About the Author

Kanchana N. Ruwanpura is an Assistant Professor of Economics at Hobart and William Smith.

Reviews

"Kanchana Ruwanpura provides an astute analysis of patriarchal structures and resistance among female-headed households in eastern Sri Lanka. Her work decisively debunks the conventional wisdom that Sri Lanka is a 'feminist nirvana', that war is the primary reason for growth of female-headed households, and that economists cannot do solid qualitative work. Matrilineal Communities, Patriarchal Realities makes an important contribution to feminist economic analysis of household structures, development, and the importance of ethnic differences." - Randy Albelda, Professor of Economics and Public Policy, University of Massachusetts-Boston"