Staff Picks
#BroaderBookshelf 2021: Read A Social Science Book (Gender)
- Mona Verma
- Tuesday, February 09, 2021
Collection
The Queer Turn in Feminism
Identities, Sexualities, and the Theater of Gender.
Published in 2013
More than any other area of late-twentieth-century thinking, gender theory and its avatars have been to a large extent a Franco-American invention. In this book, a leading Franco-American scholar traces differences and intersections in the development of gender and queer theories on both sides of the Atlantic. Looking at these theories through lenses that are both "American" and "French," thus simultaneously retrospective and anticipatory, she tries to account for their alleged exhaustion and currency on the two sides of the Atlantic. The book is divided into four parts. In the first, the author examines two specifically "American" features of gender theories since their earliest formulations: on the one hand, an emphasis on the theatricality of gender (from John Money's early characterization of gender as "role playing" to Judith Butler's appropriation of Esther Newton's work on drag queens); on the other, the early adoption of a "queer" perspective on gender issues. In the second part, the author reflects on a shift in the rhetoric concerning sexual minorities and politics that is prevalent today. Noting a shift from efforts by oppressed or marginalized segments of the population to make themselves "heard" to an emphasis on rendering themselves "visible," she demonstrates the formative role of the American civil rights movement in this new drive to visibility. The third part deals with the travels back and forth across the Atlantic of "sexual difference," ever since its elevation to the status of quasi-concept by psychoanalysis. Tracing the "queering" of sexual difference, the author reflects on both the modalities and the effects of this development. The last section addresses the vexing relationship between Western feminism and capitalism. Without trying either to commend or to decry this relationship, the author shows its long-lasting political and cultural effects on current feminist and postfeminist struggles and discourses. To that end, she focuses on one of the intense debates within feminist and postfeminist circles, the controversy over prostitution.
What's Your Pronoun?
Beyond He and She
Published in 2020
"The story of how we got from he and she to zie and hir and singular they. Like trigger warnings and gender-neutral bathrooms, pronouns are suddenly sparking debate, prompting new policies in schools, workplaces, even prisons, about what pronouns to use. Colleges ask students to declare their pronouns; corporate conferences print nametags with space for people to add their pronouns; email signatures sport pronouns along with names and titles. Far more than a byproduct of campus politics or culture wars, gender-neutral pronouns are in fact nothing new. Renowned linguist Dennis Baron puts them in historical context, demonstrating that Shakespeare used singular they; that women evoked the generic use of he to assert the right to vote (while those opposed to women's rights invoked the same word to assert that he did not include she), and that self-appointed language experts have been coining new gender pronouns, not just hir and zie but hundreds more, like thon, ip, and em, for centuries. Based on Baron's own empirical research, What's Your Pronoun? tells the untold story of gender-neutral and nonbinary pronouns"-- Provided by publisher.
The Second Sex
Published in 2011
Newly translated and unabridged in English for the first time, Simone de Beauvoir's masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of "woman," and a groundbreaking exploration of inequality and otherness. This long-awaited new edition reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir's pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as it was sixty years ago, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.
The Psychobiology of Transsexualism and Transgenderism
A New View Based on Scientific Evidence
Published in 2015
"In this book, a Princeton University-trained physiological psychologist explores dozens of theories about what may spur transsexual and transgender (TSTG) thinking, exposes the myths of fetishism, homosexuality, prenatal hormones, or child rearing as causes, and explains the two causes that are supported by current science. Covering a breadth of topics that include neuroanatomy, choice, psychodynamics, and transsexual transition, author Thomas E. Bevan, PhD, synthesizes the pertinent research regarding transsexualism and transgenderism across 22 scientific disciplines. The book covers various gender systems from antiquity to historical and contemporary cultures that support the biological basis of transsexualism and transgenderism, addresses human development from the time prior to conception through adulthood and potential transsexual transition, and corrects common myths and assumptions about TSTG individuals, such as that crossdressing is basically motivated by a desire for sexual arousal. The book also includes sections that cite definitions of key terms and identify related reading, organizations for support, and current TSTG events worldwide." -- Publisher's description.
Becoming an Ally to the Gender-expansive Child
A Guide for Parents and Carers
Published in 2018
For anyone eager to understand their child's gender experience, or to learn how best to accept, support and protect them, this book will provide knowledge, reassurance and the confidence to do so.
A Call to Action
Women, Religion, Violence, and Power
Published in 2014
Looks at the suffering, discrimination, and abuse suffered by women throughout the world, often as a result of distorted readings of religious texts, as witnessed by the author and the testimony of women representing different regions and religions.
Rage Becomes Her
The Power of Women's Anger
Published in 2018
"A new, conversation-shifting book that encourages women to own their anger and use it as a tool for positive change, written by one of today's most influential feminist thinkers"-- Provided by publisher.
Invisible Women
Data Bias in a World Designed for Men
Published in 2019
"Data is fundamental to the modern world. From economic development, to healthcare, to education and public policy, we rely on numbers to allocate resources and make crucial decisions. But because so much data fails to take into account gender, because it treats men as the default and women as atypical, bias and discrimination are baked into our systems. And women pay tremendous costs for this bias, in time, money, and often with their lives. Celebrated feminist advocate Caroline Criado Perez investigates the shocking root cause of gender inequality and research in Invisible Women, diving into women's lives at home, the workplace, the public square, the doctor's office, and more. Built on hundreds of studies in the US, the UK, and around the world, and written with energy, wit, and sparkling intelligence, this is a groundbreaking, unforgettable exposé that will change the way you look at the world."--provided by publisher.
The Hormone Myth
How Junk Science, Gender Politics, and Lies About PMS Keep Women Down
Published in 2017
"It's time for women to reject the "hormone myth" and own their emotions in a healthy and realistic way. This provocative book exposes pervasive myths about women's hormones and shows how flawed, obsolete research and sexism have combined to keep women "in their place." The idea that women become raving lunatics when their hormones fluctuate is firmly entrenched in American culture--images of hormone-crazed women are prominent on TV and in movies, books, and magazines--but a thorough examination of the evidence overwhelmingly tells us otherwise. This book will confront the pervasive myth that women are at the mercy of their reproductive hormones, and illustrate how the perpetuation of this stereotype harms women. Scientific evidence shows that the majority of women do not experience major mental disorders linked to their hormones. Rather, a woman's mood changes can be attributed to many of the same environmental factors responsible for mood changes in men. With a thorough exploration of women's hormonal lives, from the initiation of menstruation through menopause,The Hormone Myth will help you reject the negative stereotype of the hormone-crazed woman and gain an appreciation for women's high functioning and potential across their lifetime"-- Provided by publisher.
"You're in the Wrong Bathroom!"
And 20 Other Myths and Misconceptions About Transgender and Gender-nonconforming People
Published in 2017
Feminism, Sexuality, and Politics
Essays.
Published in 2006
One of a small group of feminist pioneers in the historical profession, Estelle B. Freedman teaches and writes about women's history with a passion informed by her feminist values. Over the past thirty years, she has produced a body of work in which scholarship and politics have never been mutually exclusive. This collection brings together eleven essays--eight previously published and three new--that document the evolving relationship between academic feminism and political feminism as Freedman has studied and lived it.Following an introduction that presents a map of the personal and intellectual trajectory of Freedman's work, the first section of essays, on the origins and strategies of women's activism in U.S. history, reiterates the importance of valuing women in a society that has long devalued their contributions. The second section, on the maintenance of sexual boundaries, explores the malleability of both sexual identities and sexual politics. Underlying the collection is an inquiry into the changing meanings of gender, sexuality, and politics during the nineteenth and twentieth centuries along with a concern for applying the insights of women's history broadly, from the classroom to the courthouse.
Unnatural Selection
Choosing Boys over Girls, and the Consequences of a World Full of Men
Published in 2011
"Lianyungang, a booming port city, has China's most extreme gender ratio for children under four: 163 boys for every 100 girls. These numbers don't seem terribly grim, but in ten years, the skewed sex ratio will pose a colossal challenge. By the time those children reach adulthood, their generation will have twenty-four million more men than women. The prognosis for China's neighbors is no less bleak: Asia now has 163 million females "missing" from its population. Gender imbalance reaches far beyond Asia, affecting Georgia, Eastern Europe, and cities in the U.S. where there are significant immigrant populations. The world, therefore, is becoming increasingly male, and this mismatch is likely to create profound social upheaval. Historically, eras in which there have been an excess of men have produced periods of violent conflict and instability. Mara Hvistendahl has written a stunning, impeccably-researched book that does not flinch from examining not only the consequences of the misbegotten policies of sex selection but Western complicity with them"-- Provided by publisher.
Half the Sky
Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide
Published in 2009
Two Pulitzer Prize winners issue a call to arms against our era's most pervasive human rights violation: the oppression of women in the developing world. They show that a little help can transform the lives of women and girls abroad and that the key to economic progress lies in unleashing women's potential.
Becoming Nicole
The Transformation of an American Family
Published in 2015
"The Maines were a middle-class, hard-working, politically conservative New England couple whose lives felt complete when they adopted identical twin sons. As toddlers, Jonas was the son Kelly and Wayne Maines expected, but Wyatt was only interested in girls' clothes and toys. By age five, this conflict was tearing Wyatt--and the family--apart. Today, Wyatt is Nicole. She and Jonas are now graduating from high school. This is the story of a journey that could have destroyed a family, but instead united them. It's the story of a mother whose instincts told her her child needed love and help. It's the story of a Republican, NRA-member father who overcame confusion and fear to become a vocal advocate of trans rights. It's the story of a brother who always loved and accepted his sister. And, especially, it's the story of a young girl who found the courage to be herself. "-- Provided by publisher.
Her Body, Our Laws
On the Front Lines of the Abortion War, from El Salvador to Oklahoma
Published in 2018
"With stories from the front lines, a legal scholar journeys through distinct legal climates to understand precisely why and how the war over abortion is being fought. Drawing on her years of research in El Salvador--the only country to ban abortion without exception--legal scholar Michelle Oberman explores what happens when a country makes ending a pregnancy a crime. She reveals the practical experiences of criminalizing abortion, such as selective enforcement, mistaken diagnoses, wrongful convictions, and a thriving black market in abortion drugs, and she describes how Salvadoran doctors and lawyers collaborate in order to identify and prosecute those suspected of abortion-related crimes. To illustrate how similar draconian polices are enforced in the United States, Oberman turns her attention to Oklahoma, one of the most pro-life states. Through a series of interviews with current and former legislators in Oklahoma, and in stories gathered from crisis pregnancy centers and abortion clinics, Oberman reveals how abortion-related laws become incentives or penalties, nudging pregnant women in one direction or another. A fresh look at the battle over abortion law, Her Body, Our Laws is an invitation to those on all sides of the issue to move beyond the incomplete discourse about legality by understanding how the law actually matters"-- Provided by publisher.
Boys & Sex
Young Men on Hookups, Love, Porn, Consent, and Navigating the New Masculinity
Published in 2020
"Peggy Orenstein's Girls & Sex broke ground, shattered taboos, and galvanized conversations about young women's right to pleasure and agency in sexual encounters. It also had an unintended effect on its author: Orenstein realized that talking about girls is only half the conversation. To understand girls and sex, we also need to talk about boys and sex. Today's young men are subject to the same cultural forces as their female peers. They are steeped in the distorted media images and binary stereotypes of female sexiness and toxic masculinity which shape how they, too, navigate sexual and emotional relationships. In Boys & Sex, Orenstein uses the same fascinating mix of anecdote and research to reveal how young men understand and negotiate the new rules of physical and emotional intimacy. Drawing on comprehensive interviews with young men, psychologists, academics, and experts in the field, Orenstein takes an unprecedented look at the myriad factors that are shaping boys' ideas of sex, girls, and masculinity including: locker room talk how the word "hilarious" robs boys of empathy pornography as the new sex education hookup culture and consent Bro culture and #metoo excessive drinking and frat parties boys' experience as victims and perpetrators of sexual violence By exploring the complexity of young men's attitudes, beliefs, and experiences, Orenstein unravels the hidden truths, hard lessons, and important realities of boys' sex lives today. The result is a provocative and paradigm-shifting work that offers a much-needed vision of how boys can truly move forward as better men"-- Provided by publisher.
Girls & Sex
Navigating the Complicated New Landscape
Published in 2016
Presents an analysis of the new sexual landscape faced by girls in today's high schools and colleges, revealing hidden truths, hard lessons, and important possibilities in girls' modern-world sex lives.
Queering Families
The Postmodern Partnerships of Cisgender Women and Transgender Men
Published in 2017
Better Boys, Better Men
The New Masculinity That Creates Greater Courage and Emotional Resiliency
Published in 2020
"How modern forms of masculinity are harming men-and what we can do about it"-- Provided by publisher.
Gender and Our Brains
How New Neuroscience Explodes the Myths of the Male and Female Minds
Published in 2019
Inferior
How Science Got Women Wrong - and the New Research That's Rewriting the Story
Published in 2017
"What science has gotten so shamefully wrong about women, and the fight, by both female and male scientists, to rewrite what we thought we knew For hundreds of years it was common sense: women were the inferior sex. Their bodies were weaker, their minds feebler, their role subservient. No less a scientist than Charles Darwin asserted that women were at a lower stage of evolution, and for decades, scientists--primarily men--claimed to find evidence to support this. From intelligence to emotion, cognition to behavior, science has continued to tell us that men and women are fundamentally different. Biologists claim that women are better suited to raising families or, more gently, uniquely empathetic. Men, on the other hand, continue to be described as excelling at tasks that require logic, spatial reasoning, and motor skills. But a huge wave of research is now revealing an alternative version of what we thought we knew. The new woman revealed by this scientific data is as strong, powerful, strategic, and smart as anyone else. In Inferior, acclaimed science writer Angela Saini weaves together a fascinating--and sorely necessary--new science of women. She takes readers on a journey to uncover science's failure to understand women and to show how women's bodies and minds are finally being rediscovered. Saini tells this alternate story of science with personal stories, controversial research, and an investigation into the gender wars in biology, psychology, and anthropology"-- Provided by publisher.
Modern Manhood
Conversations About the Complicated World of Being a Good Man Today
Published in 2019