The Politics of Women's Bodies: Sexuality, Appearance, and Behavior

by Rose Weitz (Editor)

For the past three decades, feminist scholars have examined how the female body and ideas about the female body affect women's lives. Revised and updated in its third edition, The Politics of Women's Sexuality, Appearance, and Behavior brings together recent critical writings in this important field. The selections reflect three how ideas about women's bodies in the United States are socially constructed, how these social constructions can be used to control women's lives, and how women attempt to resist these forces. Exceptionally well-written and edited for accessibility, the articles cover a wide range of topics and also address issues of class, ethnicity, and sexual orientation.

Featuring eleven new cutting-edge articles, the third edition of The Politics of Women's Bodies expands the book's focus with coverage of intersexuality, fatness, body modification, images of African American and Latina women, Goth culture and women's sexuality, how poverty is marked on the female body, how boys' concerns about masculinity lead them to subjugate girls' bodies, and other issues. This edition also includes new introductions to each article that explain key concepts and put the articles in context.

A unique interdisciplinary anthology, The Politics of Women's Bodies, Third Edition, is ideal for undergraduate courses on the body or sexuality. It is also an excellent fit for introductory courses in women's studies as well as courses in women and health, feminist theory, and the psychology, anthropology, or sociology of women.

Genres: Feminism, Nonfiction, Sociology, Womens, Gender, Feminist Theory, Gender and Sexuality

304 pages, Hardcover

First published March 19, 1998

Reviews

[Kenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read the 4th edition which included several new articles that rounded out feminist perspectives on intersectional issues wonderfully. This book transformed how I think about the role of women’s bodies. I do wish there were more recent articles following up on many of the topics discussed because I think ideas about women’s bodies have shifted in the last 20-25 years, but since I am not a feminist scholar, I don’t have a clear understanding of how they’ve shifted.

[Darren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Female bodies, as the author shows have never been thought of as belonging to the individual female. This concept has always had some male justification based on religious scientific and/or medical belief. Historically female bodies were thought to be property of the father to be passed onto a husband. While treatment of females has in seen improvement in many areas we still find that women today are not treated as equals various authorities’ still issue opinion that female bodies and/or minds are inferior to men’s. I think that in reality while we do not see the mass public acceptance of discrimination/violence toward women today many attitudes have not changed. Sometimes advances in situations can lull people into a false contentment and I think this is evident in gender equalitarian issues.

[iris irimia · Rating 5 out of 5]

una selección brutal que ha envejecido bien. el ensayo de sandra lee bartky ha sido uno de mis favoritos:
«in the regime of institutionalized heterosexuality, woman must make herself “object and prey” for the man: it is for him that these eyes are limpid pools, this cheek baby-smooth. in contemporary patriarchal culture, a panoptical male connoisseur resides within the consciousness of most women: they stand perpetually before his gaze and under his judgment. woman lives her body as seen by another, by an anonymous patriarchal other».
«we women cannot begin the re-vision of our own bodies until we learn to read the cultural messages we inscribe upon them daily and until we come to see that even when the mastery of the disciplines of femininity produces a triumphant result, we are still only women».

[Juju · Rating 5 out of 5]

Literally everyone and their mom needs to read this

[Ietrio · Rating 1 out of 5]

Maybe it's about control. Meaning it is 100% what the authors of this volume want. And while the Patriarchy of the past was limiting itself to establishing the norm, this new Patriarchy also needs the people to work, so Weitz and his gang won't have to work a day in their lives. Hopefully their children won't have to work either, as ”researchers”.

[Allison Laplatney]

This book includes the article "the Breasted Experience" in which the phrase "cluster of breasts" is used. Yeesh! This is all I will ever say about any book.

[Hannah Lei · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gandang feminist book nito. Daming theories and everything from male gaze, patriarchy, systemic oppression, to how it manifests in our day to day living. Tbh naiirita ako an nabasa ko to bc naging aware ako sa male privilege. Sana hindi ko na lang den alam.

But all in all, this is the definition of RANGE.

Kahit mga random topic na akala mo wala lang (like fatphobia, intersexuality, gothic females), kasama rito and may relation as topic. I love this comprehensive compilation. Maganda ulit-ulitin 'to. Girlsssss, u better read this. Establish our agency and destroy the fucking male-dominated, heteronormative, sexist society. TNX

[Spence · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this a few years ago for my sociology “4th wave feminist body politics” course. It was really good, and worth engaging in conversation around. I enjoyed areas talking about disability, fatphobia and how everything is inherently tied to white supremacy. The collections give voices to people who can put their experiences to the forefront.

[Gabe Riggs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't understand sexism? Read this book.

[Keziah Bayson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have the latest edition so it has more new articles and more polished. I have learned a lot about significant issues in the fields of gender and women's studies. A MUST READ!

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this collection of essays for a Social Construction of Women's Bodies class. Mind blowing. Standout essays: Dworkin's "Holding Back": Negotiating a Glass Ceiling on Women's Muscular Stength, Young's "Breasted Experience", hooks' "Selling Hot Pussy: Representations of Black Female Sexuality in the Cultural Marketplace", Cahn's "From the 'Muscle Moll' to the 'Butch' Ballplayer: Mannishness, Lesbianism, and Homophobia in U.S. Women's Sports", and the last two pieces by Pollitt and Roberts on reproductive rights.

[Amanda Keck · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very dense reading in some areas, and delightfully quick yet informative in others. I would keep in mind the 1998 copyright date when reading, as I felt some of the articles were woefully outdated. however, even a few of the obviously outdated articles got me in thinking in ways I hadn't before, especially the last couple on fetal rights vs. mother's rights. Overall, I'd say it's still with skimming and actually reading any of the articles that seem interesting after a page or two.

[Helderina Strange · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book , create new experiences in my mind and makes me travel to that world where everything happens.