Book Review: North America
| Date | 01 September 2008 |
| Published date | 01 September 2008 |
| DOI | 10.1111/j.1478-9302.2008.00165_4.x |
| Subject Matter | Book Review |
399
have a prominent place on the reading lists of
Chile and Japan. The development of feminist
courses on contemporary European history.
movements in all of these cases is compared to the
evolution of American women’s movements.The
Christopher Reeves
cases selected allow for insightful comparison,
( Jagiellonian University, Kraków)
highlighting that within each country, feminist
movements face a particular set of challenges
We welcome short reviews of books in all
shaped by local structures and political opportu-
areas of politics and international relations.
nities, tied to their historical and contemporary
For guidelines on submitting reviews, and to
contexts.A chapter towards the end by Rohlinger
see an up-to-date listing of books avail-
and Meyer compares local and international abor-
able for review, please visit http://www.
tion movements in the US, England and Ireland,
politicalstudiesreview.org/.
an analysis which supports the book’s argument
that actions of feminist movements are rooted in
their local situations. It is a pity that there is no
comparison with a feminist organisation in a post-
North America
colonial context, since the post-colonial environ-
ment faces different issues.
The US Women’s Movement in Global Per-
Notable is the theoretical framework which
spective by Lee Ann Banaszak (ed.). Lanham
underpins this collection. Each contributor draws
MD: Rowman & Littlefield, 2005. 272pp,
upon three key concepts used in social movement
£17.99, ISBN 0 7425 1932 5
literature – in particular Jo Freeman’s 1973 article
Comparative investigations of feminist move-
‘The Origins of the Women’s Liberation Move-
ments have long been popular in political analysis.
ment’ (reprinted in this volume): how structures
Lee Ann Banaszek’s edited collection builds upon
are mobilised, the impact of political oppor-
the existing literature by placing emphasis on
tunities and the importance of ideational factors.
understanding the role of structures, political
These themes provide the book with an
opportunities and ideational factors in the
extremely robust framework consistently adhered
development of women’s organisations. A cross-
to in each chapter, which ensures a remarkable
cutting, comparative analysis of local women’s
sense of cohesiveness.
organisations within their international context is
The clear, readable nature of this interdiscipli-
employed, and this framework allows subtle details
nary book makes it suitable for a wide range of
of grass-roots activity to shine through, support-
upper undergraduate and postgraduate students,
ing the overall thrust of the book’s argument that
and researchers on social movements and femi-
actions and structures of feminist movements are
nism within Politics, Sociology or Modern
tied to their local and historical circumstances.
History.
The first half of the book scrutinises the US
Laura McLeod
women’s movement, focusing on the National
(University of Sheffield)
Organisation for Women (NOW). Chapters trace
the ideological shifts from the second to third
Defending Life: A Moral and Legal Case
waves, structures and decision making within
Against Abortion Choice by Francis J.
NOW, and key issues faced by American feminists.
Beckwith. Cambridge: Cambridge University
These analyses of the contemporary perspectives
Press, 2007. 296pp, £14.99, ISBN 978 0 521
and actions of US feminist movements are
69135 2
blended with acute understandings of their his-
torical contexts. The second half of the book
Francis Beckwith is a professor of law and phi-
includes incisive investigations of the historical
losophy at Baylor University, and he has written
developments and political influences shaping
extensively on abortion issues previously. This
contemporary women’s organisations in Russia,
volume brings together years of thinking and
© 2008 The Authors. Journal compilation © 2008 Political Studies Association
Political Studies Review: 2008, 6(3)
400
N O R T H A M E R I C A
debating on this contentious issue. It is an invalu-
Personal Roots of Representation by Barry
able resource for those who wish to ‘stand up’ for
C. Burden. Princeton NJ: Princeton University
human life at all stages of development. The first
Press, 2007. 172pp, £14.95, ISBN 978 0 691
third of the book examines moral reasoning, legal
13459 8
considerations and political dimensions of the
abortion debate. The second third of the book
Why do members of Congress behave as they do?
explores the science, morality and arguments
Scholars usually answer this question by testing a
involved in the debate about abortion. The final
familiar set of variables, such as party affiliation,
third of the book extends these considerations to
ideology, district, and committee assignment. But
recent developments in bioethics, including the
in this important and enjoyable new book, Barry
contentious issues of cloning and stem cell
Burden argues that there is sometimes another
research. The Supreme Court’s recent decision
explanation as well: legislators’ personal ‘experi-
upholding the ban on partial birth abortion and
ences, interests, and expertise’ (p. 5).
the controversy over stem cell research make it
This claim is not terribly novel; anecdotes and
clear that the issues of the sanctity of human life
examples abound of legislators spurred into action
will continue to be at the forefront of American
by their own personal values and experiences (the
politics in the twenty-first century. Defending Life
recently deceased Tom Lantos, Holocaust survivor
confronts a wide variety of arguments made by
and activist on human rights issues, is but one
prominent scholars who favour abortion rights,
example). But Burden develops a theoretical basis
including Judith Thomson, David Boonin, Dean
for this assertion, subjecting it to rigorous and
Stretton, Eileen McDonagh, Paul Simmons and
persuasive empirical testing on legislative activity
Stuart Rosenbaum.
involving a series of significant policy matters.
It is often said that the anti-abortion position
The issues Burden chooses – including tobacco
is fundamentally religious. However, in Defending
regulation, education policy and human cloning –
Life Beckwith provides one of the most com-
are smart ones. As high-profile proposals that
prehensive philosophical defences of the pro-life
affect many constituencies, one would not expect
position on abortion published...
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