Customer Reviews

Travesti: Sex, Gender, and Culture among Brazilian Transgendered Prostitutes

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Don Kulick provides an excellent example of anthropologists dealing with the tough issues of gender and sexuality research. He demonstrates how connected anthropologists become to those they study; and further challenges us to consider closeness, concern, and friendship with our informants as methodologies that speak not only to our own humanity as anthropologists but also to the humanity of our communities of study. I have used this book to teach introduction to cultural anthropology course and it is a perfect blend of theory, narrative, and insight which keeps students engaged and asking the difficult questions of conducting cultural anthropological research. I applaud Kulick and thank him immensely for his work! GET A COPY :) !

the disparity between prof. kulick's earnestness towards his subjects and their bleak, frightening world make for great, grand humor, however unintentional. though i have some reservations about kulick's lack of scientific conclusions, i applaud his efforts. i found the descriptions (& gasp, photos!) of the travestis shooting industrial sillicon into their ahem, "pundas" memorable.

throughout the book i kept wondering what did the prostitutes think of Kulick? The author gives a few clues, but jezzus!

I had the opportunity to read this manuscript before it was published, while taking a class with Prof. Kulick. My criticisms of it then still stand now...though I have in many ways only deepened my respect for the finer points of this work. I thoroughly applaud the way that Kulick attempts to make clear the way in which the travesti gender identity is a complexity of biological definition, social categorization, and personal identification. Certainly, the way in which Kulick has encouraged his subjects to share their understanding of gender and sexuality SO openly may help all gender theorists and anthropologists better take to task gender issues like these. As criticism, the book simply does not contextualize the travesti experience. Kulick mentions little and/or nothing about the outside understandings of travesti identity...or the ways in which the broader categories of Brazilian sexual identity might encourage the development of a travesti individual. As well, Kulick is almost TOO involved with his sources. I am certainly NOT preaching anthropological objectivity here (an impossible task) but felt that about 60% of the dialogue in the book was about Kulick's personal desire to "share" in the travesti experience and/or to be identified as an "insider," something which we could have figured out from a decisive, close-knit, introspection of the travesti culture.

The editorial review says it all: "In fact, this may be the most readable and engaging study of transgenderism!" THIS BOOK IS NOT A STUDY OF TRANSGENDERISM. It is a study of TRANSGENDER PROSTITUTION. THEY ARE NOT THE SAME THING.
And anyway, haven't we written enough about transsexual hookers? Possibly an interesting subject, but how about the TS lawyers, doctors and scientists? Give us a break! Make some effort, skip over the easy score! Please!