Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality [Hardcover]

Michael R., Ph.d. Kauth (Editor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0789035073 | ISBN-13: 978-0789035073 | Publication Date: February 12, 2007 | Edition: 1

Expand your knowledge—with theories and concepts that may challenge your assumptions about sexual attraction

Human sexuality can be better understood by knowing how sexual psychologies may have evolved throughout the ages. Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality presents a detailed examination of human sexuality, the assumptions about concepts and terms pertaining to sexuality, and the latest theories on the evolution of human sexual attraction. Leading experts explore various aspects of evolutionary theory, with a focus on Evolutionary Psychology (EP). Discussions include mate preferences, mating behavior, mate signaling, pheromones, and same-sex attraction. This comprehensive source also presents three groundbreaking theories of the evolution of same-sex attraction.

Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality takes current assumptions about human sexuality, explains each in turn, and then offers fresh perspectives on conventional concepts of sexual orientation. This extensive resource provides ample evidence to argue that researchers should investigate sexual relationships based on a person’s characteristics such as personal traits, complementary roles/status, sexual acts, or situational context rather than simply the sex of the partner. The book provides a discussion of evolutionary theory, evolution of human sexual culture, evolution of sexual pleasure, and detailed analysis of assumptions about sexual orientation. The text is carefully referenced.

Some of the topics explored by Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality include:

• links to non-human primate sexual behaviors and the emergence of human (sexual) nature
  
• EP research on consensual adult human sexual behaviors
  
• studies of evolved male and female mating strategies, mate preferences, and sexual psychologies
  
• a brief history of the theory of evolution
  
• ancient culture, archeology, and an overview of premodern human sexuality
  
• evolutionary history of sexual pleasure
  
• human mating strategies
  
• development of mate preferences
  
• sexual signals, such as distinctive physical features, material wealth, etc.
  
• theories of the evolution of same-sex sexual attraction and behavior
  
• Primatologist Paul Vasey’s observations of female Japanese macaques and their female-female sexual encounters—with an examination of human male-male behavior
  
• evolutionary history of female-female affectional bonding with a new theory on the behavior
  
• evolutionary history of male-male sexual behavior—with intriguing thoughts on why it happened
  
• evolutionary history of pheromones as chemical messengers
  
• much more
  
  

Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality is an important, thought-provoking resource perfect for evolutionary psychologists, sexologists, educators, researchers, scholars, and graduate students.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Provides a peek through the window of evolutionary psychological work on human sexuality. . . . Should provide readers with a deeper appreciation of how Evolutionary Psychology can clarify thinking about human sexuality. The contributors to this volume refreshingly recast entrenched ideas about human sexuality in a new light and offer insights that can steer future research. -- Richard L. Michalski, PhD, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Hollins University

The chapters represent interesting things to consider: Female-Female desire; Same-sex sexual behavior in primates; Human sexual culture; Human Pheromones; and so forth. . . . INTRIGUING AND THOUGHT PROVOKING. . . . WELL WORTH THE PRICE. -- Dr. Paul R. Abramson, Professor of Psychology, UCLA

Product Details

• Hardcover: 414 pages
• Publisher: Routledge; 1 edition (February 12, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0789035073
• ISBN-13: 978-0789035073
• Product Dimensions: 8.6 x 6.2 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.7 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,051,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars human sexuality for freaks and geeks, July 8, 2007

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Elevate Difference "Elevate Difference" (worldwide) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Handbook of the Evolution of Human Sexuality (Paperback)

The style and content in a sentence: Professional enough for an academic, but thought provoking for the general public. If you're reading this with thoughts that the "Evolution" part of this title might limit the diversity of coverage of "Human Sexuality," read on. Most of what we might have learned about evolution and sex on public television, in high school biology, health class and even in psychology 101 leaves everything other than heterosexual, reproductive, cave-man sex in the archeological dust. This book balances out former schooling in an extremely intelligent way.

The chapters are peer reviewed articles, also published as part of the Journal of Psychology and Human Sexuality. Chapters include The Evolution of Sexual Pleasure, How Ecology, Genes, Fertility and Fashion Influence Mating Strategies, Sexual Strategies Across Sexual Orientations and several chapters on same-sex orientation. The authors, mostly US & UK leaders in psychology, include an independent researcher, a clinical psychologist and an archeologist well read in sex, art and ethno-botany.

Artifacts in the form of art and traditions are provided and sociological explanations for sexual orientations and behaviors throughout human evolutionary history are proposed. Early images of women are interpreted as images of power rather than simply as sex-objects. Male-male sexual interactions are explained as adaptive alliances rather than subversions of society. Cross dressing, transgender and trans-sex are given a history much older than this century in places other than metro-sexual.

The articles are written to stand intellectual scrutiny, but the average person could probably read parts as an amendment to traditional text-book biology. Fascinating observations about same-sex interactions in social species are described. Historical evidence of accidental and intentional hormone alteration by humans with natural agents - such as consumption of hormones in mare's urine (think 'premarin'), estrogenic plants and plants used for birth control - make the handbook memorable, quotable and eye opening to a history of human use of drugs affecting sex, often considered to be new or unnatural.

Sociologists, biology nerds, LGBTQ allies, alternative academics and anyone who's spent lonely evenings reading about the science and history of sex could enjoy this book. Evolutionary psychologists ought to keep it as a professional reference. Though written to expand a discipline's understanding of human behavior, this book appeals to curiosity about diversity in sexuality and individual choice.