Sexual Consent

The MIT Press Essential Knowledge

by Milena Popova

An introduction to issues of sexual consent, covering key strands of feminist thought, how sexual consent is negotiated in practice, the influence of popular culture, and more. The #MeToo movement has focused public attention on the issue of sexual consent. People of all genders, from all walks of life, have stepped forward to tell their stories of sexual harassment and violation. In a predictable backlash, others have taken to mass media to inquire plaintively if “flirting” is now forbidden. This volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series offers a nuanced introduction to sexual consent by a writer who is both a scholar and an activist on this issue. It has become clear from discussions of the recent high-profile cases of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, and others that there is no clear agreement over what constitutes consent or non-consent and how they are expressed and perceived in sexual situations. This book presents key strands of feminist thought on the subject of sexual consent from across academic and activist communities and covers the history of research on consent in such fields as psychology and feminist legal studies. It discusses how sexual consent is negotiated in practice, from “No means no” to “Yes means yes,” and describes what factors might limit individual agency in such negotiations. It examines how popular culture, including pornography, romance fiction, and sex advice manuals, shapes our ideas of consent; explores the communities at the forefront of consent activism; and considers what meaningful social change in this area might look like. Going beyond the conventional cisgender, heterosexual norm, the book lists additional resources for those seeking to improve their practice of consent, survivors of sexual violence, and readers who want to understand contemporary debates on this issue in more depth.

Genres: Sexuality, Nonfiction, Feminism, Relationships, Society

216 pages, Paperback

Published May 7, 2019

About the author

Milena Popova is an independent scholar, activist, and consultant working on culture and sexual consent and the author of Sexual Consent, a volume in the MIT Press Essential Knowledge series.

Reviews

[vasi]

got asked if i work at the book store despite being on my phone, earbuds in, backpack on. biggest case of chronic bookseller face the world has seen. anyways shoutout to the store for letting me finish this in a sitting.

[Molly Roach · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sexual Consent by Milena Popova

I didn’t think this book was going to be as great as it is when I picked it up from the thrift store. I thought it was going to be a basic introduction to sexual consent. I was pleasantly surprised to find out that it is a very in-depth, feminist, anti-carceral examination of sexual consent - both its usefulness and it’s short comings. Popova takes great care in explaining dominant discourses around sex and consent, rape myths, and marginalized communities relationship with consent. She describes how power and consent are intrinsically linked together. She uses pop culture and the #MeToo movement as frequent examples for her ideas. In the final chapter, she offers a roadmap forward into dismantling rape culture and building a culture of consent. I recommend this book highly!
4.5/5⭐️

[Antía S · Rating 5 out of 5]

Consentimiento sexual es un libro corto pero con el que aprendes de por vida. Lo devoré en una sola tarde y la verdad es que más allá de haberme cambiado la perspectiva que tenía acerca del consentimiento sexual, ha conseguido que sea más consciente de la importancia que tiene, así como de la necesidad de difundir los valores que he aprendido leyendo este libro.

En los dos últimos años el movimiento #MeToo ha conllevado a que muchas mujeres se animen a contar su historia. Mujeres que han sufrido acoso sexual o han sido violadas y han tenido la fuerza de contar su historia para que las mujeres que lo siguen ocultando vean que no están solas. Gracias a esto, se ha creado una comunidad de mujeres fuertes cuyas historias han marcado un antes y después.

Para leer más: https://www.antiasreadings.com/2021/1...

[Emily F. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A thorough and educational exploration of the various issues that surround what it would take to create a culture based in consent. Popova walks us through the present state of rape culture, the sexual scripts that permeate our interactions, and discusses many different ideas that intersect with these topics. I was especially delighted at the inclusion of sections on romance novels, BDSM and the Fifty Shades controversy, fan fiction, and transformative justice (as those are all topics near and dear to my heart).

This book was a little more academic than I was expecting, but once I settled into it I really appreciated the thorough examination Popova provided, not to mention all the many citations and further readings listed at the end of the book that I fully intend to look up next.

[Cedric · Rating 4 out of 5]

Recommended by a friend, it does have a lot of interesting passages that I want to revisit, but for some reason it just kindof erked me how sloppy it got RIGHT at the end:

"It is interesting that the two men for whom post-#MeToo justice (in one case through the legal system, in the other through severe career consequences) has been swift are a black man and a gay man. At the same time, Johnny Depp, against whom there are credible and corroborated allegations of domestic violence, continues to be cast in high-profile roles and be used in advertising by corporations such as Warner Bros., Disney, and Dior."

There aren't any footnotes to the accusations, but what's worse is that it looks like it's coming out to be more complex, where Johnny Depp may also have been a victim of domestic violence. The only reason I'm bringing this up is because I think it would have been better to use controversially 'untouchable' figures that most of the public really like (and want them to succeed) and it asks a much more difficult question about accountability.

Here are 3 STILL unresolved cases that don't look to have made a difference how much press it gets:

- Kobe Bryant, whose career pre-dated the #MeToo movement
- Joe Biden, whose "creepy behavior" is being weighed by his accusers as not enough to not vote for him
- Bill Clinton and the credible rape allegation from Juanita Broaddrick but so unfortunately being championed by Donald Trump...

I think there was an opportunity for being less specific about each high-profile case, and more broadly ask the scary question, what if a large enough portion of society willfully wants to sweep it under the rug (the ends justify the means) and it's largely successful?

This way it's not just about if #MeToo has what it takes to survive, but do we have what it takes as a society to change our current system of law toward transformative justice (not to mention that would have been a good place to have also put a footnote, describing where that as a concept came from, elaborating on it fully, where to find out more... I think Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha mentions being a part of Transformative justice, I just don't know if it's all the same thing that the author is referring to, because it was vaguely mentioned.)

Don't get me wrong though, I thought it was an accessible read, which i think is the important part.

[Artemisia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Concise overview of the history of sexual consent in the United States, from a legal and cultural perspective. Brings to light the complexities behind legal definitions of sex, and how it doesn’t account for the murkiness of societal/cultural/power elements, which make it hard to really truly consent. E.g. male sexual drive discourse, have/hold discourse, permissive discourse, and dominant sexual scripts hammered in by media.

I remember in “Ace” the way that Chen defined consent was an enthusiastic yes, which really reshaped my understanding of consent. This book, through its explorations off consent, had a similar effect.

Like “Ace,” this book also debunked and illuminated the existence of a dominant sexual script, which creates unhealthy pressure + doesn’t apply to everyone, and helps broadens the definition of what sex is.

[doug · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, lots of intro to theory and not too deep but super dry- not sure what I was/am looking for but I think this is a good starting point for cis men like myself who were taught what is now very outdated stuff. I appreciated the fairly easy to digest introduction to how definitions of sex in relationships and consent have evolved. Popova brings in pretty useful, if tragic examples which are well known from the metoo era as well as more vague “if a person does x then y” to illustrate the points and how they correlate to feminist theory, neoliberalism, structural oppression etc.

Overarchingly id recommend it to anyone, particularly to cis men but would like to see a more engaging version that is written less like a textbook... I don’t know if that’s even possible though...

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really like reading about feminism and sociology through the lens of either hookup culture or sex more generally. This book was a good overview of consent, without being too simplistic but also without really diving into things that I thought could've been awarded a greater depth of discussion. I mean, it's tough with a topic like this. Ultimately I think that Popova did well walking the line between too little and too much. The discussions of asexuality and 'compulsory sexuality' were a new perspective that I was glad I was exposed to.

[Michael Rancic · Rating 4 out of 5]

probably the most comprehensive look at the topic of consent that i've found-- exploring not only legal definitions and how they differ across the world, but also how they're informed by ableism and heteronormativity, as well as the feminist movements that have pushed against and challenged early understandings/conceptions of consent to where we are today. i especially like how it frames consent as a constant process of negotiation rather than a journey from A to B.

[Cora Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Starting some vital dialogue, but there are aspects that needed to be elaborated upon:
1. transformative justice may be a great mediation, but it is totally reasonable for survivors to want retribution in the form of justice.
2. In talking about the benefits of indie/small porn companies, you need to talk about the exploitation and human trafficking that huge porn studios inflict.
3. More elaboration on consent culture as it impacts people of different identities such as BIPOC people

[Amogh Dwivedi]

Very engaging read, and covers many diverse topics. Written in very straightforward and brisk manner.

The idea that human behavior might be more influenced by power structures as opposed to one's own free-will was a challenging idea, and though I feel a little skeptical, I am curious about this train of thought.

[Samantha · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting and engaging book on what consent means and how it became popular in todays world. I wish it delved deeper in some subjects like bdsm, fan fiction and movies but at least it touched on them. Great read that goes quickly.

[John Broderick · Rating 5 out of 5]

Serves exceptionally well as an introduction and reflection on norms-gender, sex and cultural that violate bodily autonomy. Would love to read a longer version

[Meaghan Steeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating deep dive into all angles of consent and how it’s portrayed in the media. I had a lot of revelations while reading this and learned a lot.

[Bárbara Berger · Rating 4 out of 5]

A considerate, intersectional and inclusive approach to sexual consent, though I am not convinced about autonomy as the grounds for... everything.

[Rose · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was informative. The Johnny Depp commentary aged badly however. I think he's innocent.

[Char · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5☆

great intro book on sexual consent, femenist theory, and how it all fits into our culture!

[Scarlett · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25/5