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Book Reviews 101
In summary, true to its purpose, the book provides a striking view of the faces
in the revolution. Through the particulars, Straker provides insight into the general,
which both enriches the field at a theoretical level and guides it at the level of
clinical and community intervention. Her analysis inspires us to action and
conveys the reality that there is plenty of work to be done as mental health workers,
researchers, social service workers, policy makers, and community activists.
References
Anthony E (1987) ''Risk, vulnerability and resilience: An overview", in E J
Anthony &BJ Cohler(eds) TheInvulnerable Child, Guildford, New York (pp
3-49).
Bion W (1%1) Experiences in Groups and Other Papers,Tavistock, London.
Campbell, J (1956) The Hero with a Thousand Faces, Meridian, New York.
Fanon F (1%3) The Wretched of the Earth, Penguin, Middlesex.
Slater P (1966) Microcosm: Structural, Psychological and Religious Evolution
in Groups, Wiley, New York.
Reviewed by Joan W Duncan, Professor of Psychology, Long Island University,
Brooklyn, New York.
Refugee Womeu, Susan Forbes Martin, Zed Books, London and New Jersey,
1991, 140 pp. (ISBN: 1-85649-001-7). Price £10,95.
This book introduces the reader to the situation of refugee women from various
parts of the world and the problems that they face and on a day-to-day basis. She
'sets the scene' by introducing the reader to the whole question of the refugee
problem and also gives statistics on refugees. The second chapter addresses the
crucial issue that faces any refugee: the changing of roles that occurs when people
move from their own countries or homes. The third chapter focuses on what can
be done to provide safety to refugee women, including obtaining refugee status.
The fourth and fifth chapters focus on the provision of basic services such as
food. water and education and the involvement of refugee women in economic
activities. Chapter six looks at what the author calls "durable solutions" for those
who have been forced to leave their homes, and the options that are available to
them. While some refugees are lucky to be resettled in other countries within their
regions, some find themselves in developed countries where they have to cope with
new ways of living. The author successfully draws attention to the problems that
these refugees may face. Finally she outlines what the United Nations bodies have
102 Book Reviews
and are doing to assist refugee women. She also provides a list of international
organisations that are involved in work with refugees.
Throughout the book the author stresses the need for refugees to participate
actively in decision-making in all matters that affect their lives and she sees their
participation as a tool which can empower refugee women to sustain development.
She manages to capture the lives of refugee women vividly and highlights the
common, but untalked about problems that refugees experience, such as sexual
harassment and rape. However, because the author addresses many issues she does
not go into a lot of detail on these. Her ability to suggest solutions to some of the
problems makes her book very useful to anyone interested in work with refugee
women. The book is written simply and her case studies enable the reader to
conceptualise and appreciate the problems that women face. I view it as an eyeopener
and hope that anyone involved in development work will have a chance to
read the book which covers the gap that was existing ,in as far as literature on
refugee women is concerned.
Reviewed by Perpetua Gumbo, Director of Fieldwork, School of Social Work,
Harare
Homeless Children: The Watchers and the Waiters, Nancy A Boxill (ed), The
Haworth Press, New York, 1990, pp 156. (ISBN: 0-86656-789-5). No price listed.
This book is a unique collection of eight articles about homeless children in the
United States of America. The relevance of this book cannot be overstated as
homelessness is a growing problem in all societies; developed, developing and
underdeveloped. Itis more so in the latter two where resources are usually meagre.
The authors have viewed homelessness and its impact on children from several
perspectives. Each author presents a professional discourse of the phenomenon of
homelessness and caps this with recommendations on policy and practical
intervention. Thus, this book is ideal foc use by field workers and policy makers
tackling the issue of homelessness and in particular homeless children.
Inthe first chapter Leanne G Rivlin sets the tone of the book by presenting an
analysis of the impacts of various forms of homelessness on children and the
meaning of personal space and personal place in the lives of children. Rivlin
outlines the significance of the environment to children's social, emotional and
cognitive development. The author takes the reader into a discussion of the
powerful and enduring impacts that environmental experiences have on children,
considering implications of shelters, welfare hostels and street environments to
children's welfare and lives. The author offers the concept of attachment to place
and underlines the direct functions of attachments, stabilising children's lives and
rationalising their stimulation and preventing alienation.