ABSTRACT

Analyzing a range of ideas from biological, evolutionary and anthropological theories to a variety of feminist, psychoanalytic, poststructuralist and constructivist discourses, this book provides a comprehensive introduction to the problematics of gender and power in architectural and urban design.

Topics range from conceptions of postulated matriarchal architecture in Old Europe to contemporary technologies of control; from the mechanisms of gaze to architectural performatives; from the under-representation of women in the planning profession to the integration of gender issues to the curriculum.

The particular strengths of the book lie in its inclusiveness and critical analysis. It is not a partisan defence of feminism or any other theory, but a critical introduction to the issues relating to gender. Moreover, the conclusions reach beyond a narrow gender studies perspective to social and ethical considerations that are unavoidable in any responsible architectural or urbanistic practice.

With its broad range and balanced analysis of different theories, the book is suitable as an overview of gender studies in architecture and useful for any designer who is concerned with the social effects of the built environment.

chapter 1|13 pages

Introduction

chapter 3|17 pages

Biological and social differences

chapter 4|18 pages

Matriarchal architecture

chapter 5|22 pages

The tradition of psychoanalysis

chapter 6|22 pages

Gender in the history of architecture

chapter 7|22 pages

Women in ancient Greece and Rome

chapter 8|16 pages

Gendered spaces

chapter 9|24 pages

The mechanisms of the optical

chapter 10|15 pages

The private house

chapter 11|12 pages

Mechanisms of separation

chapter 12|11 pages

Conclusions