Law, crime and sexuality1995

Carol Smart's work in criminology, the sociology of law and sexuality has occupied a central place in contemporary debates. Law, Crime and Sexuality transcends the traditional fragmentation of sociology, criminology, socio-legal studies, feminist theory and philosophy and enables readers to draw on aspects from each discipline and see the connections between various key themes and debates. Compiled specifically for students' needs, these essays show that theory need not be too hard or inaccessible and help students to understand the law in conceptual terms whilst enabling them to become fully aware of the extent to which the law is implicated in our everyday lives. The book is divided into three sections, each prefaced by a specially-written introduction and looks at the shift from criminology to the sociology of law; the identification of law as a site of struggle rather than as a tool of reform; the recognition of the contested nature of 'woman' as a category; and the significance of the developing situation where feminists must debate about values and epistemologies without fearing the demise of feminist politics. In addition, the text includes Carol Smart's most recent thoughts in an original final chapter which develops further her challenging work on the gendering and sexing of the body, the survival of sociological feminism and the development of new ways of thinking about women and law. The ideas presented here will generate further ideas and argument, making this book essential reading for all students of criminology, women and law, sociology of law and women's studies.