Feminist Views of Pornography

The following discussion of feminist views of pornography took
place on WMST-L in January 2004.  For additional WMST-L files now
available on the Web, see the WMST-L File Collection.

Does anyone have a suggestion for where I might find a recent feminist
statement about pornography that could be used in class?  I was surprised
that this was not mentioned on the NOW website or any other website we
could find.   Irene Frieze   [frieze  AT  pitt.edu]

************************************
Irene Hanson Frieze, PhD.
Professor of Psychology, Business Administration
  and Women's Studies
Department of Psychology
3329 Sennott Square
210 S. Bouquet St.
University of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA  15260
United States of America

e-mail:  frieze  AT  pitt.edu
url:  http://www.pitt.edu/~frieze/
****************************************

You might try my essay "Deeper, Harder, Faster, More: Finding a
Feminist Future for Sex-Positive Smut," which was in the Fall 2002
issue of Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture.  I know it's being
taught/has been taught at a few places, including Ohio State and U. of
Washington.

Hanne Blank

Well...this depends on what exactly you are looking
for.  Do you want a feminist statement against
pornography, a feminist statement critiquing
pornography, a feminist statement supporting
pornography, or feminist statements that show the
variety of feminist positions on this issue?
Jessica Nathanson

Jessica Nathanson, Ph.D. American Studies
Concentration, Women's Studies
Adjunct Instructor, Liberal Arts, Kilian Community College
janathanson  AT  yahoo.com

Or, statement from feminist sex workers inside the
pornography industry? Or, statements on feminist
pornography?
Sarah Rasmusson

Here's one I wrote about 10 years ago that may still be relevant.  It
discusses the different perspectives but takes an anti-porn stance.
Cowan, G. (1994).  Pornography: Conflict among feminists. In J. Freeman
(Ed.).  Women: A feminist perspective (5th Ed).  pp. 347-364. Mt. View, CA;
Mayfield.
Gloria Cowan

Here's a great new book:

David Loftus, Watching Sex:  How Men Really Respond to Pornography (New
York:  Thunder's Mouth Press, 2002.


Joanna Frueh
Professor of Art History
Art Department/224
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0007
jfrueh  AT  unr.nevada.edu

I suggest Carol Adams' recent 2003 publication "The Pornography of Meat."

Carole Moschetti

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carole Moschetti
<c.moschetti  AT  pgrad.unimelb.edu.au>

Another recent book is "Feminism and Pornography" published in 2000
and edited by Drucilla Cornell.
Carole M

--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carole Moschetti
<c.moschetti  AT  pgrad.unimelb.edu.au>

I just finished an entry for the Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy on
Feminist Perspectives on Sex Markets, in which I give an overview of
feminist debates about pornography and prostitution.  I would be happy to
send you a draft, and also to others who may be interested, and I welcome
comments and suggestions.

Laurie Shrage
 Professor, Philosophy Department
 California State Polytechnic University
 Pomona, CA 91768
 ljshrage  AT  csupomona.edu
 http://www.csupomona.edu/~ljshrage/

Laurie, I would love to have a copy of your work-do you want an e-mail
address or regular mail address?



 "For if the mind can imagine it, the mind can make it so...Susan"

 Dr. Susan Clark-Cook
 Clinical Psychologist
 Counseling and Student Development
 Adjunct Assistant Professor, Behavioral and Political Science

I survey a wide range of feminist views on pornography in the pornography
chapter of my _Feminism: Issues and Arguments_ (Oxford University Press
2003).  Another place to go for a broad range of views would be Sue Dwyer
(ed.) _The Problem of Pornography_ (Wadsworth 1995).

Best,

Jenny


Dr Jennifer M Saul
Department of Philosophy
University of Sheffield
Sheffield, UK
S10 2TN
j.saul  AT  sheffield.ac.uk

This is probably the most up to date comment on feminism and pornography.


http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=3D2428142

Mon 19 Jan 2004

6:44pm (UK)
Why Do Men Want to Watch Porn? Asks Swedish MEP

By Geoff Meade, Europe Editor, PA News, in Brussels

http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=3Dstory&ncid=3D1293&e=3D1&u=3D/afp/20040119/tc_afp/eu_sex_pornography&sid=3D96001016



Internet helping hardcore porn enter mainstream
Mon Jan 19, 1:25 PM ET


--
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Carole Moschetti
<c.moschetti  AT  pgrad.unimelb.edu.au>=

The article cited by Carole Olive Moschetti is indeed up to date, and it
bids me to reiterate my praise for David Loftus's Watching Sex:  How Men
Really Respond to Pornography (2003).

Loftus's sensitive, intelligent consideration of pornography
incorporates feminist critiques and is itself feminist in the most
humane of ways.

Joanna Frueh

Professor of Art History
Department of Art/224
University of Nevada, Reno
Reno, NV 89557-0007
jfrueh  AT  unr.nevada.edu

Loftus visited my school, SOU, last Spring.  I wasn't as impressed as
Joanna, I'm afraid.  He argued that feminists take the position of Catherine
MacKinnon and Andrea Dworkin until I pointed out to him that feminists take
a wide variety of positions on pornography.  I felt he was most concerned
about selling his book than providing a fair and accurate representation of
the range of feminist views on the subject.  Also, I think we should look
into the methodology of his sampling of male opinion.

Best, Barbara Scott Winkler
Director, Women's Studies
Southern Oregon University
1250 Siskiyou Blvd.
Ashland, OR 97520
winklerb  AT  sou.edu

The same article is directly related to potential EU legislation and
other domestic legislation within a number of member states. Ireland
wants to make the selling of sex illegal (within the EU).

Greagoir O'Cearullain
Humanitas
4 Downfine Walk
Belfast
BT11 8NX
catholic.humanitas  AT  ntlworld.com

jfrueh wrote:
>
> The article cited by Carole Olive Moschetti is indeed up to date, and it
> bids me to reiterate my praise for David Loftus's Watching Sex:  How Men
> Really Respond to Pornography (2003).