ASU faculty member celebrates first anniversary of co-edited book about 'girls in development'
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This month hosts International Day of the Girl Child, which celebrates the importance of girls all around the world and spotlights gender equality for children — a topic important to ASU's own Heather Switzer.
Last year in October, Switzer, an Arizona State University School of Social Transformation faculty member; Karishma Desai from Rutgers University–New Brunswick; and Emily Bent from Pace University celebrated the release of their co-edited book “Girls in Global Development — Figurations of Gendered Power."
To learn more about their research and how this book can impact readers, we asked the editors a few questions.
Editor's note: Answers have been edited for length and clarity.
Question: Please share an overview of the book.
Heather Switzer: This collection presents case studies from established and emerging scholars to collectively theorize and examine the concept of "girls in development" — or GID.
Emily Bent: The book is about codifying the GID paradigm, which represents a new approach to thinking about girls and their unique needs, rights and futures in a globalized context.
Q: What inspired you to write this book? Were there any personal experiences or events that influenced your writing?
Switzer: My research is centered on Maasai girls’ lives in Kenya. For this book, I really wanted to explore how scholars interested in the lives of girls in other parts of the world encountered GID as a paradigm in their own work.
Karishma Desai: My own research on cultivating life skills or what I call "affective human capital" as a form of girls’ empowerment that operates transnationally led to this editorial collaboration. I appreciate collaborative efforts and was excited to see scholars troubled by similar issues in the global move to empower girls.
Q: Were there any challenges or obstacles you faced while writing this book, and how did you overcome them?
Desai: There were global and contextual challenges because of the COVID-19 pandemic, as well as personal tragedies and transitions we encountered during this process including moves, sickness and life-altering losses. A feminist ethic of deep care that lead editor Heather anchored us in, and that we all operated with, moved us through this process.
Q: Who are your target readers, and what do you hope they will take away from your book?
Bent: The target readers are undergraduate and graduate students, advocates for human rights and global policymakers, and those who work with girls on a regular basis. I hope this book speaks to their experiences and also helps them to think beyond the "invest in girls" narrative in new and transformative ways.
Q: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Bent: Give yourself some grace and space! Writing takes up so much emotional space, and it is important to ground yourself in whatever way makes sense to you.
Desai: Figure out your "why" for writing what you’re writing. Realize that this may change over time. Allow your writing to change accordingly.
Switzer: Academic writing is often a solitary process. To the extent that you can, find co-authors who are also good humans and good friends.
To learn more about their work and where to purchase this book, visit Berghahn Books.
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