ABSTRACT
The twentieth century was characterized by significant global formations occasioned by major disintegration and destabilization in some parts and unparalleled harmonization of disparate units in others. The present century, while still struggling with the aftermath of the historical developments of the previous century, has witnessed greater integration of global forces at a rate unparalleled in history. Issues of social concern, including gender equity, women’s rights, and racism, which emerged under the destabilizing tendencies of such forces as colonialism, structural adjustments, and advancements in information and communication technologies, have dominated social thought as a result of the forceful integration of different parts of the world through European expansionism and imperialist goals. The struggles for social equality between men and women remain an area of continuing relevance to any quest for a holistic understanding of economy, society, culture, and politics in the contemporary world. Thus, women and gender concerns require continued attention as the gains of the previous century erode under the influence of globalization and institutional reconstruction of modern states. Such concerns are even more imperative for developing nations and for groups, such as people of African descent in the diaspora, which have suffered centuries of inequality.
