Owen Heathcote

Clare Beckett

Marie Macey

Negotiating Boundaries: Identities, Sexualities, Diversities is a collection of essays by contributors from—and/or on—societies across the world: Boznia-Herzogovinia, Croatia, France, Iran, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, South and West Africa, the UK and the USA. They are from a range of academic disciples—English Literature, Islamic and Middle Eastern Studies, Literary and Cultural Studies, Modern Languages, Religious Studies, Social Anthropology, Social Policy, Sociology and Theology. This level of diversity has resulted in the most wide-ranging volume ever published in the social sciences and humanities around the concept of "Boundaries". The book is at the cutting edge of intellectual thinking on personal and social "boundaries" applied to such areas as: Art, Genocidal Rape, Identities, God/Godde, Lesbianism, Literature, Men in "Women's Professions", Muslim women in Muslim and non-Muslim countries, Nationalism and Symbolism, Poetry, Religion, Sexual Harassment, Sexuality, Women in Science, Transgenderism, Virginity Testing and War. This range of contributors, locations and topics could have resulted in an incoherent volume with appeal to only a somewhat esoteric readership. However, the skilful use of the concept of "Boundaries" not only gives this book structured coherence, but makes it important reading for a wide range of academics, theorists and researchers in a diversity of disciplines. "This is a lively, engaged, nuanced portrayal of the struggles around identity, inequality and domination. Ambitious in its scope – international, interdisciplinary and multi-dimensional in its social focus, Identities, Sexualities, Diversities offers a powerful picture of struggle and the pursuit of change, through the conceptual lens of boundaries. This collection explores the diverse ways boundaries operate, bringing new insights and questions to an established debate. It also, importantly, explores how boundaries can provide bridges. Thus, through its interweaving of theory and empirical analysis, and through its stories of bodies, texts, work, sexual expression, self-presentation, and changing values, Identities, Sexualities, Diversities offers a text that is reflexive, analytically thoughtful, and, significantly, hopeful.” —Davina Cooper, Professor of Law and Political Theory, Director of AHRC Research Centre for Law, Gender and Sexuality, Kent Law School, University of Kent “This is a fascinating collection of papers that provides new and important insights into the variety and natures of boundaries around ethnicity, identity and sexuality. Using the complex concept of boundaries the writers explore identities, sexualities and diversities through boundary crossings, contested boundaries, oppressive boundaries and creative, resistant boundaries. This provides a wonderful, coherent engagement with some of the key struggles at the present time over contested territory at personal and global levels. The range of articles ensures that these debates are contextualised in particular societies and cultures providing a rich source of theoretical material that helps our understandings of these complex and crucial issues. The theoretical rigour and fascinating insights presented in this edited book deserves a wide readership from those involved in the social sciences, women’s studies, the humanities and all those interested in transgressing conventional boundaries of scholarship”. —Sheila Scraton, Pro-Vice Chancellor, Director of University Research, Professor of Leisure and Feminist Studies, Leeds Metropolitan University.

Clare Beckett

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