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Book Review: Feminist Perspectives on Child Law

Document Cited in Related
Vincent
AuthorFelicity Kaganas
Published date01 June 2002
Date01 June 2002
DOIhttp://doi.org/10.1177/096466390201100209
Subject MatterArticles
/tmp/tmp-1806MaWslBFwDI/input 07Book reviews (bc/d) 5/17/02 8:50 AM Page 311
BOOK REVIEWS
311
REFERENCE
Kronman, A. T. (1983) Max Weber. Stanford: Stanford University Press.
ALAN THOMSON
Kent Law School, University of Kent at Canterbury, UK
JO BRIDGEMAN AND DANIEL MONK (Eds), Feminist Perspectives on Child Law.
London: Cavendish Publishing, 2000, 343 pp., £25.00 (pbk.).
In their introductory chapter, the editors explain that this collection of essays is
intended, by giving prominence to questions about the ‘coherency and genealogy’ of
child law, and by acknowledging the ‘contingency and complexity of terms such as
“children” and “childhood” ’, to enable issues to be examined in new ways and to
explore perspectives that have been silenced or overlooked. The disparate nature of
the issues covered reflects, as the editors point out, the fact that child law is conceived
of as crossing traditional academic boundaries. The book accordingly includes chap-
ters concerning, for example, human rights, education, and crime and delinquency as
well as chapters addressing topics traditionally falling within family law. A number
of theoretical frameworks are deployed and there are also contributions based on
empirical research. What the chapters do have in common is that they are, to a greater
or lesser extent, informed by feminist concerns or ideas. Michael Freeman’s chapter
in particular directly addresses the relationship between feminist scholarship and child
law. He offers a fascinating historical account of the status of children, beginning with
biblical texts and culminating with the Children Act and the leading cases decided
under it. In the course of this account, he highlights areas of the law, such as the notion
of significant harm, which he suggests warrant feminist scrutiny.
One theme that runs through a number of the chapters is that of the construction
of the child as vulnerable and dependent. This, it is argued, may have negative conse-
quences for children. Perceptions of children as dependent as...

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