Sex, France, and Arab Men, 1962–1979

by Todd Shepard

The aftermath of Algeria’s revolutionary war for independence coincided with the sexual revolution in France, and in this book Todd Shepard argues that these two movements are inextricably linked.​

Sex, France, and Arab Men is a history of how and why—from the upheavals of French Algeria in 1962 through the 1970s—highly sexualized claims about Arabs were omnipresent in important public French discussions, both those that dealt with sex and those that spoke of Arabs. Shepard explores how the so-called sexual revolution took shape in a France profoundly influenced by the ongoing effects of the Algerian revolution. Shepard’s analysis of both events alongside one another provides a frame that renders visible the ways that the fight for sexual liberation, usually explained as an American and European invention, developed out of the worldwide anticolonial movement of the mid-twentieth century.

Genres: History, Race, Queer, Sexuality, France, Politics, Nonfiction

336 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2017

Reviews

[Jerra Runnels · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book unlike most of my classmates. I knew nothing of Algeria-France post-war relations and the conflicts that took place. It was a fascinating look at the sexual revolution and the different views during that time with regard to homosexuality and rape and how racism played a role in it all. Recommend this book if you are needing to read something in decolonization or post- war Algeria or sexualization of Arab men.

[David MMajor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thorough coverage of topic

I liked this book for its thoroughness, documenting, and many useful references in the bibliography. Photos were explained well. Knowing French would have been helpful, but I understood just the same.