
Appropriate Organization for Intervention 108
Figure Z: Strategies for Intervention 116
Complexity in Change 117
8. SOME CONCLUDING GUIDELINES 121
Bibliography 125
Index 145