Of Monkeys, Men and Menstruation
Gendered Dualisms and the Absent Referent in Mid-Twentieth Century British Menstrual Science
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 4301307 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Catherine Duxbury (0000-0002-6258-3702) |
| Year | 2019 |
| Volume | 32 |
| Issue | 1 |
| Pages | 94-107 |
| Publication date | 2019-03-01 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Historical Sociology (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0952-1909 • E-ISSN: 1467-6443 |
| Publisher | Wiley (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1111/johs.12218 |
| OpenAlex | W2927389157 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 1 |
| References cited | 26 |
In this paper, I analyse the historical constructions of menstruation in mid-twentieth century Britain. I examine the complex intertwining relations between the female human body and the female nonhuman body. My argument is twofold: firstly, I argue that endocrinological experiments on nonhuman animals' reproductive cycles were mobilised towards affirming a binary division of female/male, animal/human. This facilitated the perpetuation of patriarchal ideologies in British biomedical research. Secondly, I argue that as a result of these dualistic conceptualisations, the female nonhuman body intersected with the female human body in scientific discourses. These bodily transmutations in scientific research contributed towards a form of social control over women, strategically rendering them as 'Other' with nonhuman animals. I illustrate this using Carol J Adams' (2015) concept of the absent referent
Menarche · Menstruation · Referent · Sociology · Historical Gender and Feminism Studies · Historical Studies on Reproduction, Gender, Health, and Societal Changes · History of Science and Natural History · Medicine · Psychology · Demography · Gender Studies · History · Philosophy
Messengers of Sex
Disciplining Reproduction
The Menstrual Cycle*1
Solly Zuckerman
Linking Sexism and Speciesism
On the Making of Sex Hormones
C'est un malade ”
Transposing bodies of knowledge and technique
Beyond the Natural Body
The Sexual Politics of Meat
Of Sodomy and Cannibalism
Gendered Medical Science
Bodies That Matter
| Citations per year | 0.2 |
|---|---|
| Citation span | 2021 - 2021 (1) |
| Highly cited | No |