Politics of Sexual Harassment

Sexual harassment, in particular in the workplace, is a controversial topic which often makes headline news. What accounts for the cross-national variation in laws, employer policies, and implementation of policies dealing with sexual harassment in the workplace? Why was the United States on the forefront of policy and legal solutions, and how did this affect politicization of sexual harassment in the European Union and its member states? Exploring the way sexual harassment has become a global issue, Kathrin Zippel draws on theories of comparative feminist policy, gender and welfare state regimes, and social movements to explore the distinct paths that the United States, the European Union and its member states, specifically Germany, have embarked on to address the issue. This comparison provides invaluable insights on the role of transnational movements in combatting sexual harassment, and on future efforts to implement the European Union Directive of 2002.

'This smart, readable book raises the bar for principled feminist empirical engagement with 'hot button' gender policy issues such as sexual harassment. The case materials, comparative method, and engagement with theory are exemplary; the political analysis is nuanced and revelatory for researchers and activists alike. Dr Zippel's careful, impassioned argument should win over a wide and thoughtful audience on both sides of the Atlantic.' Lisa D. Brush, University of Pittsburgh and author of Gender and Governance, 'Far from being just an American problem or obsession, sexual harassment is a global problem, as this richly documented book so nicely demonstrates. But government responses are not the same everywhere; indeed the extent to which harassment is placed in relation to other forms of discrimination against women or seen as something that could happen to anyone is an important difference between the US and Germany, affecting how effectively the law can respond to various situations. The case of sexual harassment also illustrates the policy ping pong game between the EU and its member states, making this a valuable study even for those not interested in issues of discrimination.' Myra Marx Ferree, University of Wisconsin-Madison, 'The Politics of Sexual Harassment is an outstanding piece of research on the cutting-edge of comparative feminist policy studies. The quality of scholarship and analytical scope will appeal to a broad international audience, across a variety of disciplines, at undergraduate, graduate and scholarly levels.' Amy G. Mazur, Washington State University, 'Kathrin Zippel's The Politics of Sexual Harassment offers important theoretical insights in the context of a rich empirical study, and will prove compelling for political sociologists, political scientists, scholars of gender studies and of social movements alike. For over a decade, much of the most exciting work in these fields has investigated the contribution of politics to the constitution of gender relations, and Zippel's work mines this productive vein in innovative ways. Starting with the birth of a new concept, sexual harassment, out of the ferment of feminist activism, Zippel traces how policies to deter sexual harassment have been taken up as a goal by political actors in both Germany and the US: grass-roots and legal activists, policy-makers and legislators, and then employers and union officials. Zippel's thorough comparative approach to sexual harassment is especially welcome, given both the complex character of this political change and the widespread assumption that culture alone explains national policy differences. Investigating the role of social movements, political organizations, legal systems and culture, the book provides a persuasive account for the different ways in which policies to combat sexual harassment have become part of the fabric of everyday worklife - a stunning example of the power of feminist politics.' Ann Orloff, Northwestern University, 'Overall, this is a highly informative book. For me one of its key strengths lay in exposing the hard road travelled by feminist activists (and in some countries, still to be travelled) to achieve something that I take for granted in my working life.' Social Policy and Administration

Kathrin S. Zippel is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the Department of Sociology and Anthropology, Northeastern University, Boston. She is also a visiting Assistant Professor in Social Studies at Harvard University.