Customer Reviews

Feminism and Evolutionary Biology - Boundaries, intersections and frontiers

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In 1994 Darwinian feminist Patricia Gowaty organized a symposium at the University of Georgia for a discussion of what it means to be both evolutionist and feminist. She did not anticipate the contention and controversy the discussions provoked. This book comprises contributions from the original speakers plus other contributions resulting from that conference.

Gowaty is clearly frustrated by the battles at the boundaries of feminism and evolutionary biology and by how her attempt at rapproachement failed - a failure she puts down to communication problems. I greatly sympathize with her. Fourteen years on from the conference we continue to be faced by much the same contention and controversy. Hopefully,though, there are a few more Darwinian feminists who now, like Gowaty says of herself in her book, feel like 'an interpreter and apologist for both feminism and evolutionary biology at the boundary between them'.

The contributions to this book are diverse. They are also for an interested and not general readership. From an explanation of heritability to research studies on birds and primates, to discussion of parental investment, mate choice and genetic determinsm, many different feminist biologist interests and views are included.
Though, like Gowaty, I find the inevitable battles rather than the hoped for debates disappointing, they are probably just that - inevitable. Keeping up the attempts at communication is essential and this book is important in this. As difficult as the communication often is it would be worse to only have a silent stand-off at the boundaries.

I bought this book after taking a Women's Studies course and quite frankly was very surprised that it was more so an ideology and political agenda that has come into the psychology and science departments in American Colleges. I was very upset by this and began to seek answers in Science. Just read a little into it so far and looks like it's gonna be a good read.

I am so thankful that at least some feminists view gender roles as having some sort of basis in science and evolutionary theory and not the sole product of a social construct of conscious and collective effort my MEN the evil purveyors of the "The Patriarchy". Contemporary feminism teaches divisiveness and portrays women as the victims of men. This book is trying to get more feminist involved in at least taking a look at evolutionary theory, evolutionary psychology and evolutionary biology and human sciences. Young women are taught that science is to be mistrusted because it comes from men. If this is the case I hope young women will read the works of Prof. Sarah Blaffer Hrdy and Prof. Hellen Fisher to start to bring them back to the humans sciences. It is imperative that they do so. This book is a basic introduction that I think will ease them back into trusting science and men and humanity and stop defining themselves in the context of victims. To help find our essential nature as humans and finally that men and women arrived here together!