On Female Body Experience: "Throwing Like a Girl" and Other EssaysWritten over a span of more than two decades, the essays by Iris Marion Young collected in this volume describe diverse aspects of women's lived body experience in modern Western societies. Drawing on the ideas of several twentieth century continental philosophers--including Simone de Beauvoir, Martin Heidegger, Luce Irigaray, Julia Kristeva, and Maurice Merleau-Ponty--Young constructs rigorous analytic categories for interpreting embodied subjectivity. The essays combine theoretical description of experience with normative evaluation of the unjust constraints on their freedom and opportunity that continue to burden many women. The lead essay rethinks the purpose of the category of "gender" for feminist theory, after important debates have questioned its usefulness. Other essays include reflection on the meaning of being at home and the need for privacy in old age residences as well as essays that analyze aspects of the experience of women and girls that have received little attention even in feminist theory--such as the sexuality of breasts, or menstruation as punctuation in a woman's life story. Young describes the phenomenology of moving in a pregnant body and the tactile pleasures of clothing. While academically rigorous, the essays are also written with engaging style, incorporating vivid imagery and autobiographical narrative. On Female Body Experience raises issues and takes positions that speak to scholars and students in philosophy, sociology, geography, medicine, nursing, and education. |
Contents
3 | |
Reflections on Social Structure and Subjectivity | 12 |
A Phenomenology of Feminine Body Comportment Motility and Spatiality | 27 |
Subjectivity and Alienation | 46 |
4 Women Recovering Our Clothes | 63 |
The Look and the Feeling | 75 |
Other editions - View all
On Female Body Experience: "Throwing Like a Girl" and Other Essays Iris Marion Young Limited preview - 2005 |
On Female Body Experience: "Throwing Like a Girl" and Other Essays Iris Marion Young Limited preview - 2005 |
On Female Body Experience: "Throwing Like a Girl" and Other Essays Iris Marion Young No preview available - 2005 |
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activities alienation Anita Allen argues aspects body experience body’s breasts building clothes concept construction criticism culture desire difference distinction dwelling Elizabeth Grosz embodiment essay existential existential phenomenology fantasy feel female body feminine bodily existence feminine existence feminism feminist and queer feminist theory fluid gender Heidegger historical human idea of home identity immanence individual interac Irigaray Julia Kristeva Kristeva lived body look Luce Irigaray male gaze masculine material Maurice Merleau-Ponty meaning meaningful things menarche menopause menstruation Merleau-Ponty modalities of feminine mood mother motherhood and sexuality motility move movement norms nursing home object objectified one’s oppression particular patriarchal personal space Phenomenology Philosophy physical pleasure political position possibilities pregnancy preservation privilege projects queer theory reflect relation Second Sex sense Simone de Beauvoir society spatial specific Straus suggests tend tion touch transcendence typical University Press woman woman’s women’s bodies women’s experience York