This anthology introduces students to the modern period's history of key ideas related to sexual difference, gender, race, class, and sexuality. While most introductory Women's Studies textbooks focus on the United States, even if they add multiculturalism to the discussion, this book looks at women in diverse locations around the world and encourages students to think about gender in a transnational rather than a purely U.S. context. The selections provide students in the U.S. with a way to understand points of view from other locations and cultures, especially crucial in the post-9-11 geopolitical situation.

The transnational approach to understanding gender brings Women's Studies into an era of globalization by connecting women’s issues in the United States to women’s issues elsewhere. The book shows how colonialism and imperialism, as they spread across the world, shaped ideas about gender as much as other modern phenomena. It addresses issues of power and inequality by focusing on historical connections rather than solely on commonalties.

The readings are truly interdisciplinary, drawing upon scholarly work in many disciplines and interdisciplinary fields as well as non-scholarly sources. Short essays introduce each of the book’s four sections, explaining the concepts and ideas behind the selection of readings.