Turning Points in the Lives of Chinese and Indian Women Leaders Working toward Social Justice

Rosanna Hertz
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Rosanna Hertz: Departments of Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies, Wellesley College, Wellesley, MA 02481, USA

Social Sciences, 2016, vol. 5, issue 4, 1-15

Abstract: Institutional change has a human face. This paper explores how a select group of women in China and India experienced economic and political turmoil and why they chose to become change agents. Through in-depth interviews with 40 women from NGOs, government agencies and private business, four broad moments in the evolution of a change agent are identified and discussed: (1) awareness of a double-bind; (2) reframing the tension induced by that double-bind; (3) becoming an agent of change; and (4) building a vibrant network. To highlight these key features, four women’s narratives are discussed in greater depth from recognizing injustice to taking a non-traditional stand. The paper concludes with a call for further comparative work on the role of personal narratives in shaping a movement for change.

Keywords: Chinese women; India women; leadership; defining moments; activism (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: A B N P Y80 Z00 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2016
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