Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book concentrates on gender, work, public policy and action, and seeks to explain when and where the different experiences of males and females matter with regard to climate change. It examines ways in which the social construction of gendered systems of work and social life in rich countries mean that climate change has different implications for a wide range of human conditions. The book emphases on the male/female gender divide only because that is the current state of research, not because there is a failure to recognize the potential distinctions for other gendered groups. It also examines the significance of unpaid work and shows that the kinds of work that women traditionally do is both essential and important for economic change considerations.