Passing By Gender and Public Harassment

Catcalls, wolf whistles, verbal slurs, pinches, stalking - virtually every woman has experienced some form of unwanted public attention by men. This title explores the important yet little-examined issue of gender-related public harassment. It documents the various types of indignity visited on women in public places.

"Examines the minute, seemingly inconsequential violations of public civility that often occur in encounters between strangers in contemporary American society. Drawing on a wealth of observations and interviews, Gardner insightfully and sensitively examines the structure and processes of public harassment which women and others regularly encounter. In so doing. she extends the social scientific concern with harassment from workplace to public place encounters, deepening it in the process."—Robert M. Emerson, University of California, Los Angeles

"A compelling and important book. Every reader will recognize the humiliations, conflicts, and ambiguous encounters that constitute public harassment. Gardner provides fresh and telling insight into seemingly trivial but enormously consequential daily experiences. She is alert to complex relations between gender and race, sexual orientation, and disability in the construction of public encounters. Her articulation of double-binds and everyday dilemmas has practical payoff for efforts to create a safe and mutually respectful society."—Barrie Thorne, author of Gender Play

"A unique study that will be a paradigm for others. . . . Its contributions to the sociology of everyday life and to the understanding of public encounters and harassment are unparalleled."—Douglas Maynard, University of Indiana, Bloomington