Sexing the Body

Is sexual identity biologically determined or a product of social convention? In this brilliant and provocative classic, the distinguished feminist scholar Anne Fausto-Sterling argues that even the most fundamental knowledge about sex and gender is shaped by the culture in which scientific knowledge is produced. Drawing on illuminating real-life cases and a probing analysis of centuries of scientific research, Fausto-Sterling demonstrates how scientists have historically politicized the body. In lively and impassioned prose, she breaks down three key dualisms — sex/gender, nature/nurture, and real/constructed — and asserts that intersex and other non-binary individuals should not be forced to fit flawed societal definitions of normality.

Now with a new preface and final chapter considering the many scientific and political developments of the last two decades, Sexing the Body is an indispensable and revolutionary look at how biology, society, and history together determine sexual difference.