Synopses & Reviews
Feminists do not present a united front on either the legal and political remedies they propose, or definitions of sexuality and appropriate standards representing it. This study is the first to treat pornography within the context of the debate among feminists, also examining nonfeminist views embodied in popular opinion and social policy. Presenting an in-depth review of feminist and nonfeminist literature, it explores influential feminist ideologies as well as those that are only beginning to be voiced. The authors first review the femininst movement in relation to the pornography debate among both feminists and nonfeminists. Divisions over questions of sexuality, censorship, and sexual roles and lifestyles are highlighted in an analysis of radical and libertarian feminist viewpoints. Liberal, Marxist, socialist, and black approaches to feminism are also evaluated. Feminism and Pornography also addresses the male perspective on pornography and men's responses to the feminists' debate. The final chapters assess this debate in terms of empirical research on pornography, and legal and nonlegal strategies for regulating pornography. Providing an understanding of a broad range of feminist viewpoints, this balanced, even-handed discussion may prove helpful in moving beyond the current impasse. Feminism and Pornography is an important new work for research or courses in women's studies, politics, sexuality, social problems, deviance, and law.
Review
...useful information and up-to-date references make this an accessible introduction to a complex topic. All levels.Choice
Review
This book is not an antipornography discourse nor an anticensorship one. It is a, rather, an elegant effort to acknowledge the range of ideology and to find the common elements of various feminist perspectives. As a work of social policy analysis, it is a tool to help to draw the connections between pornography and other social institutions that may harm women.Affilia
Synopsis
This study is the first to treat pornography within the context of the debate among feminists, while also examining nonfeminist views embodied in popular opinion and social policy. Presenting an in-depth review of feminist and nonfeminist literature, it examines divisions over censorship and the appropriate representation of sexuality, as well as legal and alternative strategies proposed by anti-pornography groups. Allowing the many voices of feminism and its opponents "equal time," the authors provide one of the most balanced and informative treatments of the topic to date.
Synopsis
"a compact survey of recent scholarly and political reflection on contemporary issues relating to pornography. . . . an accessible introduction to a complex topic. All levels." Choice
Description
Includes bibliographical references (p. [143]-168) and index.
About the Author
RONALD J. BERGER is Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches courses in criminology and the sociology of law.PATRICIA SEARLES is Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where she teaches courses in gender roles, the family, and violence against women.CHARLES E. COTTLE is Professor of Political Science at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater, where he teaches courses in political theory, public opinion, and research methods.
Table of Contents
Preface
The Feminist Movement and the Contemporary Pornography Debate
Traditional Perspectives on Pornography: Popular Positions and Governmental Commissions
Pornography and the Feminist Sexuality Debate: Radical and Libertarian Feminism
Other Feminist Perspectives on Pornography: Liberal, Marxist, Socialist, and Black Feminism
Men's Perspectives on Pornography
The Research Context of the Feminist Debate
The Legal Context of the Feminist Debate
Nonlegal Alternatives and Concluding Remarks
Index