Programme full

Wednesday 15 April 2015 16:00 - 17:30
PAPER SESSION 3
Towards Intimate Justice? Everyday Politics of Domestic Violence Law and Legal Pluralism in Cambodia
Brickell, K.
(Royal Holloway, University of London)
In September 2005 the Cambodian National Assembly ratified the 'Law on the Prevention of Domestic Violence and
the Protection of the Victims'. Based on two years of fieldwork (2012-2014) funded by the ESRC/Department for
International Development (DFID), I explore the hiatus that has emerged between promises enshrined in legal reform
and progress realised on the ground. To do so, I trace the everyday politics of domestic violence law from the
perspective of victims, legal professionals, NGO workers, police officers and other authority leaders who operate
under a pluri-legal system of state-sanctioned and customary law. Insights are provided on how domestic violence law
has been variously embraced and rejected in the homes, commune councils, and government offices that contribute
to its success or failure to meet its objective, to: 'prevent domestic violence, protect the victims and strengthen the
culture of non-violence and harmony within the households in society in the Kingdom of Cambodia'. In turn, the paper
deals with the tricky question of what 'intimate justice' equates to, and how it is (im-) mobilised, by different lay and
institutional stakeholders central to domestic violence alleviation efforts.
Hidden Voices: Disabled Women’s Experiences of Violence and Support over the Lifecourse
Shah, S.
(University of Glasgow)
Violence against women is a worldwide social and human rights problem that cuts across cultural, geographical,
religious, social and economic boundaries. It affects women in countries around the world, regardless of class,
religion, disability, age or sexual identity. International evidence shows that approximately every 3 to 5 women
experienced physical and/or sexual violence by an intimate partner. However, across the globe, women and girls with
impairments or life-limiting illnesses are more susceptible to different forms of violence across a range of
environments and by different perpetrators including professionals and family members as well as partners. However
they are likely to be seriously disadvantaged in gaining information and support to escape the abusive relationships.
This paper stems from the United Kingdom part of an comparative study with three other countries (Austria,
Germany and Iceland) funded by the European Commission (2013-15). It presents preliminary findings, generated
from life history interviews, about disabled women's experiences of violence and access to support (both formal and
informal) over their lifecourse, and their aspirations for the prevention of violence in the future. The paper includes
examples of impairment-specific violence that non-disabled women do not experience. By bringing the voices of
disabled women into the public domain, the paper will facilitate a historically marginalised group to contribute to the
debate about disability, violence and support.
EXPECTATIONS
Science and Technology Studies
W525, HAMISH WOOD BUILDING
Epigenetics, Neuroscience and Novelty: Exploring the ‘Seductive Allure’ of the Social Biologies in Policy,
Academia and Everyday Life
Pickersgill, M.
(University of Edinburgh)
In 2010, a news piece in the journal Science appeared entitled 'The seductive allure of epigenetics'. Its subtitle asked
the following questions: 'Could chemical changes to DNA underlie some of society's more vexing problems? Or is this
hot new field getting ahead of itself?' Such framings resonate with writings on neuroscience, which likewise is 'hot' –
and with heat emanating not just from the academy but also 'the policy room' and a wide range of public forums.
Central to the production of heat (and, perhaps, light) is the figuration of epigenetics and neuroscience (which,
following philosopher Maurizio Meloni, we might call 'social biologies') as in some way 'novel'. In this presentation, I
draw on data from on-going research funded by the Leverhulme and Wellcome Trusts to consider how some of the
discourse surrounding epigenetics and neuroscience within social policy, academia and beyond frames these
endeavours as 'novel' (and to what ends). Relevant data includes interviews with scientists and policymakers, as well
as the commentaries of social scientists themselves - within which the supposed novelty of neuroscience and
epigenetics is often a precondition for markedly 'progressive' or 'regressive' readings of bioscience. In sum, through
this talk I will consider the construction and framing of novelty, including how the ascribed novelty of the social
129 BSA Annual Conference 2015
Glasgow Caledonian University