The Mismeasure of Desire: The Science, Theory and Ethics of Sexual OrientationIn the last decade, fierce controversy has arisen over the nature of sexual orientation. Scientific research, religious views, increasingly ambiguous gender roles, and the growing visibility of sexual minorities have sparked impassioned arguments about whether our sexual desires are hard-wired in our genes or shaped by the changing forces of society. In recent years scientific research and popular opinion have favored the idea that sexual orientations are determined at birth, but philosopher and educator Edward Stein argues that much of what we think we know about the origins of sexual desire is probably wrong. Stein provides a comprehensive overview of such research on sexual orientation and shows that it is deeply flawed. Stein argues that this research assumes a picture of sexual desire that reflects unquestioned cultural stereotypes rather than cross-cultural scientific facts, and that it suffers from serious methodological problems. He considers whether sexual orientation is even amenable to empirical study and asks if it is useful for our understanding of human nature to categorize people based on their sexual desires. Perhaps most importantly, Stein examines some of the ethical issues surrounding such research, including gay and lesbian civil rights and the implications of parents trying to select or change the sexual orientation of their children. The Mismeasure of Desire offers a reasoned, accessible, and incisive examination of contemporary thinking about one of the most hotly debated issues of our time and adds a compelling voice of dissent to prevailing--and largely unexamined--assumptions about human sexuality. |
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The mismeasure of desire: the science, theory, and ethics of sexual orientation
User Review - Not Available - Book VerdictAs with most gems of philosophical debate, Stein's book poses a lot more questions than it answers, but his intelligent, well-researched, and well-written primer should be the first title on any queer ... Read full review
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abortion argued argument for lesbian Aristophanes assumption biological factors biologically based bipolar view bisexuals brain Brickland categories of sexual chapter choice chromosomes claim concept cultures determined development of sexual direct model discussed dispositional view emerging research program essentialists ethical evidence evolutionary example explain fact female fraternal twins gay rights gender gender-atypical genes genetic genitalia Hamer heritability heterosexual homosexuality hormonal human sexual desires human sexual orientation hypothalamus identical twins intersexed involved Kinsey Kinsey scale lesbians and gay LeVay LeVay's male metaphysical natural human kinds natural kinds nonhuman one's orientation-selection procedures orientations are natural parents particular percent person person's sexual orientation phlogiston plausible problem psychological question relevant research on sexual scientific research selection sex-gender sexual activity sexual behavior sexual desires siblings sleep orientations sociobiologists sort tation theories of sexual tion trait twin studies typically various view of sexual voluntarism women X chromosome Zomnian
Bibliographic information
| Title | The Mismeasure of Desire: The Science, Theory and Ethics of Sexual Orientation Ideologies of desire |
| Author | Edward Stein |
| Edition | illustrated |
| Publisher | Oxford University Press, 1999 |
| Original from | the University of Virginia |
| Digitized | May 28, 2008 |
| ISBN | 0195099958, 9780195099959 |
| Length | 388 pages |
| Subjects | › Social Science / Gay Studies Social Science / Research |
| Export Citation | BiBTeX EndNote RefMan |