Gender,Sexuality and the Theory of Seduction

Fletcher seeks to readdress the sex-gender-sexuality distinctions and the Lacanian theorization of sexual difference in the framework of Jean Laplanche's generalized theory of primal seduction. In particular he addresses the double-bind of phallocentrism, as outlined by Jacqueline Rose and Juliet Mitchell, that seems to be entailed by the requirements of a symbolic, constructionist account of the unconscious and the divided subject. He argues that Laplanche's generalized theory of seduction elaborates an account of the formation of the unconscious as a separate mental system and of the sexual drives as a result of the signifying relations with the other, the adult other of personal pre-history, and of the consequent entry into symbolization. This moment of seduction/translation/primal repression is rigorously distinguished from the secondary moments of the Oedipus and castration complexes which are conceived as secondary forms of binding and translation of the enigmatic signifiers implanted by the adult (which includes assignations of gender). Fletcher argues that the symbolic, constructionist requirement is met - no castration without representation - without its reversal as in Lacanian theory into the very different, phallocentric position - no representation without castration. This has important implications for the theorization of dissident sexual subjectivities as well of the specificity of female sexuality.     

The social construction of electronic space

Computer‐mediated communication is a phenomenon of post‐industrial society. As a consequence of the interactivity and persistent textual nature of this form of communication, new spaces of sociality are constructed which can be analysed and interpreted with the epistemologies and methodologies utilised in understanding more conventional places. This approach reveals that electronic spaces are constructions firmly tied to the cultural and social experiences of ‘real‐world’ existences. Electronic identities, then, are built from this wide base of experience and ‘real‐world’ identity rather than, as is sometimes claimed, begun afresh. These connections to understood material culture and the prevalence of the typed word in electronic spaces permits a digital archaeology, inspired by material culture studies, which is both revealing of the users of these spaces as well as the wider social constructions of post‐industrial society.     

Mendel's Ark: Conservation Genetics and the Future of Extinction

Amid the current biodiversity crisis and the ongoing threat of mass extinctions caused by modern anthropogenic factors such as industrialization, poaching and habitat destruction, conservation genetics provides tools (such as somatic‐cell nuclear transfer) that could help to ensure the survival of species and ecosystems. Yet as conservation genetics shifts from the laboratory and scientific communities into mainstream awareness, numerous political questions arise. For example, which species should be priorities for research and restoration via expensive biotechnology interventions? Does the increasing availability of biotechnological tools alter our perception of the biodiversity crisis and the natural world? Why are some stakeholders so opposed to using advanced biotechnology in conservation? Finally, and perhaps most controversially, what are the realistic outer limits of such tools with respect to the idea of “conquering extinction”?     

The Hamdan Case and Conspiracy as a War Crime: A New Beginning for International Law in the US

In the Hamdan decision, Judge Stevens, writing for the majority,addressed the boundaries of the law of war and specificallywhether the conspiracy charge lodged against Hamdan constituteda violation of this body of customary international law. TheSupreme Court persuasively held that conspiracy does not constitutea war crime.