Hidden Histories of Gender and the State in Latin America

“[A]n ambitious and thought-provoking anthology on gender and the state in Latin America . . . . Hidden Histories is a must-read for scholars and suitable for graduate students and advanced undergraduates. It is well-documented and well-written and fully supports Joyce Gelb’s point that feminist advances depend on the national context.” - Jane Jaquette , Journal of Latin American Studies

“Dore and Molyneux have collected an important set of case studies which offer significant insight into the interactive nature of gender and state in Latin America. Hidden, indeed, are many of the subtle examples of patriarchy and patronage revealed in these studies. They offer not only fascinating reading, but also an opportunity to examine in detail how the daily lives of men and women in post-colonial Latin America have been affected by the mutual influence gender and state exercise upon one another.” - Nancy W. Shumaker , South Eastern Latin Americanist

“This excellent collection of essays. . . offers new and original material both historical and contemporary. . . . [A]n excellent volume offering insightful interpretations of the impact of gender on public life and its role in nation building. It may well help to chart new territory for research on state policy, political mobilization, and gender politics.” - Susan C. Bourque , American Historical Review

"The volume is ambitious in its scope and consistent in its high empirical and conceptual rigor, presenting many more worthwhile chapters than could be effectively reviewed here." - Elizabeth Quay Hutchison , Latin American Research Review

"This collection provides an excellent introduction for scholars and advanced students to an exciting new trend in Latin American historiography, bringing together two theoretically sophisticated literatures on the state and gender respectively. . . . [T]hese essays challenge future researchers to analyze more thoroughly the ways that gender is not only affected by but also contributes to the process of state formation."
- Sarah C. Chambers , Hispanic American Historical Review

"Two excellent editors’ introductions place the twelve essays, or ‘case studies,’ within the existing literature on the dynamic relationship between women, gender, and nation building in Latin America. . . . [P]ersuasive conclusions . . . . This is an important contribution to the presently dynamic fields of Latin American state formation, gender studies and women’s history."

- British Bulletin of Publications

“This collection promises to be a thought-provoking and well-used source for the continuing debates in this field. A great asset for researchers and students alike.” - Sarah Radcliffe, University of Cambridge

“This splendid volume is unique for its analytical savvy regarding the gendered history of power, authority, and cooptation in Latin America. Each chapter provides a provocative and detailed rendering of patriarchal societies and women’s agency from spaces as varied as households and legislatures. This book will be of wide interest to specialists on the region and, far more broadly, it will spur reinvigorated theoretical debate on the tortuous relationship historically between gender and the state.” - Matthew C. Gutmann, author of The Meanings of Macho: Being a Man in Mexico City