Gender divisions of labor which subordinate women are a seemingly universal feature of contemporary societies. But does this mean that women's subordination is inevitable? Does an explanation have to be rooted in another universal, namely biology? Is the evidence pointing to women's universal subordination convincing? Or is it the product of ethnocentric and male-dominated research and explanation? These are some of the questions addressed by Nickie Charles's comparative analysis of gender divisions of labor across different types of society. The types of societies analyzed range from egalitarian, hunter-gatherer to highly stratified industrial societies. The book also covers a wide range of differing explanations for gender divisions of labor, from socio-biological to marxist-feminist theories. Particular attention is paid to the way in which social change may transform gender divisions and the social position of women. Throughout, theoretical explanation is linked to relevant empirical data to illustrate the book's main themes. Contents: Introduction; The Rising Origins: Biology Versus Culture; Gender Divisions and Capitalism; Explaining Gender Divisions in Capitalist Societies; Gender Divisions in Socialist Societies; Explaining Gender Divisions in Socialist Societies; Gender Divisions in the Third World; Economic Development and Women's Subordination; Western Women's Liberation Movements and Gender Divisions; Conclusions; Bibliography; Index.