The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution: Firestone, Shulamith: 9780374527877: Books - Amazon.ca

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Shulamith Firestone

The Dialectic of Sex: The Case for Feminist Revolution Paperback – March 5 2003

by Shulamith Firestone (Author)

4.4 135 ratings

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"No one can understand how feminism has evolved without reading this radical, inflammatory second-wave landmark." ―Naomi Wolf

Originally published in 1970, when Shulamith Firestone was just twenty-five years old, and going on to become a bestseller, The Dialectic of Sex was the first book of the women's liberation movement to put forth a feminist theory of politics.

Beginning with a look at the radical and grassroots history of the first wave (with its foundation in the abolition movement of the time), Firestone documents its major victory, the granting of the vote to women in 1920, and the fifty years of ridicule that followed. She goes on to deftly synthesize the work of Freud, Marx, de Beauvoir, and Engels to create a cogent argument for feminist revolution. Identifying women as a caste, she declares that they must seize the means of reproduction―for as long as women (and only women) are required to bear and rear children, they will be singled out as inferior. Ultimately she presents feminism as the key radical ideology, the missing link between Marx and Freud, uniting their visions of the political and the personal.

In the wake of recent headlines bemoaning women's squandered fertility and the ongoing debate over the appropriate role of genetics in the future of humanity, The Dialectic of Sex is revealed as remarkably relevant to today's society―a testament to Shulamith Firestone's startlingly prescient vision. Firestone died in 2012, but her ideas live on through this extraordinary book.

ISBN-10

0374527873
ISBN-13

978-0374527877
Edition

1st
Publisher

Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Publication date

March 5 2003
Language

English
Dimensions

14.1 x 2.16 x 20.7 cm
Print length

240 pages
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Review

“The Dialectic of Sex is a must-have for those interested in feminist theory, both past and present. It's reappearance now, during yet another period of 'ridicule' towards women's rights, is perhaps even more pertinent than its first publication.” ―Kathleen Hanna, founding member of the Riot Grrrls movement

“The Dialectic of Sex is a truly visionary work. Thirty years later, many of Firestone's ideas remain startlingly relevant, making Dialectic essential reading not only for its value as feminist history but its contribution to feminism's future.” ―Lisa Miya-Jervis, editor and publisher Bitch: Feminist Response to Pop Culture

“Although Gen X women like to fancy ourselves the "freshmakers" of feminism, Shulamith Firestone reminds us that sisters have been "keeping it real" long before that expression was even invented. These power-packed chapters are live and direct, with a cultural shelf life that spans well into our times.” ―Ophira Edut, editor Body Outlaws: Young Women Write about Body Image and Identity, founder and publisher HUES magazine

About the Author

Shulamith Firestone (1945 - 2012) was a founder of the women's liberation movement and editor of Notes, a journal of radical feminism. A key figure of second-wave feminism, Firestone's best known for her groundbreaking work The Dialectic of Sex.

Product details

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Farrar, Straus and Giroux; 1st edition (March 5 2003)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Paperback ‏ : ‎ 240 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0374527873
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0374527877
Item weight ‏ : ‎ 222 g
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 14.1 x 2.16 x 20.7 cm

Best Sellers Rank: #115,367 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #217 in Feminist Theory (Books)
- #6,675 in Social Sciences (Books)
- #12,914 in Textbooks

Customer Reviews:
4.4 135 ratings

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A truely revolutionary text.

Reviewed in Canada on February 4, 2019

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I found this book thought provoking and absolutely astonishing. Her version of femknism is unique among feminists. By acknowledging biology as the ultimate source of sex inequality in our society, she avoids the anti scientism of many of others, while being no less emancipatory and revolutionary in her goal, as " to be natural is not to be good, nature doesn't dictate human values", and " to acknowledge the biological basis of sex inequality is not to lose our case". Firestone proposes a truely radical position of feminism, which is to use technology in order to destroy the sex distinction itsf, such as through artificial reproduction, and liberate women from the burden of reproductive work. This proposition may have seemed absurd and impossible by many at the tjme Firestone wrote this, but it has became increasingly within our reach, and Firestone's thoughts might be very helpful in guiding us through the current bioethical debates.
Firestone so theory on how culture reinforces and exacerbates this biologically based sex inequality also intrigues me. She identified many elements of our culture that does this, most thought provokingly are the family, childhood and romance. Firestone suggests that the structure of the family is one of the main roots of the patriarchal society we live in. By drawing on Freud's psychoanalytic theory of the Oedipus and Electra complex, Firestone explores how the unequal power relations within the family shapes individuals into a certain mentality which reinforces culturally the sex differences, and perpetuates the current sociocultural system that we live in.
Her theories on how the notion of childhood is a recent social construction, one in which perpetuates the patriarchal social structure, and is itself constantly reinforced and recreated, through the family and the schools.
Her thoughts on how romance is corrupted by our sexist system is also provocatively inspiring. The details I won't talk about here.
anyway, these, along with all other ideas presented in the book, such as the relationship between sexism and racism, are truely revolutionary ideas. And they together provide a unique feminist perspective, and In the end, I just wanna say I have thoroughly enjoyed this book.

One person found this helpful

Part of an important feminist Convo

Reviewed in Canada on April 28, 2020

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There are lots of interesting bits to this book when read as part of a feminist conversation in the 1960s-70s. It takes a radical approach to culture, not in “man-hating” or “bra-burning” (the false images of an earlier feminism), but rather in a reassessment of the distribution of wealth and resources in order to create an equal society. One might consider this an early intersectional feminist text that doesn’t often appear on university syllabi but should. Eva Illouz references it in her introduction to Why Love Hurts, and I can see why. It’s definitely worth the read, if only for the critical think it demands of its readers. :)

One person found this helpful

This book is straight up drivel.

Reviewed in Canada on May 16, 2020

This book is on the same level as Mein Kampf insofar as how "culturally significant it should be rated.

Destruction of the family? check
Promotion of transgenderism as a norm? check
Promotion of incest? check

That is just the tip of the iceberg. If this is what feminists base their movement off we all need to take a moment to consider it.

Top reviews from other countries

Lark

Absolutely classic

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 27, 2007

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Andrew Vincent in Modern Political Ideologies describes how feminism developed differently in America and Europe largely through the exclusion or marginalisation womens liberation and womens issues within the different political and cultural contexts, suggesting that a more radical and militant brand of feminism emerged in the US than in Europe.

Reading The Dialectic of Sex and comparing and contrasting it with European, particularly continental european feminism like de Beauvoir's The Second Sex, it seems to vindicate his position.

Firestone's book is very, very uncompromising in its analysis of how socialism, freudianism and cultural changes have failed to address what she considers the essential or principal disparity and oppressive relationship, those between men and women and children, which she believes are underlying other forms of oppression, such as social class divisions.

At times its a very challenging read, even for a sympathiser and I sincerely hope that if she were to write the book today (it was written in 1970) the plight of women and children would not be so severely portraited, at least locally, within the northern hemisphere or western world, if not globally.

However the clear sighted and plain spoken account is refreshing too, this is not death by a thousand words, neither is a journalistic, nor crippled by efforts not to alienate potential readership like some more contemporary feminist books which have a feel of apologia about them.

There is also a very coherent and clear message within this book about self-emancipation, womens liberation needs to be womens work and dont expect for any quarter to be given by men. I just know that that is going to construed as man hatred in the worst possible dismissive sense by a lot of people, men and women, but I would hope that no one, least of all men, will be put off by that and will read what is a well written and nicely presented piece of work.

12 people found this helpful

Protective Gear for Chicago activists

Best book on feminist theory

Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2023

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Best book on feminist theory. Better than Marx & Engles.

Mark R

Radical stuff

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2019

Verified Purchase

Reading this recently just made me remember how radical earlier feminist thought was. Firestone wants to challenge not just a social construct of patriarchy, but the whole biological duality of male female. Through a (admittedly outdated) Freudian analysis of gender roles she advocates a complete break with biological necessity. And my apologies if I misunderstood, but while there are two genders there will never be equality. I do have to say that while her rejection of a binary notion of gender looks very contemporary, some of her discussion of race and non-heteroconformative sexuality does now look a bit clunky to say the least. Also her ideas on the sexuality of children tend to make me wince. But on the whole this is an important text to understand the development of feminist thought.

4 people found this helpful

SPT

Inspirational

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 30, 2018

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It’s so refreshing to read a text written at a time when people still believed in the possibility of social change. How someone could write with such insight and eloquence aged only 25 should give us all pause to reflect. Sadly, many of her aspirations have been crushed by the capitalist machine she was so keen to criticise but her observations on how the ideas about the family and the ‘vulnerable’ child have baleful consequences for women are needed more than ever. I was particularly stimulated by her thoughts regarding the application of science and technology to free women from the burden of reproduction. Obviously the grandiose men of Silicon Valley have shown no interest in this project but in an age where tweeting #metoo is considered political activism this book reminds us there’s still another way.

3 people found this helpful

Michael Lee

I was pleased with my order

Reviewed in the United States on March 18, 2023

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I was pleased with my order.

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