Sexual Harassment: A Debate

(Paperback)

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The question of what constitutes sexual harassmentfrom suggestive remarks to outright threats, from off-color jokes to lewd posters on office wallsis contentious, as is the question of how to address sexual harassment. Do all instances of sexual harassment constitute sex discrimination Are some instances merely sexual attraction gone wrong Do social policies aimed at eliminating sexual harassment in the workplace violate freedom of expression or do they make working relationships possible between women and men In this uncompromising yet respectful debate, two philosophers of widely divergent views present clear arguments and then respond directly to each other's reasoning. LeMonchek argues for a feminist perspective on sexual harassment that is sensitive to the politics of gender. Hajdin contends that this perspective is both morally confusing and legally problematic, and that sexual harassment can be better addressed by traditional moral and legal categories.

Reviews

This lively, illuminating debate on sexual harassment covers all the bases. These sophisticated essays certainly help clarify and resolve the issues. -- Alan Soble, University of New Orleans; co-editor of The Philosophy of Sex: Contemporary Readings (sixth edition, 2013)
A probing, well-reasoned book in which both authors set forth cogent arguments for their opposing positions. It is the best work on the morality of sexual harassment and should be read by anyone concerned to understand the complexity of the issue. -- Louis Pojman, US Military Academy
Hajdin raises astute criticisms of the present paradigm. LeMoncheck ably defends the feminist stance on sexual harassment, and offers telling rebuttals to Hajdin. All in all, a lively and provocative work. -- Ellen Frankel, Bowling Green State University
LeMoncheck and Hajdin's work recognizes the ambiguities and complexities inherent in sexual harassment. It reminds us that there are no easy resolutions to a debate that is just beginning. -- Billie Wright Dziech, coauthor of The Lecherous Professor: Sexual Harassment on Campus and Sexual Harassment in Higher Education

Author Bio

Linda LeMoncheck is the author of Dehumanizing Women: Treating Persons as Sex Objects and Loose Women, Lecherous Men: A Feminist Philosophy of Sex.

Mane Hajdin, senior lecturer at the University of Waikato in New Zealand, is the author of The Boundaries of Moral Discourse.