Simians, Cyborgs and Women

Scholars of modern feminist theory, particularly of perspectives on science (notably biology) and how they relate to perceptions of human culture, will appreciate these 10 essays by science historian Haraway ( Primate Visions ), adapted from articles published between 1978 and 1989. They chart a shift in her standpoint during this period: the earliest works reflect a Marxist analytical influence (as befits "a proper, US socialist-feminist" of the '70s), while the later ones also show the influence of post-modernism. "Animal Sociology and a Natural Economy of the Body Politic" surveys primatology research of the 1930s and '40s to explore how the "principle of domination" is embedded in some scientific thought. "Gender for a Marxist Dictionary," in which Haraway develops a definition for the word "gender," highlights the difficulty of reducing complex concepts to keywords. "The Biopolitics of Postmodern Bodies" views the "biomedical, biotechnical" self, incorporating modern discourse on the immunological system; bodies, like gender, she contends, "are not born; they are made" as biomedical constructs. Illustrated.

Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.