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Katie Cruz

 

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Research Topic

Feminisms within/out the state: Exploring narratives of depoliticisation in feminist theory through the lens of sex work discourse and activism in the UK.

Katie is a PhD student in law at the University of Nottingham. Her research focuses on feminist legal and political theory and feminist activism in the UK. She teaches public law, and participates in feminist and sex work organising. Her research seeks to interrogate recent accounts of depoliticisation in feminist legal/political theory, radical feminist and sex work theory and activism. She suggests that these narratives posit that feminism is depoliticised – eg, it is impractical, paralysed or experiencing ‘brain drain’ - due to the marginalisation or success of certain strands of structural feminism. Katie is concerned with deciphering, through theoretical and empirical reflection, whether and how these narratives play out in contemporary sex work activism, and with what consequences for the present and future of feminist theory and activism within/out the state and law. 

She has an LLB (Hons) from Kings College, University of London and MA in Socio-Legal & Criminological Research (Distinction) from the University of Nottingham.

 

Research Supervisor

Professor Vanessa Munro & Professor Julia O’Connell Davidson

 

Primary Funding Source

ESRC 1+3 Scholarship

 

Conference Papers

• ‘On the Complexities of Feminisms, and Feminist Engagement with the State: Governance Feminism, Radical Feminism and Sex Work in the UK.’ 2^nd Annual Postgraduate Sex Work Conference, Leeds University 2011.
• ‘Exploring the relationship between feminist theory and practice in the UK: Governance feminism, radical feminism and sex work.’ Socio-Legal Studies Association Conference, Sussex University 2011.

 

Publications

X Whittaker, C Barbagallo and K Cruz et al (eds) (2010) A report by the x:talk project: Human rights, sex work and the challenge of trafficking, funded by the Daphne Programme, European Commission. http://www.xtalkproject.net/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/reportfinal1.pdf 

 

Book reviews 

K Cruz, ‘Vanessa E. Munro, Marina Della Giusta (eds) Demanding Sex: Critical Reflections on the Regulation of Prostitution’ (Aldershot, Ashgate 2008) 17 (2009) Feminist Legal Studies 109-114.