Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press)
In "Diagnosing Desire," Alyson K. Spurgas examines female sexual dysfunction, specifically low desire in women, and refuses to take anything for granted. One part history of modern sexology and one part feminist critique of the biopolitics engendered by sex research, Spurgas uses anti-raci...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Cultural Studies Association
2021-07-01
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| Series: | Lateral |
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| Online Access: | https://csalateral.org/reviews/diagnosing-desire-biopolitics-femininity-twenty-first-century-spurgas-webb/ |
| _version_ | 1818402309316542464 |
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| author | Sophie Webb |
| author_facet | Sophie Webb |
| author_sort | Sophie Webb |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | In "Diagnosing Desire," Alyson K. Spurgas examines female sexual dysfunction, specifically low desire in women, and refuses to take anything for granted. One part history of modern sexology and one part feminist critique of the biopolitics engendered by sex research, Spurgas uses anti-racist, queer, disability studies, and trauma-informed theories to argue that the apolitical and atheoretical approach used in much of the modern science of sexuality confines women's sexual desire to a purely receptive model. Spurgas problematizes essentialist, anti-intersectional, and hetero- and cisnormative frameworks through which women's sexual desire has become a problem to be solved through self-improvement and by learning to push through feelings of low desire. Instead, Spurgas offers insights into the lives of women with low desire by attending to their experiences with inequality and trauma, and proposes a new understanding of women's sexuality—and of femininity more generally—based on prudent and critical attention to power. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:06:19Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-a9e8d70d5f124a7c8e1cfb9f20b75b3b |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2469-4053 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-14T08:06:19Z |
| publishDate | 2021-07-01 |
| publisher | Cultural Studies Association |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Lateral |
| spelling | doaj.art-a9e8d70d5f124a7c8e1cfb9f20b75b3b2022-12-21T23:10:10ZengCultural Studies AssociationLateral2469-40532021-07-0110210.25158/L10.2.19Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press)Sophie Webb0https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9821-3298University of California, San DiegoIn "Diagnosing Desire," Alyson K. Spurgas examines female sexual dysfunction, specifically low desire in women, and refuses to take anything for granted. One part history of modern sexology and one part feminist critique of the biopolitics engendered by sex research, Spurgas uses anti-racist, queer, disability studies, and trauma-informed theories to argue that the apolitical and atheoretical approach used in much of the modern science of sexuality confines women's sexual desire to a purely receptive model. Spurgas problematizes essentialist, anti-intersectional, and hetero- and cisnormative frameworks through which women's sexual desire has become a problem to be solved through self-improvement and by learning to push through feelings of low desire. Instead, Spurgas offers insights into the lives of women with low desire by attending to their experiences with inequality and trauma, and proposes a new understanding of women's sexuality—and of femininity more generally—based on prudent and critical attention to power.https://csalateral.org/reviews/diagnosing-desire-biopolitics-femininity-twenty-first-century-spurgas-webb/feminismdisabilitygenderbiopoliticssexualitytrauma |
| spellingShingle | Sophie Webb Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press) Lateral feminism disability gender biopolitics sexuality trauma |
| title | Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press) |
| title_full | Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press) |
| title_fullStr | Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press) |
| title_full_unstemmed | Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press) |
| title_short | Review of "Diagnosing Desire: Biopolitics and Femininity into the Twenty-First Century" by Alyson K. Spurgas (The Ohio State University Press) |
| title_sort | review of diagnosing desire biopolitics and femininity into the twenty first century by alyson k spurgas the ohio state university press |
| topic | feminism disability gender biopolitics sexuality trauma |
| url | https://csalateral.org/reviews/diagnosing-desire-biopolitics-femininity-twenty-first-century-spurgas-webb/ |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT sophiewebb reviewofdiagnosingdesirebiopoliticsandfemininityintothetwentyfirstcenturybyalysonkspurgastheohiostateuniversitypress |