Book Review: Sexuality Repositioned: Diversity and the Law and, Sexualities: Personal lives and Social Policy
| Published date | 01 March 2006 |
| DOI | 10.1177/096466390601500110 |
| Author | Susie Scott |
| Date | 01 March 2006 |
| Subject Matter | Articles |
BOOK REVIEWS
151
developments have shown the ramifications of the legitimating discourses of democ-
racy. In an international context in which armed interventions are taken in the name
of democracy and freedom, the notion of the rule of law becomes increasingly more
complicated and unsettled, and at the same time, much more difficult to contest. This
is a work of commendable scholarship for serious researchers looking at law and the
complex ways in which it is imbricated in the ideology and practices of rule.
UJJWAL KUMAR SINGH
University of Delhi, India
B. BROOKS-GORDON, L. GELSTHORPE, M. JOHNSON AND A. BAINHAM (eds), Sexu-
ality Repositioned: Diversity and the Law. Oxford: Hart, 2004, 320 pp., £30 (pbk).
J. CARABINE (ed.), Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy. Milton Keynes: Open
University/Policy Press, 2004, 179 pp., £17.99 (pbk).
The topic of sexuality and sexual identities is one that spans the social sciences,
bringing together the work of theorists in a broad range of disciplines. These two
books focus on the relationship between sexualities and the law, and as such may be
of interest to those working in sociology, social policy and legal studies in particular.
They both concentrate on western societies, and the UK in particular. Sexuality Repo-
sitioned comprises a collection of papers from a three-day seminar run by the
Cambridge Socio-legal Group, and as such is wide-ranging, detailed and lengthy.
Meanwhile Sexualities is more of an introductory textbook, providing an accessible
overview to some of the key debates and controversies in the area. Both are extremely
well-written and interesting books, although they may appeal to slightly different
audiences.
Sexuality Repositioned includes contributions from researchers in a diverse range
of subject areas, including family law and policy, sociology, forensic psychology,
criminology and gender studies. Loraine Gelsthorpe provides an informative intro-
duction, which identifies the common ground between these perspectives: she
discusses the dynamic and changing nature of sexuality as a reflection of the relation-
ship between identities, lifestyles and social trends. More specifically,...
151
developments have shown the ramifications of the legitimating discourses of democ-
racy. In an international context in which armed interventions are taken in the name
of democracy and freedom, the notion of the rule of law becomes increasingly more
complicated and unsettled, and at the same time, much more difficult to contest. This
is a work of commendable scholarship for serious researchers looking at law and the
complex ways in which it is imbricated in the ideology and practices of rule.
UJJWAL KUMAR SINGH
University of Delhi, India
B. BROOKS-GORDON, L. GELSTHORPE, M. JOHNSON AND A. BAINHAM (eds), Sexu-
ality Repositioned: Diversity and the Law. Oxford: Hart, 2004, 320 pp., £30 (pbk).
J. CARABINE (ed.), Sexualities: Personal Lives and Social Policy. Milton Keynes: Open
University/Policy Press, 2004, 179 pp., £17.99 (pbk).
The topic of sexuality and sexual identities is one that spans the social sciences,
bringing together the work of theorists in a broad range of disciplines. These two
books focus on the relationship between sexualities and the law, and as such may be
of interest to those working in sociology, social policy and legal studies in particular.
They both concentrate on western societies, and the UK in particular. Sexuality Repo-
sitioned comprises a collection of papers from a three-day seminar run by the
Cambridge Socio-legal Group, and as such is wide-ranging, detailed and lengthy.
Meanwhile Sexualities is more of an introductory textbook, providing an accessible
overview to some of the key debates and controversies in the area. Both are extremely
well-written and interesting books, although they may appeal to slightly different
audiences.
Sexuality Repositioned includes contributions from researchers in a diverse range
of subject areas, including family law and policy, sociology, forensic psychology,
criminology and gender studies. Loraine Gelsthorpe provides an informative intro-
duction, which identifies the common ground between these perspectives: she
discusses the dynamic and changing nature of sexuality as a reflection of the relation-
ship between identities, lifestyles and social trends. More specifically,...
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