America s first anti sex trafficking law, the 1910 Mann Act,
made it illegal to transport women over state lines for
prostitution or any other immoral purpose. It was meant to protect
women and girls from being seduced or sold into sexual slavery.
But, as Jessica Pliley illustrates, its enforcement resulted more
often in the policing of women s sexual behavior, reflecting
conservative attitudes toward women s roles at home and their
movements in public. By citing its mandate to halt illicit
sexuality, the fledgling Bureau of Investigation gained entry not
only into brothels but also into private bedrooms and justified its
own expansion.
Policing Sexuality" links the crusade against sex trafficking to
the rapid growth of the Bureau from a few dozen agents at the time
of the Mann Act into a formidable law enforcement organization that
cooperated with state and municipal authorities across the nation.
In pursuit of offenders, the Bureau often intervened in domestic
squabbles on behalf of men intent on monitoring their wives and
daughters. Working prostitutes were imprisoned at dramatically
increased rates, while their male clients were seldom
prosecuted.
In upholding the Mann Act, the FBI reinforced sexually
conservative views of the chaste woman and the respectable husband
and father. It built its national power and prestige by expanding
its legal authority to police Americans sexuality and by
marginalizing the very women it was charged to protect."
General
Is the information for this product incomplete, wrong or inappropriate?
Let us know about it.
Does this product have an incorrect or missing image?
Send us a new image.
Is this product missing categories?
Add more categories.
Review This Product
No reviews yet - be the first to create one!