| Title:
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THE BOUNDARIES OF DESIRE
A CENTURY OF GOOD SEX, BAD LAWS, AND CHANGING IDENTITIES |
| By: |
Eric Berkowitz |
| Format: |
Hardback |
| List price:
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£26.99 |
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| ISBN 10: |
1619025299 |
| ISBN 13: |
9781619025295 |
| Publisher: |
INGRAM PUBLISHER SERVICES US |
| Pub. date: |
11 August, 2015 |
| Pages: |
304 |
| Description: |
"The act of reproduction, and all of its variants, have been practiced in roughly the same ways since the beginning, but our ideas about the meaning and consequences of sex are in constant flux. At any given point in time, some forms of sex have been encouraged, while others have been punished without mercy. Jump forward or backward a century, or cross a border, and the harmless fun of one society becomes the gravest crime in another. Beginning at the point when courts guarded the sanctity of the "family home" by permitting men to rape their wives, continuing on through the "sexual revolution," a period that transformed traditional notions of childhood and marriage, and extending into the present day (where debates surrounding gay marriage, sex trafficking, and sex on the internet are part of our daily lives), Berkowitz explores the ways nearly every aspect of Western sexual morality has been turned on its head, with the law always one or two steps behind. By focusing on the experiences of real people who played central roles in the formation of our sexual rights, Berkowitz adds a compelling human element to what might otherwise be faceless legal battles-ultimately arguing that compassion for others is always preferable to sanctimonious condemnation, and that questions about morals and sexual laws are too complicated and volatile to resolve through simple, catch-all solutions."-- |
| Synopsis: |
The act of reproduction, and its variants, never change much, but our ideas about the meaning of sex are in constant flux. Switch a decade, cross a border, or traverse class lines and the harmless pleasures of one group become the gravest crimes in another.Combining meticulous research and lively storytelling, The Boundaries of Desire traces the fast-moving bloodsport of sex law over the past century, and challenges our most cherished notions about family, power, gender, and identity.Starting when courts censored birth control information as pornography and let men rape their wives, and continuing through the ? sexual revolution" and into the present day (when rape, gay rights, sex trafficking, and sex on the internet saturate the news), Berkowitz shows how the law has remained out of synch with the convulsive changes in sexual morality.By focusing on the stories of real people, Berkowitz adds a compelling human element to what might otherwise be faceless legal battles. The law is made by people, after all, and nothing sparks intolerance ? on the left and right -- more than sex. Ultimately, Berkowitz shows the emptiness of sanctimonious condemnation, and argues that sexual questions are too subtle and volatile for simple, catch-all solutions. |
| Publication: |
US |
| Imprint: |
Basic Civitas Books |
| Returns: |
Returnable |
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