Synopses & Reviews
A comprehensive text that provides historical perspectives on the status of women; analysis of popular culture/mass media images of women offenders; and discussion of societal responses to women who kill.
About the Author
Frankie Y. Bailey is an associate professor in the School of Criminal Justice, University at Albany (SUNY). Her area of research is crime and culture, focusing on two areas: crime history, and crime and mass media/popular culture. She is the author of the Edgar-nominated OUT OF THE WOODPILE: BLACK CHARACTERS IN CRIME AND DETECTIVE FICTION (Greenwood, 1991). She is the co-editor (with Donna C. Hale) of POPULAR CULTURE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE (Wadsworth, 1998). She is the co-author (with Alice P. Green) of ALAW NEVER HERE: A SOCIAL HISTORY OF AFRICAN AMERICAN RESPONSES TO ISSUES OF CRIME AND JUSTICE (Praeger, 1999). She is the co-editor with Steven Chermak and Michelle Brown of MEDIA REPRESENTATIONS OF SEPTEMBER 11 (Praeger, 2003). She and Donna C. Hale are the co-authors of book, BLOOD ON HER HANDS: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF WOMEN, SEXUALITY, AND MURDER (Thomson, 2004). As a mystery writer, Bailey is the author of DEATH=S FAVORITE CHILD (Silver Dagger, 2000), A DEAD MAN=S HONOR (Silver Dagger, 2001), and OLD MURDERS (Silver Dagger, 2003), featuring Southern criminal justice professor/crime historian Lizzie Stuart. Her most recent publication is a short story in the mystery anthology, Shades of Black (2004), edited by Eleanor Taylor Bland. Donna C. Hale is Professor of Criminal Justice at Shippensburg University. She is the Editor of Women and Criminal Justice. Dr. Hale received her doctorate from Michigan State University's, School of Criminal Justice. She is the co-author with Frankie Y. Bailey of POPULAR CULTURE, CRIME, AND JUSTICE. She is the author/coauthor of several articles regarding women in policing. Donna is also a Past President of the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences (ACJS), and received the ACJS Founders Award.
Table of Contents
Introduction. Part I: History, Narrative, and the Social Construction of Women Who Kill. 1. Women in Greek Mythology: Medea and Her Sisters. 2. The Anatomy of Difference: On the Status of Women in Ancient Greece and Rome. 3. Virgin, Whore, Witch: Images of Medieval and Renaissance Women. 4. A Punishment to Fit Her Crime: From Settlement to Antebellum Era. 5. A Proper Lady: Victorian Women. 6. Modern Life and Primitive Woman: Women in the Early 20th Century. 7. Domestic Tranquility? Women in the Post-World War II Era. 8. Contemporary Images of Women. Part II: Constructing the Women Who Kill in Popular Culture. 9. Women and Murder in True Crime. 10. Women and Homicide in Literature, Music, and Films. 11. Of Women, Sexuality, and Murder: Concluding Thoughts. Appendix A: Suggested Reading and Viewing Lists. Appendix B: Great Women in Criminology/Criminal Justice. Appendix C: Survey Responses of Women Professionals/Practitioners. Bibliography. Index.