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Sex Roles, Vol. 51, Nos. 7/8, October 2004 ( C 2004)Book ReviewIntimate Citizenship. Ken Plummer, Seattle Washington, University of Washington Press, 2003,
187 pp., $27.95.Intimate Citizenship, by Ken Plummer, is a text
that discusses the timely topic of public dialogues
about personal decisions. Intimate subjects such as
conception, sex, parenting, cloning, same-sex marriages, and more are discussed within the realm of
public dialogue. With the ever-increasing and rapid
advances in technology, society struggles to keep
pace with the moral consequences of making personal decisions on the basis of choices using these
technological advances. These rather personal and
private decisions are often hotly debated in the public sphere as Plummer eloquently describes. The
significant and sometimes dramatic changes taking
place in private life give rise to conflict, or intimate
troubles, to use Plummers term.In his discussion of intimate troubles, Plummer presents the public debate of recognized forms
of family life, sexuality, gender, conception, and the
use of medical technology to manipulate the human
body. Internet technology has blurred the boundary
between public and private spheres, thus creating a
host of ethical issues with which society must contend and come to a consensus. Further, Plummer
discusses the problem of regulating intimate behaviors. For instance, many places of employment have
restrictions and policies regarding dating fellow employees, not to mention sexual harassment prohibitions. His discussion of intimate troubles progresses
into unacceptable intimate behaviors such as child
sexual abuse. Also, Plummer discusses new classifications...