1st Edition
Sexual Justice / Cultural Justice Critical Perspectives in Political Theory and Practice
This key volume explores the relationship between cultural justice and sexual justice in multicultural societies in a new light. The authors challenge the framing of ‘feminism and multiculturalism’ as one of inevitable conflict, as well as the portrayal of liberal sexual equality and cultural rights as irreconcilable, moving the debate beyond the culture/gender impasse.
Focusing on three theoretical themes from a feminist perspective:
- the meaning and role of culture and identity in politics
- the problem of autonomy in relation to culture and identity
- the crucial role of democracy in addressing the theoretical and practical problems raised by this set of issues.
The diverse contributors break new theoretical ground by providing detailed engagement with the concrete experiences of women and minorities who are caught in the dilemmas of gender and cultural justice. The collected chapters address sexual/cultural justice in a range of different countries, offering illuminating case studies on Britain, South Africa, Canada, the Netherlands, Australia, Mexico, and the United States.
Sexual Justice / Cultural Justice will be of strong interest to students and researchers working in the areas of gender and feminist theory, politics, law, philosophy and sociology.
PART I: DEFINING AND CHALLENGING ‘CULTURE’ AND ‘CULTURAL IDENTITY
1. Anne Phillips- What is ‘Culture’?
2. Rita Dhamoon - The Politics of Cultural Contestation
3. Barbara Arneil- Cultural Protections vs. Cultural Justice: Post-colonialism,
Agonistic Justice and the Limitations of Liberal Theory
4. Gaurav Desai- Traveling Culture and the ‘Cultural Defense’
PART II: AUTONOMY, CULTURE AND GENDER
5. Marilyn Friedman- Women’s Rights, Oppressed Minorities, and the Liberal State
6. Catriona Mackenzie- Relational Autonomy, Sexual Justice and Cultural Pluralism 7. Sawitri Saharso- Is Freedom of the Will but a Western Illusion? Individual
Autonomy, Gender and Multicultural Judgement
8. Monique Deveaux- Personal Autonomy and Cultural Tradition: The Arranged Marriage Debate in Britain
PART III: GENDER, CULTURE AND DEMOCRACY
9. María Pía Lara- Globalizing Women's Rights: Overcoming the Apartheid
10. Gertrude Fester- Reconciling Multiculturalism with Democracy: Challenges for South Africa
11. Avigail Eisenberg- Religious arbitration and multiculturalism: The debate over Sharia law in Canada
Biography
Barbara Arneil, Monique Deveaux, Rita Dhamoon, Avigail Eisenberg