English Abstracts

Franziska Bergmann, Franziska Schößler, Bettina Schreck (Hg.): Gender Studies. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2012.

Review by Sophia Gayana Ermert

The editors of this anthology introduce influential theories, key terms, and texts of the field of gender studies. In doing so, they explicitly want to illustrate tendencies of canonization as they have developed at German universities and complement these with significant texts from the USA. This approach leads to an exciting choice of texts. Theories and terms are explained comprehensibly. Unfortunately however, the anthology does not ask critical questions regarding the exclusion of approaches or texts through canonization as well as critical questions regarding the structural relevance of inter- and transdisciplinarity for gender studies.

Regine Gildemeister, Katja Hericks: Geschlechtersoziologie. Theoretische Zugänge zu einer vertrackten Kategorie des Sozialen. München: Oldenbourg Wissenschaftsverlag 2012.

Review by Heike Kahlert

For the first time in the German-speaking world, Regine Gildemeister and Katja Herricks’ textbook offers a regulatory overview on the manners of thematization as well as concepts of gender in sociological theories. In doing so, the authors advocate the hypothesis that it is the task of sociology of gender to reflect about gender as an object, instead of using it as an analytical category. The present attempt at systematically bundling up the sociological-theoretical gender knowledge is overdue and makes sense. Furthermore, its consistent narrowing argumentation stimulates further critical-reflexive thinking. However, considering that the main target audience is students, several linguistic inaccuracies as well as the occasionally negligent use of the secondary literature must be criticized.

Thomas A. Herrig: …wo noch nie eine Frau zuvor gewesen ist…. 45 Jahre Star Trek und der Feminismus. Marburg: Tectum Wissenschaftsverlag 2011.

Review by Bärbel Schomers

Thomas A. Herrig traces the development of the roles of women in the six Star Trek series as well as the last motion picture and compares these to the actual achievements of feminist historiography. While the compilation of the rendering of female characters in Star Trek, which might at the very least be enlightening for new fans of the Star Trek universe, is successful, the work lacks a profound analysis and interpretation within the context of feminist theories. In summary, it can be said that Star Trek fans will not learn anything new, and feminists most certainly won’t!

Sven Lewandowski: Die Pornographie der Gesellschaft. Beobachtungen eines populärkulturellen Phänomens. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2012.

Review by Nina Schumacher

Using the rather extraordinary combination of psychoanalysis and systems theory, Sven Lewandowski tries to trace the relevance of pornographic contents within contemporary society. In addition to the Internet phenomenon of amateur pornography, he also analyzes gender relations, ‘perversions,’ as well as other aspects of pornography from a sociological and media-analytical perspective. In doing so, Lewandowski dares to explore one of the most emotionalized and marginalized topics of science using one of its most abstract theories. He thus manages to bring quite some distance between the everyday phenomenon of pornography and its theoretical consideration. However, at the same time, he also detaches himself from his object of study to a certain degree.

Mineke Bosch, Ulrike Krampl, Hanna Hacker (Hg.): Spektakel. Köln u.a.: Böhlau Verlag 2012.

Review by Hanna Heinrich

The edition of L’Homme, edited by Bosch, Hacker, and Krampl, is dedicated to exhibition as a consciously chosen act of exploring and crossing boundaries as well as to the associated reproduction of gender roles. Using various biographies, the authors illustrate different possibilities for and approaches to giving the own life a spectacular facet and consequently offering potentials for empowerment and self-expression. Unfortunately, the texts lack a solid theoretical foundation as well as clear definitions of the terminology, which would have been helpful for understanding the category of the ‘spectacle.’ Thus, the volume fails to coherently integrate the individual articles into its overall context.

Thorsten Hunsicker: Männlichkeitskonstruktionen der Jungenarbeit. Eine gender- und adoleszenztheoretische Kritik auf empirischer Grundlage. Schwalbach/Ts.: Wochenschau-Verlag 2012.

Review by Thomas Viola Rieske

Hunsicker develops a psychoanalytical theory of adolescence and combines it with deconstructivist gender theory. On this basis, he criticizes youth work with boys, which aims at stabilizing male identity and fails to comprehensively and (self-) critically reflect on gender hierarchies, dualisms, and attributions. According to Hunsicker, this practice leads to the reproduction of gender norms and inner male hierarchies, which impedes the development of reflexivity and autonomy in adolescence. Hunsicker’s study, with its exciting content, could revive important discussions within gender-sensitive pedagogy. However, the partly incomprehensible and obscure presentation inhibits this opportunity.

Ursula Athenstaedt, Dorothee Alfermann: Geschlechterrollen und ihre Folgen. Eine sozialpsychologische Betrachtung. Stuttgart: W. Kohlhammer Verlag 2011.

Review by Heike Kahlert

In their textbook on socio-psychological gender studies, Ursula Athenstaedt and Dorothee Alfermann draw on the concept of gender roles, which was developed by the sociologists Parsons and Bales in the 1950s in the USA. Indifferent towards the criticism of the concept of roles that has been formulated in gender studies since then, they offer a carefully researched overview on the current state of research. The affirmative style towards empirically proven gender differences seems rather strange considering the prominence of socio-constructivist approaches in gender studies. The conclusion, in which the authors state recommendations for gender-fair psychological research, is all the more refreshing.

Norbert Ricken, Nicole Balzer (Hg.): Judith Butler: Pädagogische Lektüren. Wiesbaden: Springer VS 2012.

Review by Sahra Dornick

Based on Judith Butler’s subject- and social-theoretical interventions, the authors of this pedagogy-oriented anthology investigate various relationships of education and gender. This clearly structured book considers general complex interrelationships, theoretical connections, as well as empirical studies and interdiscursive readings. The comprehensive and elaborate insights into the pedagogical potential of Judith Butler’s theory convincingly frame her essay “Gender and Education,” which is published for the first time in this work.

Lou-Salomé Heer: „Das wahre Geschlecht“. Der populärwissenschaftliche Geschlechterdiskurs im SPIEGEL (1947–2010). Zürich: Chronos Verlag 2012.

Review by Heike Kahlert

The present discourse analytical study of popular scientific gender knowledge was without doubt overdue. In her empirical study, which is based on a Master’s thesis at the University of Zurich, Lou-Salomé Heer illustrates, using cover stories and photos of the SPIEGEL, that the medial gender discourse has been characterized by sociobiology since the 1990s. The stimulating, explorative analysis draws the attention to the ambivalent significance of media in the production and reproduction of (popular) scientific gender knowledge and provides impulses for further studies. The present analysis does, however, remain unsatisfactory methodologically, which limits the possible gain in knowledge.

Heinz-Jürgen Voß: Intersexualität – Intersex. Eine Intervention. Münster: Unrast Verlag 2012.

Review by Simone Emmert

In his little book, Voß presents the most important findings of recent outcome studies regarding the treatment effects of intersexes. To this end, he first presents the relevant terminology as well as the medical methods of treatment. Finally, the effects are assessed from the perspective of medical ethics and Voß demands that even medical practice acknowledge humans in their diversity.

Monika Kubrova: Vom guten Leben. Adelige Frauen im 19. Jahrhundert. Berlin: Akademie Verlag 2011.

Review by Irmgard Heidler

Monika Kubrova examines ideological constructs and bourgeois categories, such as gender polarity, with regards to the environment of aristocratic women. Her methodological approach is the relationality of the notion of gender, which depends on the particular context, while the concepts of aristocracy, family, gender, and autobiography provide the basic research approaches. There are manifold female life stories at the end of the 19th century, both as a type of normal biography in the framework of family and society as well as in professional relations, which seemed possible for single women. Not until the appearance of biographical conflicts, i.e. with leaving the safe haven of nobility, did gender in itself become a category of disadvantage.