English Abstracts

Anna Buschmeyer: Zwischen Vorbild und Verdacht. Wie Männer im Erzieherberuf Männlichkeit konstruieren. Wiesbaden: Springer VS 2013.

Review by Sahra Dornick

This exciting dissertation empirically analyzes the constructions of masculinity of ten pre-school teachers, who work in external childcare. This qualitatively oriented study is prefaced by a comprehensive overview of the theoretical assumptions of social constructionist gender studies, which emphasizes interactionist accentuations of ‘doing gender/ doing masculinity.’ Therefore, the book is also particularly suitable for readers, who possess little prior knowledge in the field of sociological gender studies. However, a more detailed analysis and interpretation of the material could have led to a more critical look at current measures of family and labor market policy in the field of external early childhood education.

Hilge Landweer, Catherine Newmark, Christine Kley, Simone Miller (Hg.): Philosophie und die Potenziale der Gender Studies. Peripherie und Zentrum im Feld der Theorie. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2012.

Review by Mirjam Dierkes

Can the academic disciplines of gender studies and philosophy benefit from one another? The participants of this anthology definitely affirm this question and believe that the collaboration offers considerable – mainly still unexploited – potential, whose multifacetedness the book indeed illustrates nicely. However, particularly due to the abundance of discussed questions, the book would have profited from a clearer content-systematic structure. Nevertheless, due to stimuli for various contemplations about specific content-related and epistemological questions and a distinct accentuation for the development of feminist theory, it not only provides evidence for the potential of gender studies for philosophy, but it also reveals the potential for inspiration in the reverse direction.

Anna Maria Jordan: Entgeltdiskriminierung in Frauenberufen? Frankfurt am Main u.a.: Peter Lang Verlag 2012.

Review by Andrea Jochmann-Döll

Jordan sees the reasons for the statistically detectable differences in remuneration between women and men mainly in autonomous decisions by women, who are in parts influenced by traditional family structures and old role models, paired with discriminating tendencies on the employer side. Jordan appreciates the state’s existing family political measures as well as initiatives that aim at expanding the range of career choices of women and men. Furthermore, Jordan suggests general minimum wages and female quotas for union managerial positions. However, the author rejects a legal verifiability of the principle of equal pay for equal work since the value of work cannot be determined objectively.

Tomke König: Familie heißt Arbeit teilen. Transformationen der symbolischen Geschlechterordnung. Konstanz: UVK Verlagsgesellschaft 2012.

Review by Elisabeth Fónyad-Kropf

The question of whether work arrangements between men and women are changing has occupied gender studies and sociology for quite some time now. Persistence is analyzed frequently, that is, the question of why traditional gender arrangements persists and why individuals (un)consciously fall behind their ideals. Tomke König’s habilitation is consistently guided by the couple and its interpretations. She recognizes significant transgressions of gender categorizations (private = female, public = male) in – in the case of heterosexual couples – both women and men pursuing care, housework, and gainful work. But are such multilayered gender identities and new attributions of meaning indeed suitable for a social transformation?

Sebastian Winter: Geschlechter- und Sexualitätsentwürfe in der SS-Zeitung ‚Das Schwarze Korps‘. Eine psychoanalytisch-sozialpsychologische Studie. Gießen: Psychosozial-Verlag 2013.

Review by Heinz-Jürgen Voß

In his study, Sebastian Winter tries to productively combine historiographical and psychoanalytical-sociopsychological perspectives for the examination of concepts of gender und sexuality during the Nazi period. In doing do, he offers remarkable stimuli, which should inspire further research work. However, the rewarding read is complicated by the fact that the current historiographical state of research is presented very briefly and at times late – at the end of the book.

Vera Kallenberg, Jennifer Meyer, Johanna M. Müller (Hg.): Intersectionality und Kritik. Neue Perspektiven für alte Fragen. Wiesbaden: Springer VS 2013.

Review by Sabine Stange

The appeal of these multi-volume and multidisciplinary conference proceedings is that they also present empirical studies, which examine a broad range of topics with regard to intersectionality, in addition to theoretical reflections. The proceedings consider e.g. prostitution and human trafficking, early modern lawsuits, French activists, or the post-colonial society of Tahiti. In doing so, they not only address anglophone but also francophone discussions. It is also important to note that the proceedings collect mainly contributions by young researchers. The focus on intersectionality and criticism follows controversial assessments of the intersectionality debate.

Eva Sänger, Malaika Rödel (Hg.): Biopolitik und Geschlecht. Zur Regulierung des Lebendigen. Münster: Verlag Westfälisches Dampfboot 2012.

Review by Pat Treusch

The concept of biopolitics as mechanics of power for political techniques of being governed and of governing oneself seems predestined for exploring the social potential of life scientific innovations and possibilities. Consequently, this volume analyzes the governmentality of biopolitics from a gendertheoretical perspective along current societal topics, which express biopolitical techniques of power. In doing so, it not only addresses central societal topics, but also conceptually enhances queer and feminist theorizing.

Alexandra Kautzky-Willer (Hg.): Gendermedizin. Prävention, Diagnose, Therapie. Wien u.a.: UTB Böhlau Verlag 2012.

Review by Heinz-Jürgen Voß

‘Gender medicine’ is in the process of becoming an anti-emancipatory project. People are understood as thoroughly gendered; causes are not sought in unequal social treatment, but essentialized. The anthology edited by Alexandra Kautzky-Willer emphasizes this development. Nevertheless, it occasionally also shows reflected considerations, which do at least allow for social factors in the analysis. If the anthology is supposed to be a textbook or if it is supposed to offer initial orientation and recommendations for action, it does not satisfy either expectation. It is rather a theoretical anthology for scientists with only few suggestions for the medical practice.

Gesa Anne Busche: Über-Leben nach Folter und Flucht. Resilienz kurdischer Frauen in Deutschland. Bielefeld: transcript Verlag 2013.

Review by Heinz-Jürgen Voß

The conditions for asylum in the Federal Republic of Germany are problematic and in parts even life-threatening for people, who had to flee from persecution and torture. Traumatizations are not or insufficiently treated and often even intensified through the conditions for asylum. Gesa Anne Busche interviewed four Kurdish women, who fled from persecution and torture in Turkey and sought asylum in Germany. Her book offers an approach, which should, however, have been closer to the perspective of the interviewed women. During the research process, her own presuppositions could have been reflected on, among others, based on works by Women of Color – the fact that this was not done reduces the book’s benefit considerably.