A Passion for Difference: Essays in Anthropology and Gender [Paperback]

Henrietta L. Moore (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1995

In this new book Henrietta Moore examines the limitations of the theoretical languages used by anthropologists and others to write about sex, gender, and sexuality. Moore begins by discussing recent feminist debates on the body and the notion of the non-universal human subject. She then considers why anthropologists have contributed relatively little to these debates, suggesting that this reflects the history of anthropology's conceptualization of "persons" or "selves" cross-culturally. The author also pursues a series of related themes, including the links between gender, identity, and violence; the construction of domestic space and its relationship to bodily practices and the internalization of relations of difference; and the links between the gender of the anthropologist and the writing of anthropology. By developing a specific anthropological approach to feminist post-structuralist and psychoanalytic theory, Moore demonstrates anthropology's contribution to current debates in feminist theory.

Editorial Reviews

Review

a With an unusual commitment to getting ideas across, Moore succeeds in making her writing accessible even to a non--specialist audience. She is successful in this tour de force, engaging with key theorists and providing rich illustrations from her own and othersa anthropological data. ... Each of the seven essays is of interest in its own right ...a . Times Higher Educational Supplement a Once again her writing is intensely personal and her enthusiasm for her subject radiates from the page. ... Her exposition of argument is lucid ... The two final chapters ... are the most impressive in the volume, combining passion with scholarship in a concluding tour de force.a Sociology --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

'With an unusual commitment to getting ideas across, Moore succeeds in making her writing accessible even to a non-specialist audience. She is successful in this tour de force, engaging with key theorists and providing rich illustrations from her own and others' anthropological data. ... Each of the seven essays is of interest in its own right ...'. Times Higher Educational Supplement

'Once again her writing is intensely personal and her enthusiasm for her subject radiates from the page. ... Her exposition of argument is lucid ... The two final chapters ... are the most impressive in the volume, combining passion with scholarship in a concluding tour de force.' Sociology --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 186 pages
• Publisher: Indiana University Press (January 1995)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 025320951X
• ISBN-13: 978-0253209511
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,279,122 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.