Jamieson promotes new book

Annenberg School for Communications Dean Kathleen Jamieson is devoting April to promoting her newly published book, Beyond the Double Bind, which discusses issues in the feminist movement by synthesizing various academic theories and the overall history of the movement. Recently praised in The New York Times Book Review, the book encourages women to continue fighting for equality, citing recent court cases and female political leaders as inspiration. "She makes you want to get in there, on either side of a big, interesting war with lots at stake -- a war intelligent people should find worth fighting," the Times review stated. The book comes in response to Susan Faludi's best seller, Backlash, Jamieson said. "I was alarmed when I read the book," she said. In Jamieson's opinion, Faludi presented a negative forecast for the battle against sex discrimination by focusing on only one side of the issue. "We have surmounted the double binds and are dealing with the residue of those binds," she said. "The book offers solutions on how to deal with that residue." Jamieson also documents the obstacles women face in politics and business. She devotes an entire chapter to Hillary Rodham Clinton. The Book Review praised her for her textual analysis and writing style. "Ms. Jamieson's real talent is for ripping the pants of emperors and apparatchiks without regard to party line," the review stated. In the past week, Jamieson gave several book signings in Chicago and Minneapolis and spoke to University of Chicago students about the book and the feminist movement. Later this year, she will speak about her book at the National Women's Political Caucus, a nonpartisan meeting of prominent public women. "Women ought to be optimistic about their future and vigilant on protecting their rights," Jamieson said. While on her book tour, Jamieson is trying to balance her traveling schedule with her responsibilities as dean. Her deanship is currently being reviewed for a recommendation of reappointment. The committee has "filed the report and turned it in to the President's Office but I haven't seen the report yet," Jamieson said.

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