Histories of now: listening to women in British film

ABSTRACT

The research project ‘Calling the Shots: Women and contemporary film culture in the UK, 2000–2015’ investigates contemporary women's film history through two primary routes: the statistical analyses of the numbers of women in six key above-the-line professions (director, writer, producer, executive producer, cinematographer and editor), and interviews with 50 women in those same roles (by August 2018 we had interviewed 58). This paper focuses specifically on the permutations of the interview process for constructing women's film history in the contemporary period. Taking into consideration the theoretical, methodological and political issues at stake in recording oral histories of working women filmmakers, we contemplate the consequences of collecting and writing history that is still in medias res.     

Book notices

LAW AT WORK SERIES. General Editor, Paul O'Higgins. [Sweet &; Maxwell. 1980. £1.95 each.]

GOING TO LAW, by John McIlroy

TRADE UNIONS, by Richard Kidner

UNION MEMBERS, by Gillian Morris

SAFETY REPRESENTATIVES, by Roger Benedictus

EMPLOYMENT CONTRACTS, by Ian Smith

WAGES AND SALARIES, by Gerry Rubin

LAW OF EMPLOYMENT. Third Edition. By N. M. Selwyn. [Butterworths. 1980. 388 pp. (inc. appendices). £8.95.]

MODERN EMPLOYMENT LAW. Third Edition. By M. Whincup. [Heinemann. 1980. 305 pp. (inc. appendix). £8.50.]

NATHAN AND MARSHALL ‐ CASES AND COMMENTARY ON THE LAW OF TRUSTS. Seventh Edition. By D. J. Hayton. [Stevens. 1980. xxxix and 736 pp. (inc. index). £16.50.]

LAW OF TRUSTS. Second Edition. By L. B. Curzon. [Macdonald and Evans. 1980. xxxi and 316 pp. (inc. index). £4.50.]

CEDRIC D. BELL.

LAW AND ACCOUNTS OF EXECUTORS, ADMINISTRATORS AND TRUSTEES. Twentieth Edition. By B. G. Vickery. [Cassell. 1980. 371 pp. including glossary and answers to exercises, plus 6 pp. tables. £8.95.]

PROBATE PRACTICE AND PROCEDURE. By A. K. Biggs and A. P. Rogers. [Fourmat Publishing. 1980. 157 pp. inc. 35 pp. precedents, 7 pp. index and 8 pp. contents. £6.95.]

CONVEYANCING OF FREEHOLD PROPERTY. By Phyllis E. Newman. [Fourmat Publishing. 1980. 53 pp. inc. list of forms and index, plus 7 pp. tables, etc. £3.95.]

CONVEYANCING LAW. By P. H. Kenny and C. M. Bevan. [Macdonald &; Evans. 1980. 284 pp. inc. glossary, bibliography, note on examination technique, and index, plus 14 pp. tables, etc. £3.50.]

FINANCIAL MANAGEMENT FOR SOLICITORS. David S. Porter with Sir Desmond Heap. [Waterlow Cassettes. 1980. One hour running time, available only from publishers. £7.50 plus VAT and p&;p.]

REMEDIES FOR BREACH OF CONTRACT. By Hugh Beale. [Sweet &; Maxwell. 1980. xxiv and 248 pp. (inc. index). £10.85 (hardback); £7.40 (paperback).]

CONSUMER LAW. By M. J. Leder. [Macdonald and Evans. 1980. xxiv and 208 pp. (inc. index). £2.50.]

THE LAW AND PRACTICE OF COMPROMISE. By David Foskett. [Sweet &; Maxwell. 1980. 198 pp. inc. 19 pp. precedents and 6 pp. index, plus 22 pp. tables, etc. £18.50.]

CONSTITUTIONAL FUNDAMENTALS. By H. W. R. Wade. [Stevens &; Sons. 1980. x and 83 pp. (inc. index). £3.35.]

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW. By Lynda Banks. [Sweet &; Maxwell. 1980. vii and 84 pp. (inc. index). £1.50.]

DE SMITH'S JUDICIAL REVIEW OF ADMINISTRATIVE ACTION. Fourth Edition. By J. M. Evans. [Stevens, lxviii and 626 pp. (inc. index). £24.00.]

LAW AND SOCIETY IN ENGLAND. By B. Roshier and H. Teff. [Tavistock Publications Ltd. 247 pp. (inc. index). £4.95.]

JUSTICE AND WELFARE IN DIVORCE. By M. Murch. [Sweet &; Maxwell. 1980. viii and 307 pp. (inc. index). £10.75.]

SWEET &; MAXWELL'S SOCIAL WORK STATUTES. Edited by Richard M. Jones. [Sweet &; MaxwelL vii and 168 pp. (inc. index). £4.60.]

COMPANIES ACTS. Editor Maurice Kay. [Sweet &; Maxwell. 1980. 561 pp. (inc. index). £10.50.]

COMPANY LAW HANDBOOK. Editor Keith Walmsley. [Butterworths. Second edition. 1980. ix and 705 pp. (plus index). £11.96.]

HARRAP'S GERMAN AND ENGLISH GLOSSARY OF TERMS IN INTERNATIONAL LAW. By G. Gilbertson. [Harrap Books. 1981. xi and 355 pp. £25.00.]     

Perceived Parenting Competencies following Childhood Sexual Abuse: A Moderated Mediation Analysis

Childhood sexual abuse (CSA) survivors may face specific challenges in their parental role because of the negative sequelae of their abuse. This study explored factors that might heighten or buffer the risk for problems in parenting for intrafamilial CSA survivors. A community sample of 54 CSA mothers completed questionnaires assessing the severity of their CSA experiences, current depressive symptoms, partner support, and key parenting dimensions. Six moderated mediational models revealed that CSA severity indirectly impacted the survivor’s bond with her child, limit setting ability, communication, and parental involvement through depressive symptoms at high levels of partner support. Partner support was protective against many difficulties in parenting at low levels of depressive symptoms, but did not promote, and at times hindered, effective parenting at high depressive symptoms. This study’s findings highlight the importance of attending to risk and protective factors in understanding parenting among CSA survivors.     

The prevalence of co-witnesses and co-witness discussions in real eyewitnesses

Abstract

Several laboratory studies have shown that eyewitness discussions can negatively affect memory recall. The current study looked at the prevalence of multiple witnesses using real witnesses at a UK identification suite. We investigated the frequency of co-witness discussion, what the co-witnesses tended to discuss and whether there was an association between this information, and the outcome of the identification. Sixty witnesses at the Force Identification Unit in Brighton (UK) filled out a questionnaire following the identification procedure. Co-witnesses were reported by 88% of the sample, with the average number of co-witnesses being 4.02 (SD=6.52). In addition, 58% of the multiple witnesses had discussed the criminal event with at least one co-witness. The most common areas of discussion were ‘general crime details’ (52%) and ‘suspect details’ (39%). The implications of these findings are discussed.     

Encouraging eyewitnesses to falsely corroborate allegations: effects of rapport-building and incriminating evidence

Building rapport involves developing a harmonious relationship with another person and conveying understanding and acceptance towards that person. Law enforcement officers use rapport-building to help gather information from witnesses. But could rapport-building, in some situations, work to contaminate eyewitness testimony? Research shows that compelling incriminating evidence can lead people to corroborate false accusations made against another person. We investigated whether rapport-building – when combined with either Verbal or Verbal+Visual false evidence – might boost these corroboration rates. Subjects took part in a pseudo-gambling task, in which their counterpart was falsely accused of cheating. Using a 2 (Rapport: Rapport vs. No-rapport) × 2 (Incriminating Evidence: Verbal vs. Verbal+Visual) between-subjects design, we persuaded subjects to corroborate the accusation. We found that both rapport and verbal+visual incriminating evidence increased the compliance rate. Even when the incriminating evidence was only presented verbally, rapport-building subjects were almost three times as likely to corroborate a false accusation compared to subjects who did not undergo rapport-building. Our results suggest that although there is widespread and strong support for using rapport-building in interviews, doing so also has the potential to aggravate the contaminating power of suggestive interview techniques.