Gendered Power Struggles beyond the Male-Female Dichotomy

Abstract

Analysis of gendered power struggles often describes men's use of power over women. In some academic research, as well as analysis by development and humanitarian agencies who seek to promote gender equality, power may be framed narrowly. Such analysis may neglect how family relationships are shaped not only by gender but also by intersections between gender and age. This article is based on feminist ethnographic research among Syrian refugees in Jordan as well as interviews with humanitarian workers. It uses accounts of power struggles between Syrian mothers-in-law and daughters-in-law to illustrate how family dynamics shift as women advance in age. The paper complicates assumptions about men's power, arguing that policy-makers and gender practitioners should also consider how older women use power.