Some notable quotes from a section of this introductory chapter:
“While Women’s Studies began to define itself as a critique of accepted knowledge, Jewish Women’s Studies insists that it seeks to corroborate, expand, and contribute to accepted knowledge. The anthologies I will review in this introduction, and in specific disciplines throughout this book, exemplify this tendency to reassure scholars of Jewish Studies that the new knowledge is intended to support, promote, and revalorize various subfields in Jewish Studies.” p.3
“Drawing on this approach, gender would be understood not as a property of bodies, as a preexistent condition of human beings, but the set of effects produced in bodies, behaviors, and social relations.” p.9
“Scott argues that historians must describe the deviations from the purported stable ideologies of gender, rather than reproduce examples of conformity with the reigning ideology of a particular period or context.” p.10
#3 – While of course, historians are inclined to generalize a period in order to summarize said period concisely, for to include every detail and event would result in a surplus of unnecessary and confusing information. However, it is important to draw attention to notable deviations from the norm. These deviations often shed light on aspects of the norm that might otherwise go unnoticed. Additionally, they can be looked at as inspiration and influence for future changes.
