The Female Turn: How Evolutionary Science Shifted Perceptions About Females

by Malin Ah-King

Overview

This book traces the history of how evolutionary biology transformed its understanding of females from being coy, reserved and sexually passive, to having active sexual strategies and often mating with multiple males. Why did it take so long to discover female active sexual strategies? What prevented some researchers from engaging in sexually active females, and what prompted others to develop this new knowledge?

The Female Turn provides a global overview of shifting perceptions about females in sexual selection research on a wide range of animals, from invertebrates to primates. Evolutionary biologist and feminist science scholar Malin Ah-King explores this history from a unique interdisciplinary vantage point. Based on extensive knowledge of the scientific literature on sexual selection and in-depth interviews with leading researchers, pioneers and feminist scientists in the field, her analysis engages with key theoretical approaches in gender studies of science. Analyzing the researchers’ scientific interests, theoretical frameworks, specific study animals, technological innovations, methodologies and sometimes feminist insights, reveals how these have shaped conclusions drawn about sex. Thereby, The Female Turn shows how certain researchers gained knowledge about active females whereas others missed, ignored or delayed it – that is, how ignorance was produced.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9789811971631
Publisher:	Springer Nature Singapore
Publication date:	01/05/2023
Edition description:	1st ed. 2022
Pages:	325
Product dimensions:	5.83(w) x 8.27(h) x 0.00(d)

About the Author

Malin Ah-King is an evolutionary biologist (PhD) and Associate Professor in Gender Studies at the department of Ethnology, History of Religions and Gender Studies, Skholm University in Sweden. She is a gender and science researcher, specializing in feminist science studies of sexual selection, and has authored numerous articles concerning gender and queer perspectives on biology.

Table of Contents

Chapter 1. Introduction.- Chapter 2. An early female turn in primate research.- Chapter 3. Turning appreciation of female choice.- Chapter 4. A female turn in bird research.- Chapter 5. Shifting perceptions about female insects, snakes, frogs, lizards, fishes and spiders.- Chapter 6. Sexual selection after mating: turning perceptions of female agency.- Chapter 7. Conclusions: An Epistemology of Ignorance in Sexual Selection

What People are Saying About This

From the Publisher

The Female Turn makes an important contribution to the historiography of recent evolutionary biology and feminist science studies. Ah-King reveals what prevented scientists from engaging in the question of female sexual agency—and then what spurred some scientists to make the “turn”—noting the set of biographical, professional, and empirical conditions that enabled intellectual change.–Aaron Panofsky, Associate Professor, University of California, Los Angeles, USA

Editorial Reviews

The Female Turn can and should be considered a powerful starting point for evolutionary biologists and other researchers working in the life sciences to start reflecting on the role that values and implicit (gender) bias may play in their own discipline.” (Jacopo Ambrosj, History and Philosophy of the Life Sciences, Vol. 46 (3), 2024)

“I really enjoyed reading Ah-King’s book. It is thought provoking, insightful and I highly recommend it.” (Ingo Schlupp, ISBE Newsletter, Vol. 36 (1), 2024)

From the Publisher