Bodies in Doubt

What does it mean to be human To be human is, in part, to be physically sexed and culturally gendered Yet not all bodies are clearly male or female Bodies in Doubt traces the changing definitions, perceptions, and medical management of intersex atypical sex development in America from the colonial period to the present day.From the beginning, intersex bodies have been marked as other, as monstrous, sinister, threatening, inferior, and unfortunate Some nineteenth century doctors viewed their intersex patients with disrespect and suspicion Later, doctors showed empathy for their patients plights and tried to make correct decisions regarding their care Yet definitions of correct in matters of intersex were entangled with shifting ideas and tensions about what was natural and normal, indeed about what constituted personhood or humanity.Reis has examined hundreds of cases of hermaphroditism and intersex found in medical and popular literature and argues that medical practice cannot be understood outside of the broader cultural context in which it is embedded As the history of responses to intersex bodies has shown, doctors are influenced by social concerns about marriage and heterosexuality Bodies in Doubt considers how Americans have interpreted and handled ambiguous bodies, how the criteria and the authority for judging bodies changed, how both the binary gender ideal and the anxiety over uncertainty persisted, and how the process for defining the very norms of sex and gender evolved Bodies in Doubt breaks new ground in examining the historical roots of modern attitudes about intersex in the United States and will interest scholars and researchers in disability studies, social history, gender studies, and the history of medicine. Download Bodies in Doubt by Elizabeth Reis – kino-fada.fr This book has been equal parts infuriating and fascinating People have a history of being less than kind to those who diverge from the norm, and intersexuals are no different Due to the historical focus of this book, and horrible treatment of intersexuals, possible triggers for readers of this history include abuse of social power, forcible surgery, and other intersexual issues, as well as the discussion and use of the historical language of intersex The author uses these terms, stories, and This book has been equal parts infuriating and fascinating People have a history of being less than kind to those who diverge from the norm, and intersexuals are no different Due to the historical focus of this book, and horrible treatment of intersexuals, possible triggers for readers of this history include abuse of social power, forcible surgery, and other intersexual issues, as well as the discussion and use of the historical language of intersex The author uses these terms, stories, and social treatments in discussing historical views of intersex individuals, and in no way ad...This is an excellent historical breakdown of the American historical misconceptions about what it means to be intersex, involuntary gender assignment, and how societal and religious expectations on gender expression tend to cloud good science patient care My main criticisms ...Possible triggers for readers include the discussion and use of the historical language of intersex, including such terms as hermaphrodite and monster The author uses these terms as a discussion of historical views of intersex individuals, and in no way advocates their use Intersexed individuals had to claim total male or femaleness, typically based on who they were attracted to Their personal identity did not matter, as their relationships had to reflect heterosexual values, as the insti Possible triggers for readers include the discussion and use of the historical language of intersex, including such terms as hermaphrodite and monster The author uses these terms as a discussion of historical v...Like a lot of books coming from gender studies folks it gets quite didactic at times, almost like a 21st century version of a medieval morality play, and thus we see that they should have postcolonial.patriarchyrepression But despite the irksome amateur philosophizing I m giving this book five stars, since it s one of the first to systematically tackle the history of intersexuality, which is important b...I was hoping for something a bitcomprehensive culturally, probably because I failed to read the subtitle An AMERICAN history of Intersex My fault, not the book s The history is pretty redundant, meaning the book is likewise redundant, and mostly consists of ways doctors have mess...This was really readable and a sensitive treatment of a potentially touchy topic However, it got a little repetitious for my taste, which perhaps is inevitable when you cover a long time period It was thought provoking and an interesting read.362.19669 R3751 2009Interesting and enlightening Clearly organized and thoughtfully written.

• English
• 21 July 2017
Elizabeth Reis
• Hardcover
• 240 pages
• 0801891558
• Elizabeth Reis
• Bodies in Doubt