Jyl Josephson

Citizenship, Same-Sex Marriage, and Feminist Critiques of Marriage

The debate over same-sex marriage in the United States is fundamentally a disagreement about the nature of democratic citizenship and the meaning of full inclusion of adult citizens in the polity. The facts that marriage has both private and public dimensions, and is described by policy makers as natural and unchanging even as they write laws to define it create confusion among those who publicly contest same-sex marriage. The feminist critique of marriage provides insight on the issue; its critique, along with the questions raised by same-sex marriage, indicates a need to rethink many aspects of the legal regulation of families and intimate life as they affect democratic citizenship. Jyl Josephson is an associate professor of political science and director of womens studies at Rutgers University, Newark (jylj@andromeda.rutgers.edu). She is coeditor, with Sue Tolleson-Rinehart, of the second edition of Gender and American Politics ; coeditor, with Cynthia Burack, of Fundamental Differences: Feminists Talk Back to Social Conservatives , and author of Gender, Families, and State: Child Support Policy in the United States . The author thanks Jennifer Hochschild for her editorial guidance. Thanks also to the three anonymous reviewers, and to Cynthia Burack, David Foster, and Stacy VanDeveer, whose questions helped me to clarify my arguments.

Origin Stories: Same-Sex Sexuality and Christian Right Politics

In this paper, we examine dominant Christian conservative narratives of the origins of same-sex sexuality. Critics of the Christian right usually focus on a narrative of choice that Christian right organisations and activists use to explain the origins of same-sex sexuality. A choice narrative grounds a range of political positions and, in many contexts, effectively neutralises both claims of discrimination and public support for potential legal remedies. On the other hand, a narrative of development receives less attention from critics of the Christian right. Although it cannot be reduced to its political efficacy, the narrative of development has a political as well as therapeutic function. Indeed, this narrative circulates tacitly through a different set of public debates than those usually associated with the narrative of choice, including debates over programmes geared to eliminate antigay harassment in public schools. The two narratives create tensions within Christian conservative thought that can destabilise antigay social and political projects.

promoting freedom from poverty: political mobilization and the role of the Kensington Welfare Rights Union

Contemporary social policy toward low-income women in the United States, as evidenced both by Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Reconciliation Act (PRWORA) and by the AFDC programme that preceded it, is in part an artefact of long-standing conceptions of the nature of citizenship. This view sees citizenship as resting primarily on civil and political rights, not on rights with respect to economic, social, and cultural matters. Drawing on scholarly literature on the development of international human rights regimes, the feminist literature that analyses social policy both comparatively and in terms of US domestic policy, and literature regarding contemporary movements among low-income persons, this paper analyses the efforts of one organization, the Kensington Welfare Rights Union (KWRU), to challenge US policy via international human rights law and international enforcement mechanisms. We will suggest that, despite some of the flaws of the KWRU, their approach is a promising one for low-income women. In particular, we wish to suggest that a broader conception of citizenship that takes into account economic, cultural, and social rights is necessary to create a more equitable and democratic polity for women.

Queering the trans: Gender and sexuality binaries in Icelandic trans, queer, and feminist communities

Activists in feminist, queer, and trans movements share in common a critique of the existing gender order. Yet activists may have different understandings of what is wrong with existing gender arrangements, and different understandings of what might be required to establish greater social equality. Using data from interviews with activists in the feminist, queer, and trans movements in Iceland, this article looks at the ways that gender equality and the gender binary are understood by individuals who identify with feminist, queer, and/or trans activism, and some of their shared and conflicting critiques of the existing gender order.

Liberal Justice and the Political Economy of Children's Well-being

This paper addresses the question of whether liberal democracies have any collective interests in the well-being of children. After critiquing approaches to concern for childrens well-being, such as William Galstons, that attend more to the states interests than to childrens own interests, the paper discusses contemporary approaches to understanding justice with respect to children. In particular, it draws on Ian Shapiros and Martha Nussbaums work to develop a description of the basic conditions that are required for children to be treated with justice; that is, as ends rather than as means. It then utilizes this approach to discuss the conditions of children in the contemporary US with respect to basic material needs, as evidenced by the number of children who live in poverty. It concludes by arguing both for changes in public policy that reflect the interests of children, as well as for a different discourse regarding child poverty in order to reformulate public policy with respect to basic justice for all children.

Teaching Community Organizing and the Practice of Democracy

ABSTRACT This article builds on the political science literature on the pedagogy of civic engagement by discussing a recent pedagogical experiment that treats community partners as leaders and full participants in the design and implementation of community-engaged learning. The courses discussed here combine democratic theory, community organizing and leadership development, and partnership between students and a community organization in carrying out research and action projects on affordable housing.

Political Peoplehood: The Roles of Values, Interests, and Identities

that can facilitate the understanding of the economy’s financialization and the transformation of capitalism? To put simply, he does not sufficiently explore viable alternatives. In his estimation, neoliberalism is misunderstood as simply an economic approach, when in reality it is an empire, a scheme that filters all activities toward the acquiescence of omnipotent markets. Mirowski takes his line of reasoning to extremely advanced levels, and readers less familiar with the context of the crisis or neoliberal thought should prepare to revisit the sophisticated portions of the book. Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste is not a quick, easy read, and the uninitiated could be confused by the complexity of Mirowski’s writing. This is not to suggest, however, that the book is not worth the effort. Mirowski builds a tremendous case for his take on the financial meltdown’s aftermath and puts forth an exceptional effort to trace the market logic embedded in what appear to be alternative agendas. Economists, politicians, and activists of all stripes have promoted economic growth, risk-taking, and market-based solutions – all of which fit squarely within the expansive neoliberal umbrella. This could leave readers curious about the realistic likelihood of a non-neoliberal future, not to mention discouraged about the inability to escape this “zombie-like” reality. Due to the denial of the recession’s severity (brought on by cognitive dissonance), Mirowksi declares that the chances of serious reforms in the economic sector are even less likely in the aftermath of the crisis than it was before the collapse; the promotion of economic growth, risk-taking, and strong markets continues unquestioned. Mirowski’s work is a biting critique of the economics profession, an advanced guide to neoliberalism, and perhaps one of the most thorough commentaries on literature covering the Great Recession. Those studying neoliberalism will appreciate the content and arguments of Never Let a Serious Crisis Go to Waste.

Democracy and Higher Education

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Gender Equality and Trans Issues in Iceland

This paper will explore the complex interconnections of gender equality, gender identity, and sexuality in the Icelandic context by examining the contemporary state of trans inclusion in Iceland. The project includes background research on gender equality and state feminism and the relationship of these movements and architectures with movements for queer and trans inclusion. The project of which this paper is a part also will include original research with the LGBT, feminist, and trans community in Iceland, including interviews with movement leaders from Trans Island and Samtokin ’78 as well as the Icelandic parents’ organization, state feminists, and scholars.

Jailbait: The Politics of Statutory Rape Laws in the United States

Jailbait: The Politics of Statutory Rape Laws in the United States . By Carolyn E. Cocca. Albany: State University of New York Press. 2004. 228 pp. Paper