The New Gender Paradox: Fragmentation and Persistence of the Binary

The New Gender Paradox: Fragmentation and Persistence of the Binary
ISBN-10
1509544356
ISBN-13
9781509544356
Category
Social Science
Pages
140
Language
English
Published
2021-12-13
Publisher
Polity
Author
Judith Lorber

Description

Today, in Western countries, we are seeing both the fragmentation of the gender binary (the division of the social world into two and only two genders) and its persistence. Multiple genders, gender-neutral pronouns and bathrooms, X designations and other manifestations of degendering are becoming common and yet the two-gender structure of our social world persists. Underneath the persistence of the binary and its discriminatory norms and expectations lurks the continuance of men’s power and privilege. So there is the continued need to valorize the accomplishments of women, especially those of denigrated groups. This succinct and thoughtful book by one of the world’s foremost sociologists of gender shines a light on both sides of this paradox – processes in the fragmentation of gender that are undermining the binary and processes in the performance of gender that reinforce the binary, and the pros and cons of each. The conclusion of the book speculates about a feminist gender revolution and a world without gender.

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