What did C. S. Lewis really think about gender roles? In this book, a widely recognized expert on male and female roles evaluates Lewis's understanding and presentation of gender, revealing that he ended his life thinking differently about gender than many of his followers assume. This is the first book to provide a close examination of Lewis's thought on gender and what it means for today. It addresses the tension between faith and science and offers insight into the continuing debate over gender relations, egalitarianism, and complementarianism. The book will appeal to readers of C. S. Lewis and those who are interested in gender issues.
The basis for a Christian sexual ethic, says Cahill, is a correlation of four sources: Scripture, Christian tradition (of faith, theology, and practice), philosophy, (normative accounts), and the empirical sciences (descriptive accounts).
This book addresses intersex rights violations and analyses intersex people’s legal demands as expressed by intersex activists themselves and delivered through statements and reports issued by intersex rights organisations, the United Nations and the Council of Europe. Intersex people are born with sex characteristics that do not fit typical notions of male or female bodies, as a result of which they are stigmatised, marginalised and denied the recognition of their fundamental rights. Often, they are subjected to involuntary and harmful sex “normalising” surgeries at birth, which violate their bodily integrity, self-determination and informed consent, so as to comply with societal and legal norms. Moreover, binary legal frameworks prevent them from enjoying the rights to access identification documents, start a family, or be free from discrimination in all areas including employment and sports. To elaborate on intersex violations that emanate from binary laws, this book examines the situation of intersex rights in regional jurisdictions worldwide and within the European Union in particular. In the process, it identifies current legal barriers and suggests how intersex people could be accommodated under legal frameworks and achieve sex/gender equality beyond binary definitions.
Men and women have long sought different things. The result? Seemingly inevitable conflict. Yet we belong to the most cooperative species on the planet. Isn't there a way we can use this capacity to achieve greater harmony and equality between the sexes? In "The War of the Sexes", Paul Seabright draws on biology, sociology, anthropology, and economics to argue that there is -- but first we must understand how the tension between conflict and cooperation developed in our remote evolutionary past, how it shaped the modern world, and how it still holds us back, both at home and at work. -- From publisher's description.
It's obvious why only men develop prostate cancer and why only women get ovarian cancer. But it is not obvious why women are more likely to recover language ability after a stroke than men or why women are more apt to develop autoimmune diseases such as lupus. Sex differences in health throughout the lifespan have been documented. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health begins to snap the pieces of the puzzle into place so that this knowledge can be used to improve health for both sexes. From behavior and cognition to metabolism and response to chemicals and infectious organisms, this book explores the health impact of sex (being male or female, according to reproductive organs and chromosomes) and gender (one's sense of self as male or female in society). Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health discusses basic biochemical differences in the cells of males and females and health variability between the sexes from conception throughout life. The book identifies key research needs and opportunities and addresses barriers to research. Exploring the Biological Contributions to Human Health will be important to health policy makers, basic, applied, and clinical researchers, educators, providers, and journalists-while being very accessible to interested lay readers.
Agacinski's articulation of the theory of "parity" helped inspire a law that went into effect in May 2000 requiring France's political parties to fill 50 percent of the candidacies in every race with women. Agacinski's model of parity does not strive for the nebulous ideal of "equality" between the sexes; instead, it demands a concrete formula for political contests: an equal number of female and male candidates in every election. This theory that has sparked impassioned debate across France and around the globe.
Sex Differences in Physiology is an all-encompassing reference that details basic science research into sex differences in all physiological fields. It includes scientific discoveries concerning sex differences in cardiovascular, respiratory, renal, gastrointestinal, and musculoskeletal physiology. In addition, coverage of the development, endocrinology, neurophysiology, immunity, and metabolism is included, making this important reference a resource that will meet the needs of investigators interested in incorporating sex differences into their research programs, while also providing clinicians with the basis for providing the best sex-based medical treatment options available. Provides a sweeping, organ-by-organ review of currently observed sex differences in animal models and human disease Explains how sex differences influence physiology and disease Provides the critical knowledge on sex differences for better understanding of prevention and treatment of diseases
This book combines a theoretical and empirical cross-national perspective to examine how societal transformations in European welfare states affect patterns of solidarity between men and women, and across generations. The authors' research has highlighted substantial discrepancies in various countries between the assumptions made at the macro-level of social policy on family issues and the reality of women's and men's contributions at home. In countries where social policy relies on family solidarity as the main source of support, this may result in growing social inequality. Finally, the chapters reveal the crucial role of women in the transformation of family life and welfare state policy. These conclusions could have important ramifications for European welfare policy. The cross-national perspective allows for a detailed understanding of the similarities and differences between the various European countries and their policies. Solidarity Between the Sexes and the Generations will appeal to scholars and researchers of social policy, sociology and welfare as well as women and gender studies. Because of its comparative perspective the book is also of interest to those involved in developing social policy in European countries.
Are boys and girls really that different? Twenty years ago, doctors and researchers didn’t think so. Back then, most experts believed that differences in how girls and boys behave are mainly due to differences in how they were treated by their parents, teachers, and friends. It's hard to cling to that belief today. An avalanche of research over the past twenty years has shown that sex differences are more significant and profound than anybody guessed. Sex differences are real, biologically programmed, and important to how children are raised, disciplined, and educated. In Why Gender Matters, psychologist and family physician Dr. Leonard Sax leads parents through the mystifying world of gender differences by explaining the biologically different ways in which children think, feel, and act. He addresses a host of issues, including discipline, learning, risk taking, aggression, sex, and drugs, and shows how boys and girls react in predictable ways to different situations. For example, girls are born with more sensitive hearing than boys, and those differences increase as kids grow up. So when a grown man speaks to a girl in what he thinks is a normal voice, she may hear it as yelling. Conversely, boys who appear to be inattentive in class may just be sitting too far away to hear the teacher—especially if the teacher is female. Likewise, negative emotions are seated in an ancient structure of the brain called the amygdala. Girls develop an early connection between this area and the cerebral cortex, enabling them to talk about their feelings. In boys these links develop later. So if you ask a troubled adolescent boy to tell you what his feelings are, he often literally cannot say. Dr. Sax offers fresh approaches to disciplining children, as well as gender-specific ways to help girls and boys avoid drugs and early sexual activity. He wants parents to understand and work with hardwired differences in children, but he also encourages them to push beyond gender-based stereotypes. A leading proponent of single-sex education, Dr. Sax points out specific instances where keeping boys and girls separate in the classroom has yielded striking educational, social, and interpersonal benefits. Despite the view of many educators and experts on child-rearing that sex differences should be ignored or overcome, parents and teachers would do better to recognize, understand, and make use of the biological differences that make a girl a girl, and a boy a boy.
How does being male or female shape us? And what, aside from obvious anatomical differences, does being male or female mean? In this book, the distinguished psychologist Eleanor Maccoby explores how individuals express their sexual identity at successive periods of their lives. A book about sex in the broadest sense, The Two Sexes seeks to tell us how our development from infancy through adolescence and into adulthood is affected by gender. Chief among Maccoby's contentions is that gender differences appear primarily in group, or social, contexts. In childhood, boys and girls tend to gravitate toward others of their own sex. The Two Sexes examines why this segregation occurs and how boys' groups and girls' groups develop distinct cultures with different agendas. Deploying evidence from her own research and studies by many other scholars, Maccoby identifies a complex combination of biological, cognitive, and social factors that contribute to gender segregation and group differentiation. A major finding of The Two Sexes is that these childhood experiences in same-sex groups profoundly influence how members of the two sexes relate to one another in adulthood--as lovers, coworkers, and parents. Maccoby shows how, in constructing these adult relationships, men and women utilize old elements from their childhood experiences as well as new ones arising from different adult agendas. Finally, she considers social changes in gender roles in light of her discoveries about the constraints and opportunities implicit in the same-sex and cross-sex relationships of childhood.
