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Critical Histories of Subjectivity and Culture

Histories of Sexuality

stephen garton

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A history of sexuality runs the risk of confirming popular fears that academics are capable of ruining even the most simple of pleasures. This book, however, is written in the hope that histories of sexuality (although not necessarily this one) can enlighten and, occasionally, even delight. At their best such histories offer a means of investigating the clash of instinct and culture ― how seemingly timeless and natural behaviours shape and are in turn shaped by history. Sexual practices may persist through time but history also illuminates how sex and sexuality are surprisingly mutable. This capacity of history to unsettle and surprise is evident in many of the works discussed here. In less than 40 years the history of sexuality, as a definable area of scholarly enterprise, has grown from a few works describing past attitudes and behaviours into an enormously rich field that sustains its own journal, a number of monograph series and countless seminars, conferences, articles and books. Moreover, this field has moved well beyond accounts of exotic ideas and strange obsessions to embrace sophisticated analyses of such issues as subjectivity, identity, power, desire, gender and embodiment. Through these studies we now have a much more detailed account of past sexual ideas, beliefs, practices, fantasies and struggles.

326 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1,2004
Series
Critical Histories of Subjectivity and Culture

This edition

Format
326 pages, Hardcover
Published
November 2, 2004 by Routledge
ISBN
9780415972291
ASIN
0415972299
Language
English

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About the author

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stephen garton

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Rating(4.2 / 5.0, 6 votes)
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6 reviews All reviews
Profile Image for Kimberly .
TheGoat1111
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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This is a book which, in an incredibly reliable way, devoid of all "ahs and ohs", presents the development of human sexuality from the perspective of history, at least within the ancient Greek culture, up to the modern understanding of this in the so-called “western" countries.

In my opinion, reading this book is highly recommended for those who do not want to be "ignorant" in discussions with people - mostly pseudo-religious moralists - attacking everyone's inalienable rights to experience their sexuality and gender identity.
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Tangsan20
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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A helpful overview of the construction of sexuality from a historical (Western) lens. Particular focus on Victorianism and Foucault.
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kraotop
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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Um livro que nos permite refletir sobre a forma como a cultura influencia as nossas crenças sobre a sexualidade. Além disso, concluímos que ainda há imenso para descobrir em relação ao corpo humano, dado que a cada século são feitas novas descobertas que ridicularizam as crenças anteriores. Deixo a nota que o autor tentou ao máximo recolher informação credível e comparável para que o leitor tirasse as suas próprias conclusões.

Alguns tópicos sobre o livro:

Na Grécia antiga, os homens tinham de afirmar a autoridade sobre outros para reivindicarem a cidadania. O sexo, como a guerra, era um domínio de representação do estatuto social" -62

Para Galeno - médico grego do século II - homens e mulheres partilhavam um tipo de corpo, sendo as mulheres de facto homens que não se tinham desenvolvido (o útero era considerado um pénis que não viera fora do corpo). - P. 71


"Para os vitorianos a modalidade sexual da mulher era baseada na transcendência do sexo, a do homem estava enraizada na natureza."
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Nyron
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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Excellent continuity and an easy to folly read for the laymen.
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dx349
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
April 1,2025
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Basically this is an outline of various historiographical traditions (and all the major historians in the field) with regards to sexuality... I had to read it for class. It was really useful. Also, like the unit in general, made me think about lots of aspects of sexuality that had never really crossed my mind before.

I didn't actually read ALL of it but I'm putting it on the "read" shelf anyway because I read enough and I don't think I'm going to read the rest (seeing as that'd involve re-borrowing it from the library). Also sorry about the inarticulacy of this "review"; I'm sick...
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