First published in 1989, Staking a Claim brings feminist experience and social theory together to produce a systematic view of the State as an agent in sexual politics, thereby placing in question the nature of the State itself. The book approaches this task at two levels: an argument about the theory of the State and the social analysis of gender; and a set of case studies—childcare, equal employment opportunities, sexual violence—on the interplay between feminism and State structure in Australia during a period of 15 years.
In drawing on the experience of feminist demands on the State, Staking a Claim reveals how the State is constituted by gender relations and shaped by the vicissitudes of sexual politics. It will be a beneficial read for students and researchers of sociology.