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<p>Acknowledgements vi</p> <p>1 Introduction 1</p> <p>2 Multiculturalism, universalism and the claims of democracy 16</p> <p>3 Dilemmas of gender and culture: the judge, the democrat and the political activist 38</p> <p>4 What is ‘culture’? 57</p> <p>5 What’s wrong with essentialism? 69</p> <p>6 When culture means gender: issues of cultural defence in the English courts 83</p> <p>7 Free to decide for oneself 107</p> <p>8 Consent, autonomy and coercion: forced marriage, public policy and the courts 124</p> <p>Notes 142</p> <p>Bibliography 157</p> <p>Index 165</p>

"[Phillips] draws attention to a whole new set of questions about the relationship between gender and culture and provides directions for future research in this area."<br /> <i><b>Political Studies Review</b></i><br /> <br /> <p>"Anne Phillips's work demonstrates the exhilaration and importance of sustained critique. This insightful work is the latest contribution in her deft and decisive critiques of multiculturalism. It lays out the moral, philosophical and practical grounds at stake in tackling the intractable Gordian knot of gender and culture. It raises all our hopes and forces us to rethink the most settled of positions."<br /> <b>Henrietta Moore, London School of Economics</b></p>

<b>Anne Phillips</b> is Professor of Political and Gender Theory at London School of Economics and Political Science.

'Anne Phillips's work demonstrates the exhilaration and importance of sustained critique. This insightful work is the latest contribution in her deft and decisive critiques of multiculturalism. It lays out the moral, philosophical and practical grounds at stake in tackling the intractable Gordian knot of gender and culture. It raises all our hopes and forces us to rethink the most settled of positions.'<br /> Henrietta Moore, London School of Economics <p>The idea that respect for cultural diversity conflicts with gender equality is now a staple of both public and academic debate. Yet discussion of these tensions is marred by exaggerated talk of cultural difference, leading to ethnic reductionism, cultural stereotyping and a hierarchy of traditional and modern. In this volume, Anne Phillips rejects the notion that ‘culture' might justify the oppression of women, but also queries the stereotypical binaries that have represented people from ethnocultural minorities as peculiarly resistant to gender equality.</p> <p>The questions addressed include the relationship between universalism and cultural relativism, how to distinguish valid generalization from either gender or cultural essentialism, and how to recognize women as agents rather than captives of culture. The discussions are illuminated by reference to legal cases and policy interventions, with a particular focus on forced marriage and cultural defence.</p> <p>No-one should assume that the choices women make about their lives are forced on them by oppressive and patriarchal cultures, and governments should be wary about leaping prematurely into protective mode. A focus on women's agency can, however, lead to complacency, understating the cultural and other pressures operating on them and the sometimes urgent need for (even paternalistic) protection. The debate on this continues.</p>

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