The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century
- Downloads：9006
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2021-09-09 00:19:12
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Amia Srinivasan
- ISBN：0374248524
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Kieran
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This is a series of essays written by Amia Srinivasan。 What struck me most about this collection was that I really enjoyed Srinivasan’s writing style， it is clear and concise but， it never feels like she is talking down to the reader。 This is primarily an academic book， but it manages to avoid many of the pitfalls that plague some sections of modern academic writing （overuse use of jargon， constipated prose ect。）Although I’m not an expert on the subject matter，I feel that this is more of a gener This is a series of essays written by Amia Srinivasan。 What struck me most about this collection was that I really enjoyed Srinivasan’s writing style， it is clear and concise but， it never feels like she is talking down to the reader。 This is primarily an academic book， but it manages to avoid many of the pitfalls that plague some sections of modern academic writing （overuse use of jargon， constipated prose ect。）Although I’m not an expert on the subject matter，I feel that this is more of a general introductory work which allows readers to become familiar with the history， challenges and modern outlooks of feminist movements， without necessarily putting forth the author’s own view point。 This is a short work， but it is well referenced and there is a large amount of further reading provided in relation to the essay topics。Although all six essays were written by the author it is only in the chapter ‘on not sleeping with your students’ that the authors own viewpoint on the topic clearly shines through。 Readers who are looking for a more personal approach to these topics may be left a little disappointed with this aspect of the authors style。 Srinivasan is the kind of writer who asks interesting questions on which she allows her readers to ruminate and develop their own thoughts and opinions rather than providing them with definitive answers。 。。。more
Mei
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Fantastic。 Utterly brilliant and intelligent comparative analysis of different feminist theories on key issues， through a contemporary intersectional lens。
Christine Hankinson
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Lost me at the start。 Anyone （who isn't of the tiny 。01% of humans who have undeveloped or hermaphroditic genitalia） states that their sex was 'assigned at birth' has been captured。 It's a murdering of language and meaning。 Lost me at the start。 Anyone （who isn't of the tiny 。01% of humans who have undeveloped or hermaphroditic genitalia） states that their sex was 'assigned at birth' has been captured。 It's a murdering of language and meaning。 。。。more
Palash Srivastava
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Ñot a bad book per se， but if one is looking for some deep insights or interventions into feminist theory， this book would feel quite underwhelming。 Its a great book to introduce someone to contemporary feminist issues （although even there social reproduction theorists are conspicuously missing）。
Rita
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I admire Srinivasan greatly， but I have to say， this book wasn't particularly mind-blowing for me。 I wonder if I was necessarily the target audience。 Each essay offers a wonderful introduction to contemporary feminist issues regarding sex， including incel culture and student-teacher relationships。 The issue is， as someone who had already been exposed to thorough commentary on each of these issues， I didn't find that the essays offered any new insight for me。 I think that for someone who is new t I admire Srinivasan greatly， but I have to say， this book wasn't particularly mind-blowing for me。 I wonder if I was necessarily the target audience。 Each essay offers a wonderful introduction to contemporary feminist issues regarding sex， including incel culture and student-teacher relationships。 The issue is， as someone who had already been exposed to thorough commentary on each of these issues， I didn't find that the essays offered any new insight for me。 I think that for someone who is new to this field， this book would be a brilliant read。 I， on the other hand， craved more detail， more of a firm stance on each issue。 I obviously don't know Srinivasan personally， so I won't make any claims on her passion for the subjects she discusses – clearly， the time and dedication required to research and craft a book like this indicates some level of commitment。 But at the same time， many of her essays lacked a sense of urgency， an indication of having personal stakes in each issue， which I believe make social commentary most powerful。 Indeed， the essay I enjoyed most was 'On Not Sleeping with Your Students'， a chapter where Srinivasan's own teaching experience and personal pedagogy showed through again and again。 I thought that the other essays lacked this sense of personal involvement。 Additionally， I was often frustrated by the lack of detail given in many parts of the text。 Again， I think this goes back to my observation that I do not seem to be the target audience for this book – for someone just beginning to learn about these topics， too much information would be overwhelming。 But since I already had a decent grasp on each of these topics， I question why Srinivasan is so hesitant to offer details into the potential solutions for them。 For example， why is it that she only briefly mentions alternatives to carceralism that are already beginning to be implemented at the end of her essay 'Sex， Carceralism， Capitalism'， on the penultimate page of the entire book？ Why is it that more space is not given not only to recognising the issues of the present day， but to concrete paths to a better future？ This is a response I have to many books on feminist issues， and maybe I am being too demanding of Srinivasan and authors like her。 Or perhaps the issue is that this book is borne of academia， sensitive to but many levels detached from the very real material needs of the vulnerable people it discusses。 And maybe there is a discomfort with that observation that I do not yet know how to articulate fully。 。。。more
J。lilley
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Excellent。
Amy Thompson
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Please read this book！
Chris Newens
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Among many other things， this is an excellent primer to intersectionality。 Many will love it for setting out a clear intellectual scaffolding for a lot of complex ideas currently in the zeitgeist。 It's also truly essayistic in tone unafraid to work through the difficulties and acknowledge contradictions in debates over topics such as whether or not to ban prostitution， pornography， and how we should relate to our individual desire。 For me， the central essay -- also called "The Right to Sex" -- w Among many other things， this is an excellent primer to intersectionality。 Many will love it for setting out a clear intellectual scaffolding for a lot of complex ideas currently in the zeitgeist。 It's also truly essayistic in tone unafraid to work through the difficulties and acknowledge contradictions in debates over topics such as whether or not to ban prostitution， pornography， and how we should relate to our individual desire。 For me， the central essay -- also called "The Right to Sex" -- was the book's most interesting， challenging chapter， with the "Coda" essay immediately following the most rigorous and persuasive。 Finally， though， I'd have liked more in the way of anecdote， if only to acknowledge that desire is experienced in real life as more than ideology; that it's messy and subject to feelings which can seldom be unpicked politically as they are happening。 。。。more
Alice Thornton
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！ wow ！ particularly enjoyed the chapters ‘coda: the politics of desire’ and ‘on not sleeping with your students’
Incomplete
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Audiobook。I jumped into listening to the audiobook even before the book's actual release because of the impact Srinivasan's LRB essay had on me。 And I'm thankful， extremely thankful that this collection didn't disappoint and left me thinking。 My particular favourite was Coda and the end was rather powerful， too。 I'd like to own the hardcover soon。 Audiobook。I jumped into listening to the audiobook even before the book's actual release because of the impact Srinivasan's LRB essay had on me。 And I'm thankful， extremely thankful that this collection didn't disappoint and left me thinking。 My particular favourite was Coda and the end was rather powerful， too。 I'd like to own the hardcover soon。 。。。more
Jon Paul Roberts
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over six essays srinivasan writes insightfully on the 'conspiracy' against men， pornography， incels， desire， student-professor relationships， and capitalism/carceral punishment。 this is the only contemporary book on sex and feminism i've read recently that feels like it will become a classic/essential text to sit alongside the work of angela davis and audre lorde etc。 with the aim of dismantling systems of oppression。 such a great book！ over six essays srinivasan writes insightfully on the 'conspiracy' against men， pornography， incels， desire， student-professor relationships， and capitalism/carceral punishment。 this is the only contemporary book on sex and feminism i've read recently that feels like it will become a classic/essential text to sit alongside the work of angela davis and audre lorde etc。 with the aim of dismantling systems of oppression。 such a great book！ 。。。more
PT Reader
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Some good ideas but I thought it was a little thin and not as well informed by the many traditions of Black feminism as I expected it to be。 I think perhaps this suffers from being overhyped。
Eric Hollen
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Lots to think about in this one。 A fairly accessible but deep dive look into feminism in the twenty-first century， with topics touching on professor-student relationships， the "false rape accusation" argument that many men make， pornography， intersectionality， and feminism in the wake of #Metoo and George Floyd， particularly in relation to the carceral state。 My mind's still buzzing a little bit from this - might be one of those books that， for me， is worth a second-read through。 Highly informat Lots to think about in this one。 A fairly accessible but deep dive look into feminism in the twenty-first century， with topics touching on professor-student relationships， the "false rape accusation" argument that many men make， pornography， intersectionality， and feminism in the wake of #Metoo and George Floyd， particularly in relation to the carceral state。 My mind's still buzzing a little bit from this - might be one of those books that， for me， is worth a second-read through。 Highly informative with plenty of food for thought。 。。。more
James Beggarly
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Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 The author takes on the issue of sex in modern society and asks hard questions about pornography， the #MeToo movement， prostitution， sex on campus between students and also between students and teachers and a variety of other questions about sexuality that seem to have no easy answers。 She shows the evolution of these questions in our recent history and where they sit with us now。 And even though there are no easy answers it’s great having the author as Thanks to Netgalley and FSG for the ebook。 The author takes on the issue of sex in modern society and asks hard questions about pornography， the #MeToo movement， prostitution， sex on campus between students and also between students and teachers and a variety of other questions about sexuality that seem to have no easy answers。 She shows the evolution of these questions in our recent history and where they sit with us now。 And even though there are no easy answers it’s great having the author as a guide and fascinating to see some of the conclusions she arrives at。 。。。more
Sohum
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will have many words later， but Wow！
Sarah Schulman
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By reviving long lost debates central to our contemporary self-concepts， and juxtaposing them with diasporic Asian feminisms， Amia Srinivasan reveals both the material opportunities and dead-ends of a century long conscious trajectory towards female empowerment。 The Right to Sex reminds us of the foundational complexities to Women's Liberation ideas and why we are still grappling with them。 This gathering of evidence invites readers to create new knowledge。 By reviving long lost debates central to our contemporary self-concepts， and juxtaposing them with diasporic Asian feminisms， Amia Srinivasan reveals both the material opportunities and dead-ends of a century long conscious trajectory towards female empowerment。 The Right to Sex reminds us of the foundational complexities to Women's Liberation ideas and why we are still grappling with them。 This gathering of evidence invites readers to create new knowledge。 。。。more
Pe
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