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 |
Of Gender and Genitals The Use and Abuse of the Modern Intersexual | 45 |
Should There Be Only Two Sexes? | 78 |
Sexing the Brain How Biologists Make a Difference | 115 |
Sex Glands Hormones and Gender Chemistry | 146 |
Do Sex Hormones Really Exist? Gender Becomes Chemical | 170 |
The Rodents Tale | 195 |
Gender Systems Toward a Theory of Human Sexuality | 233 |
Notes | 257 |
| 381 | |
| 451 | |
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 - 2020 |
Common terms and phrases
activity adult anatomy androgen animal argued Beach biological biologists birth bisexual body boys brain CAH girls castrated cells chapter child chromosome clitoral recession clitoris complex corpus callosum culture debate developmental discussion early effects estrogen example experience experimental female hormone feminism feminist fetal function gender differences gender identity gender role genes genetic genital genitalia gonads guinea pigs Hampson hermaphrodites heterosexual homosexual human sexuality hypospadias idea individual interactions intersexuality Jost Journal Kessler Kinsey lesbian Lillie lordosis male and female male rats masculinity and femininity mating behavior measure ment Moore nature normal organs ovarian ovaries parents patients penis physicians physiology political prenatal psychological psychologists puberty rodents scientific scientists sex differences sex hormones sex of rearing sexual behavior social Steinach structure suggests surgery surgical testes testis testosterone theory tion tissue transsexuals treatment uterus vaginal vaginoplasties woman women writes wrote Young