Seeing the bigger picture: what is gynaecology for?
This paper situates Rodrigo de Castro Lusitano’s De uniuersa mulierum medicina (1603), within the longer history of gynaecology and of the questions raised by having a separate branch of medicine dedicated to women. I argue that the focus of ‘gynaecology’ has historically been on difference: on wom...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Universidade de Aveiro
2021-06-01
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| Series: | Ágora |
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| Online Access: | https://proa.ua.pt/index.php/agora/article/view/25018 |
| Summary: | This paper situates Rodrigo de Castro Lusitano’s De uniuersa mulierum medicina (1603), within the longer history of gynaecology and of the questions raised by having a separate branch of medicine dedicated to women. I argue that the focus of ‘gynaecology’ has historically been on difference: on women’s bodies being seen as fundamentally different from those of men. I argue that one danger of the recent resurrection of a focus on difference is that it could lead to negative changes to women’s roles in society.
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| ISSN: | 0874-5498 2183-4334 |