Sex Equality

Sex Equality is a legal casebook and theoretical treatise that examines gender discrimination through constitutional and legal frameworks. The text analyzes court decisions, statutes, and legal arguments related to sex-based discrimination in the United States and internationally. MacKinnon presents materials on topics including workplace harassment, reproduction rights, gender violence, and social equality between men and women. The book incorporates legal documents, scholarly articles, and critical commentaries to illustrate how laws shape gender relations and impact women's lives. The work addresses both historical developments in sex equality law and contemporary challenges facing courts and legislatures. MacKinnon integrates international human rights perspectives with domestic constitutional analysis to examine discrimination issues. This comprehensive text challenges conventional legal approaches to equality and proposes new frameworks for understanding gender-based subordination in law. The book serves as both an academic resource and a critique of existing legal doctrine around sex discrimination.

Readers describe Sex Equality as a comprehensive legal casebook that examines discrimination and constitutional law through a feminist lens. Positive reviews highlight: - Clear organization of complex legal concepts - Inclusion of international perspectives and cases - Effective blend of theory and practical applications - Detailed notes and questions after cases - Coverage of intersectional issues Common criticisms: - Dense academic writing style - High cost for students - Some outdated case selections - Can be overwhelming for introductory law students Ratings: Goodreads: 4.0/5 (12 ratings) Amazon: 3.7/5 (6 ratings) "The questions after cases pushed me to think more critically about gender and law" - Goodreads reviewer "Too theoretical for a first-year law course but excellent for advanced studies" - Amazon reviewer "MacKinnon's commentary provides crucial context missing from other casebooks" - Law student reviewer

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🔷 Catharine MacKinnon pioneered the legal claim for sexual harassment in the workplace, developing it first as a law student in the 1970s. Her theories became foundational to modern workplace discrimination law. 🔷 The book explores numerous groundbreaking Supreme Court cases, including Price Waterhouse v. Hopkins (1989), which established that gender stereotyping is a form of sex discrimination. 🔷 MacKinnon served as a special gender adviser to the International Criminal Court prosecutor from 2008-2012, helping to shape international legal approaches to gender-based violence. 🔷 Sex Equality is used as a core textbook in over 100 law schools worldwide and has influenced the development of equality jurisprudence in multiple countries. 🔷 The book's approach to pornography law and its relationship to equality rights sparked significant debate in feminist legal circles and influenced Canadian Supreme Court decisions on obscenity law.