Conjugal Rites

by Heather Brook

Overview

This book explores the regulation of intimate relationships today. It uses fascinating and at times salacious material as well as historical and contemporary legal-political sources. Addressing questions ranging from whether a virgin can be a party to adultery, to whether a man can be a wife each chapter deals with changing themes of conjugality.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780230262744
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan
Publication date:	12/26/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
File size:	410 KB

About the Author

Heather Brook is Lecturer in Women's Studies and Sociology, Flinders University, Australia.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Propositions, Proposals Women and Wives: Stalemate? Sex/Gender: Husbands, Wives, Spouses Union: Sexual Performatives Race Trouble: Marriage and the Politics of Assimilation Consenting Adults: Sex and Crime in Marriage Adversarial versus No-fault Divorce Living Together Sex and Sexualities

Editorial Reviews

"Women's studies scholar Brook . . . critically interrogates marriage and the regulation of conjugal relationships. Aptly using theoretical insights from Foucault and Butler, she offers a sharp critique of feminist discussions of marriage as a stable social institution and proposes new ways of conceptualizing marriage as a dynamic arena of regulation based on governmentality, corporeality, and performativity. Basing her study on the analysis of legal and social discourse in the US, UK, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, Brook applies her framework in discussing historical and contemporary issues around marriage including same-sex marriage, cohabitation, and divorce . . . Overall, this is an important contribution to the field of women's studies and feminist theory, and will also be widely accessible for readers who want to learn more about changing meanings of marriage and intimate relationships. Summing Up: Highly recommended. All levels/libraries." - CHOICE

From the Publisher