Description
Book SynopsisOffensive street speech - racist and sexist remarks that can make its targets feel both psychologically and physically threatened - is common in our society. This title argues that racist and sexist speech creates, reproduces, and reinforces systems of hierarchy in public places.
Trade Review"The author has written a compelling text that not only highlights the problem of offensive public speech experienced daily by ordinary citizens but broadens our understanding of this noxious issue."--Susan Fineran, American Journal of Sociology
Table of ContentsList of Tables ix Acknowledgments xi CHAPTER ONE Introduction 1 CHAPTER TWO Law and Power in Sidewalk Encounters: Conflicting Perspectives on Offensive Public Speech 17 CHAPTER THREE Experiencing Offensive Public Speech: The Detailed Calculus for Being in Public 39 CHAPTER FOUR Offensive Public Speech as a Personal Problem, Social Problem, and Subject for Legal Intervention 68 CHAPTER FIVE Ordinary Citizens' Views of the Legal Regulation of Street Speech 98 CHAPTER SIX Power in Public: Reactions, Responses, and Resistance to Offensive Public Speech 133 CHAPTER SEVEN License to Harass 167 APPENDIX A Research Design 181 APPENDIX B Questionnaire 198 Notes 207 Cases Cited 211 References 213 Index 219
