From Property to Partner: Women’s Progress and Political Resistance

A new book, From Property to Partner: Women’s Progress and Political Resistance, co-authored by Sheila Suess Kennedy and Morton Marcus, considers the history and current status of the women’s movement in the wake of the Supreme Court’s Dobbs decision and the ferocious backlash against women’s autonomy.

As Kennedy notes,

 “Over the last 100 years, women have made remarkable progress—from a status that essentially made them the property of their fathers or husbands to today’s almost-equal legal parity with men. This book outlines the bases upon which that progress rests and addresses the very real threats to women’s equality posed by today’s “culture warriors” who see women’s progress as a threat to patriarchal dominance.

We wanted to produce a readable, accessible book exploring the technological and cultural changes that have fostered women’s progress over the past 100+ years. We definitely wanted to delve into the religious and cultural roots of the current backlash.”

From Property to Partner: Women’s Progress and Political Resistance

Kennedy and Marcus both retired from Indiana University. 

Marcus, an economist and popular speaker and columnist, was the longtime director of the Kelly School’s Business Research Center. He co-hosts the popular podcast Who Gets What. Kennedy is Emerita, a Professor of Law and Policy from the O’Neill School of Public and Environmental Affairs and a former Executive Director of Indiana’s ACLU. She blogs at www.sheilakennedy.net

The book is available on Amazon as either an e-book or paperback.