The Future of Gender

by Jude Browne (Editor)

"Gender" is used to classify humans and to explain their behaviour in predominantly social rather than biological terms. But how useful is the concept of gender in social analysis? To what degree does gender relate to sex? How does gender feature in shifts in familial structures and demography? How should gender be conceived in terms of contemporary inequality and injustice, and what is gender's function in the design and pursuit of political objectives? In this volume a collection of international experts from the fields of political philosophy, political theory, sociology, economics, law, psychoanalysis and evolutionary psychology scrutinize the conceptual effectiveness of gender both as a mode of analysis and as a basis for envisioning the transformation of society. Each contributor considers how gender might be conceived in contemporary terms, offering a variety of (often conflicting) interpretations of the concept's usefulness for the future.

Genres: Feminism

300 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Kimba Tichenor · Rating 3 out of 5]

This volume should be commended for the diversity of views on gender that it includes. One is also struck by the success of the majority of authors to move beyond binary conceptions of gender. Yet, these efforts aside, one binary remains unchallenged in this volume -- the opposition of feminism and religion. Although this binary opposition is most explicitly stated in Fraser’s otherwise excellent opening essay, when she writes, “feminist have not succeeded in understanding what it is [religion’s attraction for women] and how it works. Nor have we figured out how to talk to them or what feminism can offer them in its place” (p. 29). It is also implied in the brief references to religion contained in several other contributions and in this volume’s failure to include any theoretical contribution from a feminist theologian on the implications of the debate on gender and sexuality for mainstream religions. Creating a dialogue between secular feminists and feminist theologians might yield both new insights to women’s continuing attraction to religion and elucidate the multiple voices to be found within mainstream religion.

[TimEs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapter 3 by Ingrid Robeyns provides a really fascinating formulation of a theory of gender justice. I really liked how it encompassed everything a society would need to achieve to be "gender just". A bit unfortunate given our distance to that point.

[Maria · Rating 5 out of 5]

Εξαιρετικά ενδιαφέρον. Πρόκειται για μία συλλογική προσπάθεια ανάλυσης του φύλου, με βάση διάφορα ακαδημαϊκά πεδία, η οποία επικεντρώνεται, κατά κάποιο τρόπο, στη "θέση" του φύλου στην κοινωνία.