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Gender and Power: Society, the Person and Sexual Politics
Sexual politics―from economic equality to anti-gay violence―is a vast area of debate. This exceptional book seeks to integrate gender and sexuality into the mainstream of social and political theory with the aim of challenging and transforming these traditional areas. The book is an original contribution to the theory, setting out for the first time a systematic framework for the social analysis of gender and sexuality. It is written with a clarity and scope that also make it useful as an introductory textbook sexual politics. The book reviews theories of gender from feminism to psychoanalysis, sex role theory, and sociobiology. It maps the structure of gender relations in contemporary life and in history; proposes a new approach to femininity and masculinity; and offers a wide-ranging analysis of sexual politics and the dynamics of change, from working-class feminism to the dilemmas of the "men's movement." Connell has produced a major work of synthesis and scholarship which will be of unique value to students and professionals in sociology, politics, psychology, women's studies, gay studies, and to anyone interested in sexual politics.
352 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1987
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826 people want to read
About the author
Raewyn W. Connell
46 books96 followersRaewyn Connell (also known as R.W. Connell and Robert W. Connell) is an Australian sociologist. She gained prominence as an intellectual of the Australian New Left. She is currently Professor Emeritus at the University of Sydney and known for the concept of hegemonic masculinity and southern theory.
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Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews
January 11, 2020
toplumsal cinsiyet okuması yapmak isteyen ama nereden başlayacağını bilemeyen herkes için iyi bir başlangıç kitabı olduğunu düşünüyorum. içeriği oldukça geniş, tabii ki bu zamana kadar üretilen bütün toplumsal cinsiyet teorileri detaylı bir şekilde yer almıyor. fakat yazar, birçok teorisyenden ve yazdıkları eserlerden bahsettiği için spesifik okuma konusunda oldukça yararlı olacaktır. kitapta en çok "kadınlık/erkeklik ölçeği"nin anlatıldığı kısımdan etkilendim. ek olarak, dili yalındı ve cümleler akıp gitti. okuması oldukça kolay bir kitap.
November 15, 2020
Toplumsal cinsiyet okumaları yapanlar için temel bir metin. Pek çok kavramı yerli yerine oturtmamı sağladı ve bu alanda geçmişten bugüne süregelen tartışmalara yönelik derli toplu eleştirel bir bakış sundu. Psikanalizden sosyolojiye pek çok disiplinden yararlanarak toplumsal cinsiyet okuması yapan bir kitap. Sunduğu politik perspektif de çok kıymetli. Anlatımı, dili son derece berrak. Çevirmeni de tebrik etmek gerek.#okudumbitti #okumaönerisi #bookstagram #kitapönerisi #inzivadayımokuyorum #toplumsalcinsiyet
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April 22, 2025read for my thesis
February 5, 2023
What do we understand when we say gender?
Is it biologically our innate gender? We were born and realized ourselves in society either as a woman or as a man. This gender on the basis of "memorization" is the perspective, says the author of the concept of biological sex and gender, the concept is unique, the economy, politics, psychology, history, social identity is active, it differentiates it by evaluating numerous under the hood.
Author Connell, who re-establishes the concept of gender both on a theoretical basis and on a political basis, both discusses the historical development of the social roles of men and women and puts forward a critical theoretical analysis for the emergence of gender politics...
I also liked the fact that he indirectly focused on social inequality, which is one of the main problems, under each heading, forcing the reader to think about the essence of the problem.
Is our biological differences the source of this longest-running inequality in history? System? Or is it just our inequality-based perspectives? In this sense, how do we learn to be a woman or a man socially? How much have we thought about the validity of these teachings, which vary greatly from society to society? Was the matriarchal path sustainable, contrary to the patriarchal idea that established dominance with the transition to an agrarian society? as such, the work became enormous by encouraging people to think about vital questions at their historical point.
Our author says that patriarchal thought should be erased from history and can an egalitarian, democratic understanding and system be created literally as a whole (human) of men and women? by asking, he gave a meaningful answer to this historical problem.
Of course, it is out of the question to solve this historical problem overnight, to eliminate it easily, of course. It is necessary to give a serious and patient struggle for this. Whether people and humanity accept it or not (it doesn't matter what we say), there is also an evolution in the sense of social equality, and while time continues to transform us, the systems we have established continue to resist it. No matter how much we go out of the system in thinking, look at someone the way they want to see, and evaluate life with our own will from a broader framework, at that moment we will realize our commitment to time and realize the evolution that humanity is undergoing in every sense.
I think the book is one of the great resource books in terms of the flow of human history and the way it will establish the future. One of the must-reads...
Is it biologically our innate gender? We were born and realized ourselves in society either as a woman or as a man. This gender on the basis of "memorization" is the perspective, says the author of the concept of biological sex and gender, the concept is unique, the economy, politics, psychology, history, social identity is active, it differentiates it by evaluating numerous under the hood.
Author Connell, who re-establishes the concept of gender both on a theoretical basis and on a political basis, both discusses the historical development of the social roles of men and women and puts forward a critical theoretical analysis for the emergence of gender politics...
I also liked the fact that he indirectly focused on social inequality, which is one of the main problems, under each heading, forcing the reader to think about the essence of the problem.
Is our biological differences the source of this longest-running inequality in history? System? Or is it just our inequality-based perspectives? In this sense, how do we learn to be a woman or a man socially? How much have we thought about the validity of these teachings, which vary greatly from society to society? Was the matriarchal path sustainable, contrary to the patriarchal idea that established dominance with the transition to an agrarian society? as such, the work became enormous by encouraging people to think about vital questions at their historical point.
Our author says that patriarchal thought should be erased from history and can an egalitarian, democratic understanding and system be created literally as a whole (human) of men and women? by asking, he gave a meaningful answer to this historical problem.
Of course, it is out of the question to solve this historical problem overnight, to eliminate it easily, of course. It is necessary to give a serious and patient struggle for this. Whether people and humanity accept it or not (it doesn't matter what we say), there is also an evolution in the sense of social equality, and while time continues to transform us, the systems we have established continue to resist it. No matter how much we go out of the system in thinking, look at someone the way they want to see, and evaluate life with our own will from a broader framework, at that moment we will realize our commitment to time and realize the evolution that humanity is undergoing in every sense.
I think the book is one of the great resource books in terms of the flow of human history and the way it will establish the future. One of the must-reads...
April 9, 2014
Connell never fails to impress me and this theoretical work is not an exception. She does a tremendous job parsing out the relationship between structure and identity and maintains that historicity must be examined to understand the role of agency in progressive gender politics. It is very deep, very dense, and overall a very important contribution to gender theory.
February 21, 2025
Fantastic book
Brilliant book. Nuanced and informative. Every man should read and read it again. Study it and find our place in the gender order and how we benefit from the patriarchal dividend.
Brilliant book. Nuanced and informative. Every man should read and read it again. Study it and find our place in the gender order and how we benefit from the patriarchal dividend.
November 7, 2024
Yazar R. W. Connell’ın, “Toplumsal Cinsiyet ve İktidar” kitabı üniversitelerin seçkin yüksek lisans bölümlerinde okutuluyor. Açıkçası mevzuya düşkünlüğümden, araştırmalarım sonucu, yüksek lisans için okunacaklar listesinden bulup listeme eklemiştim. Kitap, eşitlikçi temayı gövdeye yerleştirerek, demokratik ülkelerde kadın-erkek ayırt etmeden -iki cinsi- ele alıyor, hatta yer yer üçüncü cins bile. Kanımca, çalışmayı diğerlerinden ayıran en göze çarpan hususiyeti; erkek cinsinin de haksızlığa ve iktidar gücünce emilmeye çalışıldığını örneklerle açıklamaya çalışıyor ve bölümlerde, “hımmm, ne kadar doğru, çok haklı” derken buldum kendimi. Eşcinsellerin, travestilerin durumu buna örnek teşkil ediyor yazara göre.
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Toplumsal önyargının zirve konusu eşcinselliğe dair çarpıcı açıklamalar okuyoruz. Eşcinselliğin erkeklerde, genel anlamda erkek bedeninde haps olmuş “kadın” veya eşcinselliğin kabulü, aynı zamanda erkekliğin reddi manasını taşıdığına dair yanlışları düzeltiyor. Toplumun onlara bilenmesinin sebebi AIDS ve Frengi hastalıklarının “eşcinsel vebası” minvalinde medya kuruluşlarınca yanlış yansıtılmasından söz ediyor. Bir diğer yanlış, kadınların demir ökçelerle ezilişini anlatmak için, bir düşünürün “erkekler, doğal tecavüzcü” argümanı kullanması kan dondurucu, yanlış bir saptama. Freud, Jung, Adler gibi isimlerin psikolojiye dair saptamalarına da yer vermiş. Frankfurt Okulu’nun önde gelen isimlerinin görüşlerini de okuyoruz. İşçi sınıfına ait görüşler ilk bölümde; ikinci bölümde ise feminist görüşleri incelemeleri okuyoruz. Sanırım kitabın bütününe hâkim tek bir konu var; Biyolojik ve doğal olanın, toplumsal inşaadan daha önde, daha gerçek olmayacağı görüşüdür. Çalışmanın yersiz uzunluğundan dert yansam da -çünkü, 250 sayfada çok iyi anlatılacak konu, uzatılmışta uzatılmış bana kalırsa- muhakkak okumanız gerekiyor.
.
Toplumsal önyargının zirve konusu eşcinselliğe dair çarpıcı açıklamalar okuyoruz. Eşcinselliğin erkeklerde, genel anlamda erkek bedeninde haps olmuş “kadın” veya eşcinselliğin kabulü, aynı zamanda erkekliğin reddi manasını taşıdığına dair yanlışları düzeltiyor. Toplumun onlara bilenmesinin sebebi AIDS ve Frengi hastalıklarının “eşcinsel vebası” minvalinde medya kuruluşlarınca yanlış yansıtılmasından söz ediyor. Bir diğer yanlış, kadınların demir ökçelerle ezilişini anlatmak için, bir düşünürün “erkekler, doğal tecavüzcü” argümanı kullanması kan dondurucu, yanlış bir saptama. Freud, Jung, Adler gibi isimlerin psikolojiye dair saptamalarına da yer vermiş. Frankfurt Okulu’nun önde gelen isimlerinin görüşlerini de okuyoruz. İşçi sınıfına ait görüşler ilk bölümde; ikinci bölümde ise feminist görüşleri incelemeleri okuyoruz. Sanırım kitabın bütününe hâkim tek bir konu var; Biyolojik ve doğal olanın, toplumsal inşaadan daha önde, daha gerçek olmayacağı görüşüdür. Çalışmanın yersiz uzunluğundan dert yansam da -çünkü, 250 sayfada çok iyi anlatılacak konu, uzatılmışta uzatılmış bana kalırsa- muhakkak okumanız gerekiyor.
March 2, 2022
What to say? It’s classic book on gender studies, sexuality and sociology of 80s America.
Raewyn packed the book to the brim with insightful commentary of social conditions regarding gender and sexuality. Also commented thoroughly and in many ways through our chapters about forming of ones personality through societal dominant conventions and how media reflect aspects of social conventions regarding dynamics between sexes.
It’s a really important book in its genre and very well research, honestly, strongly argued account on limited perceptions of personhood that many societal conventions and capitalism places upon us as people.
Reading it in 2022 I was astounded how much things were relevant to things like queer culture, challenge of creating inclusive way of informing heteronormative parts of society about need for more nuance outlook on one’s gender and more. It acknowledges the intersectional nature of presented topics.
What surprised me at first was how much you can learn about sociology, psychoanalysis, past literature on sexuality, identity and stuff, through Raewyn’s citations of books that shaped culture. She also discussed their content relevancy, missteps in terms of scientific credibility and from what background such positions come from.
Making references for example, references to Freud on his part in popularising psychoanalysis really interesting. Also important, paving the way for the reader as you progress through chapters that contain more complex and interconnected topics, dilemmas, explanations on different branches of societal mechanics of assimilating one as a kid with cultural norms (well... at least from white American perspective). It really shines with index, citations, titles of books and explanation of content of them, at times serving both as reflection on current times of Raewyn and point of critique.
Index of publications, books, articles that were used in each chapter show up at the end of each big chapter (there are also smaller chapters within.) Each big chapter illustrates a specific topic or branch of interest in Raewyn’s book. The index is gets very long and professionally composed for people that want search and dive deeper into things author refers to or uses in her argumentation. Which is a good aspect, intuitively implemented.
Very interesting position. Would read again for sure. Classic sociological, gender studies position.
Also Raewyn is an author and scientist that created the term ‘hegemonic masculinity’. It’s one of the discussed topics at core of this work and in her later publication “masculinities”. Cool.
I highly recommend it.
*read on Kindle Paperwhite 4
Raewyn packed the book to the brim with insightful commentary of social conditions regarding gender and sexuality. Also commented thoroughly and in many ways through our chapters about forming of ones personality through societal dominant conventions and how media reflect aspects of social conventions regarding dynamics between sexes.
It’s a really important book in its genre and very well research, honestly, strongly argued account on limited perceptions of personhood that many societal conventions and capitalism places upon us as people.
Reading it in 2022 I was astounded how much things were relevant to things like queer culture, challenge of creating inclusive way of informing heteronormative parts of society about need for more nuance outlook on one’s gender and more. It acknowledges the intersectional nature of presented topics.
What surprised me at first was how much you can learn about sociology, psychoanalysis, past literature on sexuality, identity and stuff, through Raewyn’s citations of books that shaped culture. She also discussed their content relevancy, missteps in terms of scientific credibility and from what background such positions come from.
Making references for example, references to Freud on his part in popularising psychoanalysis really interesting. Also important, paving the way for the reader as you progress through chapters that contain more complex and interconnected topics, dilemmas, explanations on different branches of societal mechanics of assimilating one as a kid with cultural norms (well... at least from white American perspective). It really shines with index, citations, titles of books and explanation of content of them, at times serving both as reflection on current times of Raewyn and point of critique.
Index of publications, books, articles that were used in each chapter show up at the end of each big chapter (there are also smaller chapters within.) Each big chapter illustrates a specific topic or branch of interest in Raewyn’s book. The index is gets very long and professionally composed for people that want search and dive deeper into things author refers to or uses in her argumentation. Which is a good aspect, intuitively implemented.
Very interesting position. Would read again for sure. Classic sociological, gender studies position.
Also Raewyn is an author and scientist that created the term ‘hegemonic masculinity’. It’s one of the discussed topics at core of this work and in her later publication “masculinities”. Cool.
I highly recommend it.
*read on Kindle Paperwhite 4
March 3, 2009
Essential gender stratification theory.
June 21, 2014
Okunması biraz zor, altyapı gerektiriyor ama önemli, temel bir kitap.
May 16, 2016
Terrific!
Read
November 18, 2022....interesting...
Displaying 1 - 12 of 12 reviews