Synonyms
Overview
This entry discusses pornography and its importance in a variety of areas. First, a definition of pornography is discussed, followed by an examination of obscenity; the legal guidelines intended to differentiate between legally restricted, obscene materials; and pornographic materials that are protected under the First Amendment’s protection of free speech. Conflicting feminist perspectives are also discussed. These perspectives largely focus on the question: Is pornography inherently harmful to women, or can it have a positive, potentially empowering influence on women, as well as other pornography viewers? Finally, the role of violence in pornographic material is discussed in depth followed by a brief note on Internet pornography.
Introduction
The production and sale of pornography is a highly lucrative industry in American society today (Eberstadt 2009). Due to modern technology, especially the Internet,...
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Wulf-Ludden, T., Vandenberg, A. (2014). Pornography. In: Bruinsma, G., Weisburd, D. (eds) Encyclopedia of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_305
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4614-5690-2_305
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