Carol Lee Bacchi – författare

This book offers a powerful new approach to policy studies. Drawing on recent perspectives from social constructionism, discourse analysis, the sociology of social problems and feminism, Carol Bacchi develops a step-by-step analytical tool for deconstructing policy problems. Her `What's the Problem?' approach encourages students to reflect critically upon the ways in which policy problems get constructed within policy debates and policy proposals.

This book offers a powerful new approach to policy studies. Drawing on recent perspectives from social constructionism, discourse analysis, the sociology of social problems and feminism, Carol Bacchi develops a step-by-step analytical tool for deconstructing policy problems. Her `What's the Problem?' approach encourages students to reflect critically upon the ways in which policy problems get constructed within policy debates and policy proposals.

`This book makes a major contribution to an issue of central concern to feminists. It is well written, thoroughly researched and thoughtfully argued. Wide-ranging and comprehensive in scope, the book is carefully structured, using different countries to illustrate the specific ways in which affirmative action is co-opted and contained in practice' - Jeanne Gregory, Middlesex University

This timely and incisive book brings a theoretical lens to the debates around affirmative action. It presents a comparative analysis of those countries reputed to be leading the way in policies for women - the United States, Canada, Australia, Sweden, The Netherlands and Norway.

Carol Lee Bacchi draws upon current social and feminist theory to present a lucid analysis of the implementation of reform. Taking account of the particular historical context of affirmative action policies, she considers why expressed commitment to affirmative action for women has failed to translate into meaningful reform. She describes how conceptual and identity categories are given meanings and positioned in debate in ways which work to contain the effects of the reform. Bacchi concludes that proponents of affirmative action need to direct more attention to the political uses of categories than to their abstract content, and to concentrate their efforts upon exposing the effects of category politics.

Are women the same as or different from men? Should women seek ‘equality’ with men or admit their ‘difference’? First published in 1990, Same Difference explores these highly-charged political questions by examining how the women’s movement has engaged with them over time and in three countries—Australia, Britain, and America. Case studies include disputes about maternity leave, protective legislation, affirmative action, custody, pornography, rape, and women’s supposed metaphysical differences from men—their greater nurturing and caring capacity.Challenging a common view of the women’s movement as perpetually riven into ‘sameness’ and ‘difference’ camps, Same Difference highlights the political conditions which impel some feminists to argue in these terms. The implication of the analysis is that debates about sexual difference divert attention from important social issues such as how society is to reproduce itself and what kind of society we wish to create.This book will be a beneficial read for students and researchers of feminist theory, women’s studies, and sociology.

Are women the same as or different from men? Should women seek ‘equality’ with men or admit their ‘difference’? First published in 1990, Same Difference explores these highly-charged political questions by examining how the women’s movement has engaged with them over time and in three countries—Australia, Britain, and America. Case studies include disputes about maternity leave, protective legislation, affirmative action, custody, pornography, rape, and women’s supposed metaphysical differences from men—their greater nurturing and caring capacity.Challenging a common view of the women’s movement as perpetually riven into ‘sameness’ and ‘difference’ camps, Same Difference highlights the political conditions which impel some feminists to argue in these terms. The implication of the analysis is that debates about sexual difference divert attention from important social issues such as how society is to reproduce itself and what kind of society we wish to create.This book will be a beneficial read for students and researchers of feminist theory, women’s studies, and sociology.