Book Launch

[ Rita's Story ] [ Thanks Dad ] [ Trilliums at Sauble Cottage ] [ Sr. Francesca ] [ Book Launch ] [ Sr. Barb ]

Paleczny's book launched at conference in Nashville

November 2000 -- The American Academy of Religion, which attracts more than 7,000 people, was the perfect venue to launch the new book by Sr. Barb Paleczny entitled Clothed in Integrity: Weaving Just Cultural Relations And the Garment Industry.

Clothed in Integrity is included as Volume 6 in the series, Studies in Women and Religion, published by Wilfrid Laurier Press of Waterloo, Ontario. It is Sr. Barb's fourth book.

The conference featured seminars on a variety of religious issues, scheduled from early morning into the evening.

Wilfrid Laurier Press as well as St. Michael's College of Toronto also held special receptions to fete the Canadian scholars in attendance, giving Sr. Barb and her colleagues excellent opportunities to catch up with one another.

Clothed in Integrity: Weaving Just Cultural Relations And the Garment Industry

by Barbara Paleczny

Studies in Women and Religion series, Volume 6 (Wilfrid Laurier Press, Waterloo, Ontario), 2000.

"Why are the people who sew the clothes we wear so poor? Who is responsible -- the workers themselves, corporations, governments, churches, or consumers?

"Barbara Paleczny, herself a daughter of garment workers, tugs at the threads of homeworking in the garment industry to reveal a low-wage strategy that rends the fabric of social integrity and exposes global trends. The resurgence of sweatshops affects the working poor in both first- and third-world countries.

"Paleczny assesses the responsibility of transnational retailers for unacceptable wages and working conditions and describes historic shifts in the global context of garment production. After exploring systemic causes of poverty, relevant policy setting, and ethical foundations, Paleczny introduces both short- and long-range possibilities for transformation, emphasizing the collaborative nature of work.

"Clothed in Integrity draws on feminist studies, alternative economics, and the ethical foundations proposed by Bernard Lonergan to fashion a constructive work in which Paleczny connects issues of societal feasibility.

"With candour, she shares personal stories of engagement in coalition work.

"Those who dwell on this text will find information, challenges, and inspiration to nurture their reflection, research, dialogue and action."

Outline of Contents

Preface

Part 1: Identifying Relations of Ruling and Solidarity

1. Present Conditions of Garment Homeworking in Toronto: The Microeconomics of a Low-wage Strategy

2. The Microeconomics of Garment Homeworking: Homework in Its Historical Context

3. The Microeconomics of Garment Homeworking: The International Web of Production and Feminist Analysis of the Relations of Ruling

4. Transforming the Local Situation in Its Global Context

Top

Part 2: Constructing Feminist Social-economic Ethics as Transformative Theology

5. Horizon, Bias and Specificity/Difference Analysis Related to Homeworking

6. Home Outside the Public Eye

7. Discerning Elements for Social-economic Ethics

Conclusion

The book is available in the US, Canada, United Kingdom, Ireland and Continental Europe, through Wilfred Laurier University Press at www.wlu.ca/~wwwpress/; or e-mail: press@wlu.ca; or or phone 519-884-0710 ext. 624.

Top

Dr. Barbara Paleczny

Barbara Paleczny SSND is coordinator for Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation for the School Sisters of Notre Dame (Dallas province) and a visiting professor of theology at Our Lady of the Lake University, San Antonio, Texas, in Spring 2001. Dr. Paleczny has been chairperson for the Women and Economic Justice Committee of the Canadian Ecumenical Coalition for Economic Justice, an active member of the Labour Behind the Label Coalition, and a participant in many organizations concerned with social justice.

Sr. Barb is teaching theology full time at Our Lady of the Lake University. "I love my classes," she wrote. "I have 125 students and am teaching wonderful courses: the Four Gospels, God: Belief and Unbelief, and Theology of Church. Each class is three hours a week."

Barb is also an accomplished artist, who has had three one-woman shows in the past year. The Wild Horse Gallery in downtown San Antonio continues to exhibit her paintings and cards. "Now I am doing watercolor and acrylic," she reported. "The largest is 36 x 48 inches in acrylic."

One of her renderings is printed inside the front cover of her book. The caption reads: ''The very stones cry out for a tidal wave of justice. A painting by Barbara Paleczny SSND, based on her experience of campaigns within the garment industry."

See Sr. Barb