An exemplar
This book, as a critique, is all about examining assumptions. What is our assumption when we think women should behave in a certain way? What is our assumption when we pose women and research women in certain ways? What do all these mean regarding everything we ask from and think of women’s sexuality, desire, and identity? You know, examining assumptions truthfully is a good researcher’s must-have, while many researchers simply do not have it.
On the other hand, the book is also well-written. It’s clear, direct, precise; its arguments and logic are explained carefully and structured cohesively. It takes a sociological perspective, yet the historical discussion is comprehensive too. One could certainly say this book lacks novelty or depth, but that’s not the point — the point is the problems discussed in the book have never been solved, and thus we need to keep working on solving them, and part of the effort comes from stressing the issues over and over again, which is exactly what this book does. What’s better, as an academic discussion, the book is so accessible that is friendly for a newbie to feminism — go ahead and treat it as an interesting 101 course and one will learn a lot. Lastly, the book is not satisfied with just critiquing, it provides solutions, even though these solutions are cliché: the issues do not happen because of women, among women, or with women. The issues are caused elsewhere, by others. Turn around, face the other side, and deal with them, instead of laying all the burden on women, including their own sexuality and desire (which are largely shaped by all the things).
