Women-in-Law
Explorations in Law, Family, and Sexuality
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Book Description
First published in 1985, Women-in-Law is a collection of essays examining the complex interactions of law, sexuality, and the family. It explores the ways in which legal ideology and practice affect women and looks at issues such as child custody, domestic violence and prostitution in the light of new research. The contributors review the history of feminist involvement with the law and analyse the law’s fundamental failure to improve the status of women. They also assess strategies for change in view of the current backlash against women’s rights and the traditional role of law in the subjugation of women. This book will be of interest to students of law, political science, sociology, gender studies, and sexuality studies.
Table of Contents
Contributors Abbreviations 1. Locating law: a discussion of the place of law in feminist politics Carol Smart and Julia Brophy 2. In the name of protection: the policing of women in the First World War Lucy Bland 3. Legal subjects and sexual objects: ideology, law, and female sexuality Carol Smart 4. Battered women and the law: the limits of the legislation Kathryn McCann 5. Childcare and the growth of power: the status of mothers in child custody disputes Julia Brophy 6. Documenting the defendant: placing women in social inquiry reports Mary Eaton 7. Legal recognition of a woman’s right to choose Elizabeth Kingdom 8. What is happening to family law? A feminist critique of conciliation Anne Bottomley 9. Campaigning around family law: politics and practice Rights of Women, Family Law Subgroup Bibliography Name index Subject index
Editor(s)
Biography
Julia Brophy and Carol Smart