本书的研究对象是12个一审离婚官司(包括调解和开庭审理两种形式)的录音转写语料。这些录音由作者本人采集于山东某区级法院，所有案件均由同一位女性法官进行审理。

就研究方法来说，本书以描述性和定性分析为主，同时辅以量化数据支持。

Chapter 1 Introduction

  1.1 Rationales for the present research

 1.1.1 Theoretical rationale

 1.1.2 Practical rationale

  1.2 Research questions

  1.3 Methodology of the present research

 1.3.1 Data collection

 1.3.2 Transcription of the data

 1.3.3 Calculation and interpretation of the

       results

  1.4 Organization of the book

Chapter 2 Literature Review: Two Main Social

      Approaches

  2.1 Introduction

  2.2 Related law issues in China

 2.2.1 Inquisitorial system

 2.2.2 Trial procedures

2.2.3 Mediation

 2.3 Forensic linguistics

2.3.1 Forensic linguistics abroad

2.3.2 Forensic linguistics in China

 2.4 Power and forensic linguistics

2.4.1 Power: A social perspective

2.4.2 Power: A linguistic perspective

2.4.3 Power in forensic linguistics

 2.5 Gender and language

2.5.1 Sex and gender

2.5.2 Men and women in society

2.5.3 Linguistic studies on gender

  2.6 Summary

Chapter 3 Relevant Linguistic Theories and the

     Analytical Framework

  3.1 Introduction

  3.2 Critical discourse analysis

 3.2.1 Femifiist critical discourse analysis

 3.2.2 Fairclough's three-level model

  3.3 Systemic functional linguistics

 3.3.1 Language as a social semiotic system:

      Key tenets of SFL

 3.3.2 Systemic functional linguistics

      in critical discourse analysis

  3.4 Appraisal theory

  3.5 Conversation analysis

  3.6 The analytical framework

  3.7 Summary

Chapter 4 Power and Solidarity in Court: The

       Lexicogrammatieal Level

  4.1 Introduction

  4.2 Power and solidarity

 4.2.1 Power and solidarity in court

 4.2.2 Power in marriage

 4.2.3 Power comparisons in twelve cases

  4.3 Appraisal elements in court discourse

 4.3.1 Affect

 4.3.2 Engagement and deontic modality

 4.3.3 Graduation

  4.4 Summary

Chapter 5 Power and Solidarity in Court: The

      Textual Level

  5.1 Introduction

  5.2 Speech turns

 5.2. 1  Men and women's total turns in court

 5.2.2 Turn-taking without the judge's

       permission

 5.2.3 Dispreferred turns

  5.3  Interruptions

 5.3.1 Interruptions in court

 5.3.2 Interpretation

  5.4 Overlap

  5.5 Topic initiation/change

  5.6 Utterances inviting judges' involvement

  5.7 Summary

Chapter 6 Reflected Prejudicing Ideologies in Court

  6.1 Introduction

  6.2 Ideology

  6.3 Women's self-depictions

  6.4 The judge's bias

  6.5 Summary

Chapter 7 Conclusion

  7.1 Major findings and suggestions

  7.2 Major contributions

  7.3 Limitations and further studies

Appendices

References