Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of SexualityWhy do some people prefer heterosexual love while others fancy the same sex? Is sexual identity biologically determined or a product of convention? In this brilliant and provocative book, the acclaimed author of Myths of Gender argues that even the most fundamental knowledge about sex is shaped by the culture in which scientific knowledge is produced.Drawing on astonishing real-life cases and a probing analysis of centuries of scientific research, Fausto-Sterling demonstrates how scientists have historically politicized the body. In lively and impassioned prose, she breaks down three key dualisms - sex/gender, nature/nurture, and real/constructed - and asserts that individuals born as mixtures of male and female exist as one of five natural human variants and, as such, should not be forced to compromise their differences to fit a flawed societal definition of normality. |
Contents
Dueling Dualisms | 1 |
That Sexe Which Prevaileth | 30 |
The Use and Abuse of the Modern Intersexual | 45 |
Copyright | |
8 other sections not shown
Other editions - View all
Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality Anne Fausto-Sterling Limited preview - 2008 |
Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality Anne Fausto-Sterling Limited preview - 2000 |
Sexing the Body: Gender Politics and the Construction of Sexuality Anne Fausto-Sterling Limited preview - 2020 |
Common terms and phrases
activity adrenal adult anatomy androgen animal argued Beach biological biologists birth bisexual body boys brain CAH girls castrated cells child chromosome clitoral recession clitoris corpus callosum culture debate developmental discussion early effects estrogen example experience experimental female hormone female rats feminism feminist fetal function gender differences gender identity gender role genes genetic genital genitalia gonads guinea pigs Hampson hermaphrodites heterosexual homosexuality human sexuality hypospadias idea individual intersexuality Jost Journal Kessler Kinsey lesbian Lillie lordosis male and female male rats masculinity and femininity mating behavior ment Moore nature normal organs ovarian ovaries parents patients penis physicians physiology political prenatal psychological psychologists puberty reproductive rodents scientific scientists sex differences sex hormones sex of rearing sexual behavior social splenium Steinach structure studies suggested surgery surgical testes testis testosterone theory tion tissue transsexuals treatment uterus vaginal vaginoplasties woman women writes wrote Young