What is Gender?
Sociological Approaches
- Mary Holmes - University of Edinburgh, UK
What is Gender? explores these complex and important questions, helping readers to critically analyse how women's and men's lives are shaped by the society in which they live. The book offers a comprehensive account of trends in sociological thinking, from a material and economic focus on gender inequalities to the debates about meaning initiated by the linguistic or cultural turn.
The book begins by questioning simplistic biological conceptions of gender and goes on to evaluate different theoretical frameworks for explaining gender, as well as political approaches to gender issues. The cultural turn is also examined in relation to thinking about how gender is related to other forms of inequality such as class and 'race'.
The book is up-to-date and broad in its scope, drawing on a range of disciplines, such as: sociology, psychoanalysis, masculinity studies, literary criticism, feminist political theory, feminist philosophy and feminist theory.
The book is a helpful and concise introduction to the complex field of gender studies. By delivering different theoretical positions in this field it also helps readers developing a critical standoint.
Gives students some of the basics on Gender. Some of the students have little background in this area so it works quite well as an intro text.
An excellent text. Just right for my second year undergraduate module. Have advised them that it a text I would recommend to purchase
A very useful book - interesting
A great introduction to gender - this focuses of the key arguments, the text provides a clear structure and offers key readings at the end of every chapter.
A very useful discussion of gender that explores an issue that has been neglected for some time.
A good introduction to the sociological construction of Gender and sex and differences. In the second part there is an inspiring overall overview to the politics of Gender.
I like the book for its introductory appeal and the easily understandable writing style, therefore I recommended it in my class on feminism
A good introductory text on gender. Highly recommended for undergraduates.
This is an exceelent text that will be recommended as essential reading for these modules.
