"Written in clear, accessible language...New Versions of Victims offers a critical analysis of popular debates about victimization that will be applicable to both practice and theory."
-- "Adolescence"

"Timely contribution to the theorization of rape and helps delineate areas in need of further analysis. [Lamb] also address[es] the issue from radically different perspectives and methodologies...particularly noteworthy."--"SIGNS"

It is increasingly difficult to use the word "victim" these days without facing either ridicule for "crying victim" or criticism for supposed harshness toward those traumatized. Some deny the possibility of "recovering" repressed memories of abuse, or consider date rape an invention of whining college students. At the opposite extreme, others contend that women who experience abuse are "survivors" likely destined to be psychically wounded for life.

While the debates rage between victims' rights advocates and "backlash" authors, the contributors to New Versions of Victims collectively argue that we must move beyond these polarizations to examine the "victim" as a socially constructed term and to explore, in nuanced terms, why we see victims the way we do.

Must one have been subject to extreme or prolonged suffering to merit designation as a victim? How are we to explain rape victims who seemingly "get over" their experience with no lingering emotional scars? Resisting the reductive oversimplifications of the polemicists, the contributors to New Versions of Victims critique exaggerated claims by victim advocates about the harm of victimization while simultaneously taking on the reactionary boilerplate of writers such as Katie Roiphe and CamillePaglia and offering further strategies for countering the backlash.

Written in clear, accessible language, New Versions of Victims offers a critical analysis of popular debates about victimization that will be applicable to both practice and theory.

"Warriors and Wildmen" is a book about men and masculinity. Through an exploration of the complex issues of sex differences, the book presents a challenge to the predominant ideas of modern feminism. Contemporary studies of sex and gender have come primarily from the perspective of women's studies. In the 1990s, however, a growing body of work offers a male perspective. This book surveys that collection, and draws from a wide variety of popular and scholarly writers in support of its major points. This book will be of interest to anyone involved in men's studies, gender issues, and feminism.

Film and Female Consciousness analyses three contemporary films that offer complex and original representations of women's thoughtfulness and individuality: In the Cut (2003), Lost in Translation (2003) and Morvern Callar (2002). Lucy Bolton compares these recent works with well-known and influential films that offer more familiar treatments of female subjectivity: Klute (1971), The Seven Year Itch (1955) and Marnie (1964). Considering each of the older, celebrated films alongside the recent, unconventional works illustrates how contemporary filmmaking techniques and critical practices can work together to create provocative depictions of on-screen female consciousness. Bolton's approach demonstrates how the encounter between the philosophy of Luce Irigaray and cinema can yield a fuller understanding of the fundamental relationship between film and philosophy. Furthermore, the book explores the implications of this approach for filmmakers and spectators, and suggests Irigarayan models of authorship and spectatorship that reinvigorate the notion of women's cinema.

This leading feminist theologian offers an exciting introduction to a most creative field of biblical interpretation which the author says is best understood as the search for Divine Wisdom. She offers a review of the art that is not merely informative, but liberating. Challenging mainstream hermeneutic strategies she empowers us to think critically and enter creatively into a life-transforming journey.

"Reading Jane Austen" explores "Mansfield Park," "Pride and Prejudice," "Emma," ""and "Persuasion" against their historical and cultural backdrop to show precisely how Jane Austen sets out the core themes of British morality in her novels. Austen's period was arguably the most socially and politically tumultuous in England's history, and by replacing the novels in this remarkable era, Scheuermann sharply defines Austen's view of the social contract.

Tyler Perry has made over half a billion dollars through the development of storylines about black women, black communities and black religion. Yet, a text that responds to his efforts from the perspective of these groups does not exist.

This is a concise and accessible introduction into the concept of objectification, one of the most frequently recurring terms in both academic and media debates on the gendered politics of contemporary culture, and core to critiquing the social positions of sex and sexism. Objectification is an issue of media representation and everyday experiences alike. Central to theories of film spectatorship, beauty fashion and sex, objectification is connected to the harassment and discrimination of women, to the sexualization of culture and the pressing presence of body norms within media. This concise guidebook traces the history of the term's emergence and its use in a variety of contexts such as debates about sexualization and the male gaze, and its mobilization in connection with the body, selfies and pornography, as well as in feminist activism. It will be an essential introduction for undergraduate and postgraduate students in Gender Studies, Media Studies, Sociology, Cultural Studies or Visual Arts.

"Women on the Edge re-envisions women's cinema as contemporary political practices by exploring the works of twelve filmmakers. Moving on from the 1970s feminist adage that the personal is political, Sharon Lin Tay argues that contemporary women's cinema must exceed the personal to be politically relevant and ethically cogent"--Provided by publisher.

For over half a century, the countless organizations and initiatives that comprise the Women's Liberation movement have helped to reshape many aspects of Western societies, from public institutions and cultural production to body politics and subsequent activist movements. This collection represents the first systematic investigation of WLM's cumulative impacts and achievements within the West. Here, specialists on movements in Europe systematically investigate outcomes in different countries in the light of a reflective social movement theory, comparing them both implicitly and explicitly to developments in other parts of the world.

The goal of Handbook of International Perspectives on Feminism is to present the histories, status, and contours of feminist research and practice in their respective regional and/or national contexts. The editors have invited researchers who are doing this work to present their perspectives on women, culture, and rights with the objective to illuminate the diverse forms that feminist psychological work takes around the world, and connect these forms with the unique positions and concerns of women in these regions.

What does "feminist psychology" look like in Japan? In South Africa? In Sri Lanka? In Canada? In Brazil? How did it come to look this way? How do psychologists in these countries or regions, each with unique political, economic, and cultural histories, engage in feminist work in the societies in which they live? How do they employ the tools of "psychology" - broadly defined - to do this work, and what tensions and challenges have they faced?

Best known as the woman who "ran MGM," Ida R. Koverman (1876-1954) served as talent scout, mentor, executive secretary, and confidant to American movie mogul Louis B. Mayer for twenty-five years. She Damn Near Ran the Studio: The Extraordinary Lives of Ida R. Koverman is the first full account of Koverman's life and the true story of how she became a formidable politico and a creative powerhouse during Hollywood's Golden Era. For nearly a century, Koverman's legacy has largely rested on a mythical narrative while her more fascinating true-life story has remained an enduring mystery - until now. This story begins with Koverman's early years in Ohio and the sensational national scandal that forced her escape to New York where she created a new identity and became a leader among a community of women. Her second incarnation came in California where she established herself as a hardcore political operative challenging the state's progressive impulse. During the Roaring Twenties, she was a key architect of the Southland's conservative female-centric partisan network that refashioned the course of state and national politics and put Herbert Hoover in the White House. As ""the political boss of Los Angeles County,"" she was the premiere matchmaker in the courtship between Hollywood and national partisan politics, which, as Mayer's executive secretary, was epitomized by her third incarnation as ""one of the most formidable women in Hollywood,"" whose unparalleled power emanated from her unique perch inside the executive suite of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer. Free to adapt her managerial skills and political know-how on behalf of the studio, she quickly drew upon her artistic sensibilities as a talent scout, expanding MGM's catalog of stars and her own influence on American popular culture. Recognized as ""one of the invisible power centers in both MGM and the city of Los Angeles,"" she nurtured the city's burgeoning performing arts by fostering music and musicians and the public financing of them. As the ""lioness"" of MGM royalty, Ida Koverman was not just a naturalized citizen of the Hollywood kingdom; at times during her long reign, she ""damn near ran the studio.

"Considered as a whole, this collection offers a basis for generalisations and specialised inquiry that will support both teaching and further research on the role of women in world history."--"Itinerario"

"The book deserves credit for stimulating such questions, which have broad appeal among scholars of colonialism, including those who do not work on gender. Its broad coverage and accessible language give it access to a wider audience than many academic anthologies, thereby advancing the interests of all those who value the study of colonial history."--"Journal of Colonialism and Colonial History"

Women and the Colonial Gaze is the first collection to present a broad chronological and geographical examination of the ways in which images and stereotypes of women have been used to define relationships between colonial powers and subject peoples.

In essays ranging from ancient Rome to twentieth-century Asia and Africa, the contributions suggest that the use of gender as a tool in the imperialist context is much older and more comprehensive than previously suggested. Contributors look particularly at the ways in which colonizers constructed a national identity by creating a contrast with the colonial "other," in contexts ranging from Christian views of Islam women in medieval Spain to French beliefs about Native American women. They also examine the ways in which images of gender as constructed by colonial powers impacted the lives of native women from colonial-era India to Korea to Swaziland.

Comparative in its approach, the volume will appeal to students and historians of women's studies, colonialism, and the development of national identity.

This companion is a cutting-edge primer to critical forms of the posthumanities and the feminist posthumanities, aimed at students and researchers who want to catch up with the recent theoretical developments in various fields in the humanities, such as new media studies, gender studies, cultural studies, science and technology studies, human animal studies, postcolonial critique, philosophy and environmental humanities. It contains a collection of nineteen new and original short chapters introducing influential concepts, ideas and approaches that have shaped and developed new materialism, inhuman theory, critical posthumanism, feminist materialism, and posthuman philosophy. A resource for students and teachers, this comprehensive volume brings together established international scholars and emerging theorists, for timely and astute definitions of a moving target - posthuman humanities and feminist posthumanities.

"Reading Women's Worlds from Christine de Pizan to Doris Lessing "explores a recurring theme in writing by women: the dream of finding or creating a private and secluded retreat from the world of men. These imagined "women's worlds" may be very small, a single room even, or may be more ambitious, such as the dream of an entire country created for and inhabited exclusively by women. Sharon L. Jansen places these texts in conversation with one another, pairing them in ways that reveal the writers' distinctive voices even while they speak of the dream they share.

This book articulates the theoretical outlines of a feminism developed from Aristotle's metaphysics, making a new contribution to feminist theory. Readers will discover why Aristotle was not a feminist and how he might have become one, through an investigation of Aristotle and Aristotelian tradition. The author shows how Aristotle's metaphysics can be used to articulate a particularly subtle and theoretically powerful understanding of gender that may offer a highly useful tool for distinctively feminist arguments. This work builds on Martha Nussbaum's 'capabilities approach' in a more explicitly and thoroughly hylomorphist way. The author shows how Aristotle's hylomorphic model, developed to run between the extremes of Platonic dualism and Democritean atomism, can similarly be used today to articulate a view of gender that takes bodily differences seriously without reducing gender to biological determinations. Although written for theorists, this scholarly yet accessible book can be used to address more practical issues and the final chapter explores women in universities as one example. This book will appeal to both feminists with limited familiarity with Aristotle's philosophy, and scholars of Aristotle with limited familiarity with feminism.

At all levels of government--from the international to the local--public policies are formulated mainly by men, but their impacts are felt, sometimes differently, by women, men, and children. This book considers the impact of public policy on various aspects of women's lives, including sex and birth, marriage and death, work and child rearing, and women's responses to those policies. Written by scholars who have lived on five continents, the chapters span the First and Third Worlds, with several providing case illustrations of policies affecting women in Latin America, Asia, and Africa. Written by scholars from several disciplines, the volume includes the fields of economics, politics, and planning. Literature also is covered, along with women's fiction as a source of women's opinions. The work is divided into two sections. The first section, Economic Policies and Migration, considers the impact of economic and demographic policies. The second section, Sex and Marriage, Violence and Control, considers policies relating to women's interpersonal relationships. Urban culture is discussed in an epilogue.

""Your book should help bridge the gap between the academic definitions and research on Matriarchy and real world initiatives."" BEATA MURRELL, MATRIARCHAL SCHOLAR ""When a cork is no longer held down it rises up. This is what has happened with Women."" WILLIAM BOND, AUTHOR OF '"GOSPEL OF THE GODDESS"' Patriarchy is destroying the planet, and everything on it. Fortunately, patriarchy is at an end. Changes have occurred, both inner and outer, to transform our society from a 'conquest domination/exploitation principle into one of 'nurturing/caring/justice.' This monumental shift is so vast, that it is not easily seen in details nor at all moments. As we look at day to day existence, male domination is everywhere. But if we look at the big picture, at statistics, studies, astute observation, and by the insight of those who have been focused on the subject, it is obvious. The book begins with the series of articles explaining that males exhibit the need to worship women, an ancient practice forbidden in patriarchy, now surfacing in secular forms. From whence is this need? Why do women show no need to conversely, worship males? This and more are all explained here.

A decade ago, Caitlin Moran thought she had it all figured out. Her instant bestseller How to Be a Woman was a game-changing take on feminism, the patriarchy, and the general ‘hoo-ha’ of becoming a woman. Back then, she firmly believed ‘the difficult bit’ was over, and her forties were going to be a doddle.

If only she had known: when middle age arrives, a whole new bunch of tough questions need answering. Why isn’t there such a thing as a ‘Mum Bod’? How did sex get boring? What are men really thinking? Where did all that stuff in the kitchen drawers come from? Can feminists have Botox? Why has wine turned against you? How can you tell the difference between a Teenage Micro-Breakdown, and The Real Thing? Has feminism gone too far? And, as always, WHO’S LOOKING AFTER THE CHILDREN?

Now with ageing parents, teenage daughters, a bigger bum and a To-Do list without end, Caitlin Moran is back with More Than A Woman: a guide to growing older, a manifesto for change, and a celebration of all those middle-aged women who keep the world turning.

Womanism and Afrocentrism are the two most influential currents in contemporary African American culture. They both heighten black cultural self-awareness, even as they deepen knowledge of its historical sources. As womanism mines the ways and wisdom of African American women for Christian theology, so Afrocentricity excavates an African past to liberate the oppressed from Eurocentric worldviews. Yet are the two compatible? What does the mostly male Afrocentric scholarship contribute to the survival, wholeness, and liberation of black women? In this volume social ethicist Cheryl Sanders and other leading womanist thinkers take the measure of the Afrocentric idea and explore the intricate relationship between Afrocentric and womanist perspectives in their lives and commitments. Their strong, frank assessments form a creative engagement of these two momentous streams.

Feminist theory has grown into a vast field. Feminist writers, thinkers, and activists have produced an often bewildering body of knowledge concerned with difference and diversity, identity and inequality, ethnicity, race, and class, as well as gender. Despite its growing influence, however, no single comprehensive text encompasses the past, present, and future of feminist theory.

"Contemporary Feminist Theories" was inspired by a dissatisfaction with existing introductions, which often fail to fully track change and capture diversity within feminist thought. The volume draws on the expertise of a range of Western feminists in order to reflect the breadth of feminist theory as well as shifts within it. Each chapter maps the development of feminist thought in a particular area over time, and suggests future directions.

Reflecting the diversity of feminist theory in fields from literature and linguistics to science and politics, this multi-disciplinary map of feminist thinking is an ideal classroom text.

The contributors include Lisa Adkins, Vicki Bertram, Deborah Cameron, Elizabeth Frazer, Caroline Gonda, Penelope Harvey, Maggie Humm, Kadiatu Kanneh, Mary Maynard, Sara Mills, Jane Scoular, Sue Thornham, Sue Vice, and Patricia Waugh.

This volume offers feminist perspectives on the social, cultural and medical aspects of women as sexual beings and of their fertility, pregnancy and child bearing. It serves as a companion to "Advances in Gender Research volume 7, Gender perspectives on Health and Medicine: Key Themes". As in the previous volume, the authors critique and transcend conventional biomedical approaches to the subject matter. The seven essays raise questions about control and agency asking who decides if, when and how fertility should be controlled and the circumstances under which child birth takes place. They address decision-making on multiple levels from the individual to the national and transnational and grapple with such controversial matters as genital cutting, self-help menstrual extraction and direct-entry midwifery. They interrogate the policies and practices of states and transnational agencies that have a bearing on sexuality and reproductive health, the ways in which womens genitalia have been objectified and manipulated by practices that purport to be both traditional and modern, and the motivations of those who provide alternative forms of fertility control and birthing methods. The intended audience is the social science community, especially those who are interested in the study of gender, sexuality and reproductive health, medicine and alternative medicine, and the areas where these interface.