Gail Dines
Encyclopedia
Gail Dines is a feminist anti-pornography
activist, author, professor, and lecturer. An academic, she has also been described as "The world's leading anti-pornography campaigner".
, England and received her Ph.D. from Salford University. She moved to Israel
in 1980 at the age of 22, where she married and became a feminist, and then to the United States in 1986. Since 1986 she has been at Wheelock College
in Boston
, where she is Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies and Chair of the American Studies
department.
, and the International Encyclopedia of Communication, and also in popular general-interest publications including Newsweek
, Time
, Working Woman, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, USA Today
, the Huffington Post, and the Daily Mail
. Dines is a founding member of Stop Porn Culture and co-founder of the National Feminist Anti-Pornography Movement. She has given lectures and participated in formal debates regarding pornography's effect on society at universities.
In 2011, Dines was invited alongside fellow anti-pornography activist Shelley Lubben
to debate against Anna Span
at the University of Cambridge
when it proposed the motion "This house believes that pornography does a good public service." Dines did not sway the house, which decided 231 to 187 against her views. Dines said her opponents won because the chamber consisted mostly of "18-22 year old males who are using pornography on a regular basis."
writes
Mike Tribby of Booklist
said that
Dines has also been criticized by some feminists of attempting to foment moral panic
, particularly in opposition to sex work and sex workers' rights, rather than advancing an academically rigorous position.
In 2007 Dines wrote an article on the Duke lacrosse case in which she suggested "we should put some of the focus back on the men in this case" and their behavior because "they saw the hiring of two black women to strip as a legitimate form of male entertainment." Writer Cathy Young
criticised what she saw as Dines' double-standards, stating "the same feminists who rightly tell us that a rape victim should not have to be an angel to deserve support apply such a different standard to men who may be falsely accused of rape
.
Pornography
Pornography or porn is the explicit portrayal of sexual subject matter for the purposes of sexual arousal and erotic satisfaction.Pornography may use any of a variety of media, ranging from books, magazines, postcards, photos, sculpture, drawing, painting, animation, sound recording, film, video,...
activist, author, professor, and lecturer. An academic, she has also been described as "The world's leading anti-pornography campaigner".
Biography
Dines was born in ManchesterManchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
, England and received her Ph.D. from Salford University. She moved to Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
in 1980 at the age of 22, where she married and became a feminist, and then to the United States in 1986. Since 1986 she has been at Wheelock College
Wheelock College
Wheelock College is a private, coeducational college located in Boston, Massachusetts. The school was founded in 1888 by Lucy Wheelock. The mission of Wheelock College is to primarily improve the lives of children and families...
in Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
, where she is Professor of Sociology and Women's Studies and Chair of the American Studies
American studies
American studies or American civilization is an interdisciplinary field dealing with the study of the United States. It traditionally incorporates the study of history, literature, and critical theory, but also includes fields as diverse as law, art, the media, film, religious studies, urban...
department.
Career
Dines is the author of three books including Pornland, published in 2010. Her articles have appeared in the New Left Project, the Journal of Violence Against Women, CounterPunchCounterpunch
Counterpunch can refer to:* Counterpunch , a punch in boxing* CounterPunch, a bi-weekly political newsletter* Counterpunch , a type of punch used in traditional typography* Punch-Counterpunch, a Transformers character...
, and the International Encyclopedia of Communication, and also in popular general-interest publications including Newsweek
Newsweek
Newsweek is an American weekly news magazine published in New York City. It is distributed throughout the United States and internationally. It is the second-largest news weekly magazine in the U.S., having trailed Time in circulation and advertising revenue for most of its existence...
, Time
Time (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
, Working Woman, the New York Times, the Boston Globe, USA Today
USA Today
USA Today is a national American daily newspaper published by the Gannett Company. It was founded by Al Neuharth. The newspaper vies with The Wall Street Journal for the position of having the widest circulation of any newspaper in the United States, something it previously held since 2003...
, the Huffington Post, and the Daily Mail
Daily Mail
The Daily Mail is a British daily middle-market tabloid newspaper owned by the Daily Mail and General Trust. First published in 1896 by Lord Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun. Its sister paper The Mail on Sunday was launched in 1982...
. Dines is a founding member of Stop Porn Culture and co-founder of the National Feminist Anti-Pornography Movement. She has given lectures and participated in formal debates regarding pornography's effect on society at universities.
In 2011, Dines was invited alongside fellow anti-pornography activist Shelley Lubben
Shelley Lubben
Shelley Lubben is an American former pornographic actress who performed under the stage name of Roxy. After she left the sex industry, Lubben became a born-again Christian and anti-pornography activist...
to debate against Anna Span
Anna Span
Anna Arrowsmith , who works under the pseudonym Anna Span, is an English pornographic film director. She is also a public speaker on sex, pornography, and feminism.-Early life:...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
when it proposed the motion "This house believes that pornography does a good public service." Dines did not sway the house, which decided 231 to 187 against her views. Dines said her opponents won because the chamber consisted mostly of "18-22 year old males who are using pornography on a regular basis."
Advocacy
Dines's view is that pornography distorts the user's view of sexuality and makes more difficult the establishment of real-life intimate relationships with women. Dines maintains that modern pornography is cruel and violent, unlike earlier forms of pornography with which the general public may be familiar, and has the effect of tending to generally degrade the position of women in society. She also advances the position that the prevalence of hardcore pornography is a contributing factor in increasing "demand" for sex trafficking.Reception
Dines' recent work, Pornland: How Porn Has Hijacked our Sexuality has met with mixed reviews, with many critics citing the use of inflammatory language in the place of genuine academic research. Publishers WeeklyPublishers Weekly
Publishers Weekly, aka PW, is an American weekly trade news magazine targeted at publishers, librarians, booksellers and literary agents...
writes
Mike Tribby of Booklist
Booklist
Booklist is a publication of the American Library Association that provides critical reviews of books and audiovisual materials for all ages. It is geared toward libraries and booksellers and is available in print or online...
said that
Dines has also been criticized by some feminists of attempting to foment moral panic
Moral panic
A moral panic is the intensity of feeling expressed in a population about an issue that appears to threaten the social order. According to Stanley Cohen, author of Folk Devils and Moral Panics and credited creator of the term, a moral panic occurs when "[a] condition, episode, person or group of...
, particularly in opposition to sex work and sex workers' rights, rather than advancing an academically rigorous position.
In 2007 Dines wrote an article on the Duke lacrosse case in which she suggested "we should put some of the focus back on the men in this case" and their behavior because "they saw the hiring of two black women to strip as a legitimate form of male entertainment." Writer Cathy Young
Cathy Young
Cathy Young is a Russian American journalist and writer whose books and articles, as well as columns which appear in the libertarian monthly Reason, and also weekly in The Boston Globe, primarily espouse equality feminism and libertarianism.-Life and Career:Born in Moscow, the capital of what was...
criticised what she saw as Dines' double-standards, stating "the same feminists who rightly tell us that a rape victim should not have to be an angel to deserve support apply such a different standard to men who may be falsely accused of rape
False accusation of rape
A false accusation of rape is an accusation, formal or informally made against another individual or individuals concerning a forcible sexual assault. Detailed investigations using differing samples and methodologies have found widely differing results ranging from as high as 41% to as low as 1.5%...
.