Speculating on the Exclusion of the Feminine

This article investigates Frenchfeminist philosopher, Luce Irigaray, with aview to discussing how a critique ofocularcentrism is a focus in articulating herproject of sexual difference. It will discusshow an ocularcentric tradition intersects withissues of sexual difference and language, andhow these together enact relations of powerthat erase the feminine from view. Irigaray'stextual strategies are explored as possessingthe potential to engender a new femininesubjectivity. This article is divided into foursections. In the first section, the privilegingof the visual in western philosophical thoughtis discussed, with particular reference tolanguage. In the following section, Irigaray'sintellectual project will be introduced, payingparticular attention to her use of language andthe role of vision. In the light of thesediscussions, Irigaray's re-reading of Plato'smyth of the cavern will then be subjected toclose examination and critique, to demonstratehow an ocularcentric tradition operates indiscourse. Finally the article will conclude bysuggesting an analysis of Irigaray's work interms of how language, vision, light, sexualdifference operate as relations of power isessential in the creation of a new femininesubjectivity.     

Type and Severity of Abuse as Predictors of Psychiatric Symptoms in Adolescence

There has been little previous research about histories of child maltreatment and psychological symptoms in adolescent psychiatric patients. This study investigated whether type and characteristics of child physical and/or sexual abuse predicted individual differences in symptoms. Participants were 187 patients in day or residential treatment facilities. Abuse was assessed using structured interviews with the adolescent, the therapist, and the caseworker. Participants completed a standardized, self-report measure of internalizing and externalizing symptoms. Adolescents with histories of dual abuse (i.e., sexual and physical abuse) had elevated depression and anxiety compared with nonabused patients. Histories of any type of abuse were associated with elevated posttraumatic symptoms. Among physically abused patients, severity and duration of abuse predicted individual differences in depression and anxiety, whereas severity and concomitant sexual abuse predicted elevated posttraumatic symptoms. Among sexually abused patients, the characteristics of sexual abuse did not predict individual differences in symptoms. Thus, child abuse, particularly dual abuse and severe physical abuse, predicted elevated internalizing symptoms, even in comparison with other adolescent psychiatric patients. The need for replication is discussed.     

ASSESSING AND MANAGING ALLEGATIONS OF CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

This article examines the procedures involved in the assessment and management of allegations of child sexual abuse in courts exercising custody and access jurisdictions. The author discusses the various options available to the court when confronted with such allegations, noting that, in the contex: of access disputes, the issue for the court is not whether a parent has sexually abused a child but whether, in all the circumstances of the case, access should take place or custody should change. In all matters involving access between parents and children, the overriding principle is the paramountcy of the welfare of the child. It is also argued that supervised access, although an increasingly popular alternative for the court when faced with allegations of abuse, is problematic and may not be in the best interests of the child. The author suggests that the emphasis must be on children's rights find parental responsibilities.     

When every relationship is above average

Marriage license applicants and law students were surveyed about their knowledge of divorce statutes, knowledge of the demographics of divorce, and expectations for their own marriage. Both groups had largely incorrect perceptions of the legal terms of the marriage contract as embodied in divorce statutes, but they had relatively accurate, if sometimes optimistic, perceptions of both the likelihood and the effects of divorce in the population at large. These same individuals expressed thoroughly idealistic expectations about both the longevity of their own marriages and the consequences should they personally be divorced. Increasing individuals' knowledge of divorce statutes through a course on family law did not diminish this unrealistic optimism. Both groups largely approved of the existing divorce statutes, although there was substantial agreement about a few important respects in which the laws should be changed. These findings suggest that the sense of unfairness and surprise that frequently attend divorce may be a result of systematic cognitive biases rather than of a lack of information about divorce.     

The effect of shock and regular probation upon recidivism: A comparative analysis

Previous studies of shock probation have reported mixed effects with regard to recidivism rates. This particular study compared the attributes of a sample of shock and regular probationers and discovered that type of probation was not significantly related to rearrest rates.     

Feminism and Canadian justice: How far have we come?

This paper discusses two interrelated problems. First, it discusses the impact the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms has had on women's social and economic status. Second, it discusses the role feminists can play in changing the face of the Canadian justice system. With regard to the first of these issues, it is observed that considerable evidence suggests that women's economic position has not improved in recent years. Women continue to be paid less men, are less likely than men to have access to employer pension plans, and are more likely to be included among those with incomes below the poverty line. The Charter has done little to change this. With regard to the role feminists can play in changing the justice system, it is argued that feminists must continue to channel at least some of their energy through the Supreme Court of Canada, even though the ultimate goals of feminism require a radical departure from and a transformation of the theories of justice.