Who's Afraid of Charles Darwin?: Debating Feminism and Evolutionary Theory

by Griet Vandermassen, Margo Wilson (Foreword by)

Overview

Why should feminism and the biological sciences be at odds? And what might be gained from a reconciliation? In Who's Afraid of Charles Darwin? Vandermassen shows that, rather than continuing this enmity, feminism and the biological sciences-and in particular evolutionary psychology-have the need and the potential to become powerful allies. Properly understood, the Darwinian perspective proposed in this volume will become essential to tackling the major issues in feminism.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781461647072
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Publishing
Publication date:	02/10/2005
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	248
File size:	405 KB

About the Author

Griet Vandermassen is a philosopher and research assistant at the Centre for Gender Studies, University of Ghent, Belgium, where she is currently completing her doctoral studies. She has written on evolutionary psychology, feminist theory, and the history and philosophy of science in such publications as the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, European Journal of Women's Studies, and the Journal of Cross-Cultural Psychology.

Table of Contents

Part 2 Acknowledgements
Part 3 Introduction
Chapter 4 Elusive Definitions
Chapter 5 Heterogeneity: Problem or Merit?
Chapter 6 Sex and Gender
Chapter 7 The Missing Link
Chapter 8 Plan of the Book
Part 9 Science and Its Problems
Chapter 10 Introduction
Chapter 11 Misogyny in Science: Facts about the Past
Chapter 12 Fables about the Past
Chapter 13 Facts and Fables about the Present
Chapter 14 The Social Embeddedness of Science
Chapter 15 Answers to Scientific Relativism
Part 16 Feminist Views of Science
Chapter 17 Introduction
Chapter 18 Empiricism: The Belief in Gender-Free Science
Chapter 19 Standpoint Theory: The Objectivity of Science Questioned
Chapter 20 Scientific Contributions of Standpoint Theory
Chapter 21 Postmodernism: The Whole Project of Science Questioned
Chapter 22 Should Science Be Politically Progressive?
Chapter 23 Does Feminist Science Exist?
Part 24 The Sexes since Darwin
Chapter 25 Introduction
Chapter 26 The World before Darwin
Chapter 27 Evolution by Natural Selection
Chapter 28 Social Darwinism
Chapter 29 Evolution by Sexual Selection
Chapter 30 Darwin and the 'Coy' Female
Chapter 31 Antoinette Brown Blackwell: The Road not taken
Chapter 32 The 1930s and the Rise of Ethology
Chapter 33 Women in Primatology
Chapter 34 The 1960s and Inclusive Fitness Theory
Chapter 35 The 1970s and Parental Investment Theory
Chapter 36 Costly Eggs and Cheap Sperm: But Is It True?
Part 37 Biophobia within Feminism
Chapter 38 Introduction
Chapter 39 Fear of Sex Differences
Chapter 40 Intellectual Developments at the Turn of the Nineteenth Century
Chapter 41 The Rise of Behaviourism
Chapter 42 Cultural Anthropology: To Tropical Paradises and Back Again
Chapter 43 Social Constructionism, Environmentalism, and the Left
Chapter 44 The Nature-Nurture Controversy
Chapter 45 The Myth of Genetic Determinism
Chapter 46 The Naturalistic Fallacy
Chapter 47 Current Socialisation Theories
Chapter 48 Evaluating Some Environmentalist Contentions
Part 49 Sociobiology and Evolutionary Psychology
Chapter 50 Introduction
Chapter 51 Proximate and Ultimate Levels of Explanation
Chapter 52 Sociobiology: Of Genes and Men
Chapter 53 Sarah Hrdy and the Lusty Female
Chapter 54 Other Feminist Critiques of Sociobiology
Chapter 55 Moral Reading
Chapter 56 Cognitive Science Setting the Stage for Evolutionary Psychology
Chapter 57 The Mind as a Swiss Army Knife
Chapter 58 Indications of a Panhuman Design
Chapter 59 Characteristics of Adaptations
Chapter 60 Is Evolutionary Psychology Scientifically Defensible?
Part 61 A Metatheory for Feminism
Chapter 62 Introduction
Chapter 63 Feminist Observations
Chapter 64 The Seeds of Adulthood
Chapter 65 Sexual Selection as an Origin Theory
Chapter 66 An Evolved Male Psychology
Chapter 67 An Evolved Female Psychology
Chapter 68 Benefits of an Evolutionary Framework
Chapter 69 The Evolutionary Origins of Patriarchy
Chapter 70 Towards a Darwinian Left
Part 71 Conclusion
Part 72 Bibliography

Editorial Reviews

A book that would spark much discussion in evolutionary psychology and women's studies courses.

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research

Vandermassen demonstrates the power and elegance of Darwinian modes of explanation of the range and diversity of sex differences and, in doing so, has opened up a new form of feminist theory.” —Elizabeth Grosz, Jean Fox O'Barr Women's Studies Professor, Duke University

“Griet Vandermassen's splendidly readable book should inform and inspire not only feminists but anyone who cares about science-its methods, its objectivity, its history, and its place in society.” —Helena Cronin, Centre for Philosophy of Natural and Social Science, London School of Economics

“This very readable book should pave the way for a more informed debate and some degree of reconciliation between feminists and evolutionary biologists.” —Biologist

“Griet Vandermassen provides the most comprehensive treatment to date of the 150-year-long saga of marginalization, mutual suspicion, misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and missed opportunities between biology and feminist thinking. It is my hope that Vandermassen's remarkable book will remind evolutionary biologists of the contributions that feminists have made and challenge a new generation of feminist scholars to re-engage and integrate evolutionary perspectives into their understanding of the human condition.” —Sarah Blaffer Hrdy, author of Mother Nature: A History of Mothers, Infants, and Natural Selection (1999) and The Woman That Never Evolved (1981)

“A book that would spark much discussion in evolutionary psychology and women's studies courses.” —Sex Roles: A Journal of Research

From the Publisher

Vandermassen demonstrates the power and elegance of Darwinian modes of explanation of the range and diversity of sex differences and, in doing so, has opened up a new form of feminist theory.

Elizabeth Grosz

This very readable book should pave the way for a more informed debate and some degree of reconciliation between feminists and evolutionary biologists.

Biologist

Griet Vandermassen's splendidly readable book should inform and inspire not only feminists but anyone who cares about science—its methods, its objectivity, its history, and its place in society.

Helena Cronin

A book that would spark much discussion in evolutionary psychology and women's studies courses.

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research

Griet Vandermassen provides the most comprehensive treatment to date of the 150-year-long saga of marginalization, mutual suspicion, misunderstanding, misrepresentation, and missed opportunities between biology and feminist thinking. It is my hope that Vandermassen’s remarkable book will remind evolutionary biologists of the contributions that feminists have made and challenge a new generation of feminist scholars to re-engage and integrate evolutionary perspectives into their understanding of the human condition.

Sarah Blaffer Hrdy