Introduction

“Modernity” has many nuances of meaning, many of which are specific to various disciplines. Modernization, in the Western political and social context at least, has been fueled by a fear of being materially and economically left behind or cannibalized for the benefit of others. Feminist writers have challenged the popular view of modernity as a fixed concept. Modernity and urban space have been theoretically interlinked since at least the nineteenth century, while in architectural theory the concepts have been linked since the early twentieth century. Feminist scholars have analyzed architectural and spatial modernity in primarily two ways: through analyzing modern architecture and through examining the conceptionalization of space. Modernity has frequently been exalted in countries that are undergoing rapid economic development as part of economic and social globalization. As cultures seek modernity in various ways, and as spaces are created to accommodate this modernity, the importance of understanding this process and its effects on women specifically should not be underestimated.