Book Review: Patriarchy and Gender Stereotypes in the Contemporary World
Book review of Patriarchy and Gender Stereotypes in the Contemporary World, edited by Naznin Tabassum and Bhabani Shankar Nayak (2024)
Patriarchy and Gender Stereotypes in the Contemporary World, edited by Naznin Tabassum and Bhabani Shankar Nayak (2024). New York: Routledge.
For their edited volume Patriarchy and Gender Stereotypes in the Contemporary World, Naznin Tabassum and Bhabani Shankar Nayak have curated a compelling collection of theoretical and empirical studies examining the persistence of patriarchal structures and gender stereotypes, particularly in the spheres of work and higher education. Employing a multidisciplinary approach that draws from psychology, management studies, cultural theory, and feminist critique, the book provides a comprehensive analysis of how gendered assumptions remain embedded in organizational cultures, employment practices, and educational institutions. Comprising eight chapters authored by an international cohort of scholars, the volume effectively challenges the dominant “pictures in our heads”—to borrow Walter Lippmann’s phrase—that continue to shape the treatment, valuation, and marginalization of women in professional domains.
The editors set a critical tone in the introduction, underscoring the pervasive and insidious nature of gender stereotypes and their entanglement with global capitalist practices. The first chapter lays the theoretical groundwork by addressing psychological mechanisms such as implicit bias, stereotype threats, and internalized sexism, and how these operate across diverse cultural contexts. Tabassum and Nayak persuasively argue that even as legal frameworks improve and diversity policies proliferate, deep-seated biases continue to influence hiring decisions, workplace hierarchies, and performance evaluations. The book’s significance for the anthropology of work is particularly evident in its empirical chapters, which vividly portray the lived experiences of women as they navigate gendered institutions.
Chapters 1 and 2 explore how managerial perspectives continue to reproduce patriarchal logics by equating leadership with traditionally masculine traits such as assertiveness and emotional detachment. Drawing on interview data from corporate managers in South Asia and the United Kingdom, these chapters reveal how the “think manager, think male” stereotype persists despite gender mainstreaming initiatives. Particularly memorable is the account of a female middle manager in Bangalore whose “soft-spoken” demeanor was interpreted as a lack of assertiveness, despite her team’s high performance. These ethnographic insights remind us that inequality is reinforced not only through institutional policies but also through affective, discursive, and symbolic dimensions of everyday professional life.
Chapters 3 and 4 extend the analysis by examining how women’s professional performance is evaluated through gendered behavioral expectations, not merely outcomes. A comparative analysis of women in managerial roles in the United Kingdom and Pakistan illustrates that, to be perceived as competent, women often feel pressured to “perform” masculinity. These findings are especially relevant to anthropologists interested in identity performance and institutional negotiation, echoing Judith Butler’s theory of performativity. The chapters also underscore the invisible emotional labor women undertake to manage workplace skepticism and hostility—a form of labor that is frequently unrecognized and unrewarded.
Chapter 5 shifts the focus to higher education, exploring how gender inequality persists in academia under the guise of “meritocracy.” Through interviews with female academics in Europe and South Asia, the chapter uncovers patterns of systematic exclusion—from being overlooked for grants to exclusion from collaborative networks. These exclusions, the authors argue, represent a form of epistemic violence that marginalizes women’s contributions to knowledge production. This chapter offers a critical lens on how symbolic capital is unequally distributed along gender lines, affecting both career advancement and intellectual legitimacy.
Chapter 6, entitled “Women’s Entrepreneurship and Innovation in Bangladesh,” broadens the book’s scope to include informal and small-scale economies. Through case studies of rural and urban female entrepreneurs, Tabassum illustrates how the notion of “innovation” is gendered in both framing and reception. A compelling vignette from Khulna recounts how a woman launching a home-based garment business faced ridicule and patronizing advice from microcredit officers, yet ultimately succeeded in transforming her household economy and inspiring other women to do the same. This chapter is a valuable contribution to feminist economic anthropology, revealing how development discourses often depoliticize women’s labor under the guise of empowerment.
Chapter 7 offers a culturally nuanced analysis of gender politics through the lens of “Operation Park” in western Odisha, India. Nayak explores how cultural notions of love, friendship, and sexuality become contested terrains for enforcing gender norms. Although not directly describing a professional setting, this chapter is vital for understanding how broader socio–political dynamics affect women’s mobility and autonomy, indirectly shaping their access to education and employment. Rich ethnographic descriptions—from police raids to public shaming—provide a vivid account of how gender discipline operates at both state and societal levels. For instance, Nayak recounts the case of young couples harassed by moral policing squads in public parks, exemplifying how state-sanctioned surveillance intersects with community norms to restrict female agency.
Chapter 8, authored by Memoona Tariq, presents a forward-looking discussion on gender and digital inequality. It explores how artificial intelligence—often assumed to be neutral—can reproduce gender biases embedded in human decision-making. Citing recent studies on algorithmic bias, Tariq illustrates how AI systems used in hiring and performance evaluations risk perpetuating discrimination. While this chapter would have benefited from greater ethnographic depth, it provides critical conceptual insights for anthropologists studying labor cultures in digital spaces.
Overall, the book makes a rich and multifaceted contribution to the anthropology of work. It grounds theoretical analysis in ethnographic realities and effectively links individual experiences to broader structural dynamics. The methodological diversity—from theoretical to empirical—does not dilute its central argument about the persistence of patriarchal systems in contemporary labor and educational contexts. The volume’s interdisciplinary nature is a strength, though at times, concepts from psychology and management studies could benefit from more critical engagement through an anthropological lens. Nevertheless, Patriarchy and Gender Stereotypes in the Contemporary World is a timely and impactful intervention into the study of gender, labor, and inequality. It not only diagnoses the enduring power of patriarchal norms but also signals the transformative potential of feminist critique and resistance. For scholars in the anthropology of work, the book offers valuable empirical data and conceptual tools for interrogating the gendered dimensions of labor markets, organizational cultures, and professional identities. The inclusion of vivid ethnographic narratives—from corporate boardrooms to village markets and academic institutions—adds both depth and accessibility to the analysis.
In conclusion, this volume is essential reading for academics, activists, and policymakers concerned with gender dynamics in labor contexts. While there is room for deeper intersectional analysis—particularly regarding caste, race, and class—the book sets a high standard for future scholarship. As global labor structures continue to evolve amid technological innovation, migration, and policy reform, Tabassum and Nayak’s volume reminds us that without a critical lens on gender and patriarchy, no analysis of labor can be truly comprehensive.
