Interrogating Incest: Feminism, Foucault and the Law

Interrogating Incestdiscusses how feminist theory, informed by the work of Michel Foucault, can create ways of talking about and understanding incest, a topic usually placed under the category of sexual violence and abuse, but otherwise neglected. InInterrogating Incest, Vikki Bell discusses this issue in the context of sociological and feminist theory and criminal law. By examining incest in the context of Foucauldian theories, she considers how feminist discourse on incest fits into existing ways of talking about sex. Closely surveying the historical background to incest legislation and the theoretical issues involved, Vikki Bell delineates their practical implications to show what uncomfortable questions and important dilemmas are raised by the criminalization of incest.