Forms of Desire

Forms of Desire: Sexual Orientation and the Social Constructionist Controversy (1990; second edition 1992) is an anthology of articles about social constructionist approaches to sexual orientation edited by the philosopher Edward Stein. It includes an introduction from Stein, as well as selections from authors such as Michel Foucault, Mary McIntosh, Ian Hacking, Arnold Davidson, John Boswell, James Weinrich, Wayne Dynes, Steven Epstein, and Leonore Tiefer.

Forms of Desire: Sexual Orientation and the Social Constructionist Controversy
Cover of the first edition
EditorEdward Stein
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
SubjectSexual orientation
PublisherGarland Publishing, Inc
Publication date
1990
Media typePrint (Hardcover and Paperback)
Pages366
ISBN0-415-90485-4

The work received both positive reviews and more mixed assessments. It was criticized for not representing more female authors.

Summary

Stein writes that Forms of Desire is about "the debate between social constructionists and essentialists about sexual orientation."[1] The anthology includes selections from authors such as the philosopher Michel Foucault,[2] the sociologist Mary McIntosh,[3] the philosopher Ian Hacking,[4] the historian Arnold Davidson,[5] the historian John Boswell,[6] the sex researcher James Weinrich,[7] the art historian Wayne Dynes,[8] the sociologist Steven Epstein,[9] and the therapist Leonore Tiefer,[10] as well as Stein himself.[11][12]

The selection from Foucault is an extract from The History of Sexuality (1976).[2]

Publication history

Forms of Desire was first published by Garland Publishing, Inc in 1990. A revised paperback edition followed in 1992.[13]

Reception

Forms of Desire received positive reviews from Shane Phelan in Women & Politics and Peter Nardi in Gender & Society,[14][15] and mixed reviews from David F. Greenberg in the Journal of Homosexuality and Dahlian Kirby in Philosophy Now.[16][17]

Phelan found the book a useful collection on the debate between "social constructionist" and "essentialist" views of sexual orientation. However, Phelan criticized the omission of any work of Foucault beyond the first volume of The History of Sexuality, as well as the absence of contributions from feminists and people of color, and the small number of contributions from women. Phelan also believed that the book did not properly address the ways in which race and class shape gay and lesbian experience, and faulted Epstein's discussion of group identities and the reasons for their appeal.[14] Nardi described the book as a "fine collection of essays", which were "intellectually challenging and fascinating discourses on the ways human sexuality and, in particular, homosexuality, have come to be understood and studied." He credited Stein with providing readers with "all the important dimensions and arguments of the controversy for reflection and further debate." However, Nardi noted that because most of the anthology's articles were first published in the 1980s, it does not cover newer research and aspects of the debate. He also regretted the fact that most of the book's essays were written by men and that feminist issues were not discussed.[15]

Greenberg praised some of the essays, and credited Stein with demonstrating that some on both sides of the debate surrounding social constructionism have made flawed arguments. He believed the book might be useful to those new to the debate. However, he maintained that it did not provide a fully satisfactory treatment of the issues it discussed, that some of the evidence presented to support social constructionism was not convincing, and that critics of social constructionism caricatured it.[16] Kirby noted that while the book was presented as being about the debate between social constructionism and essentialism, it was questionable whether "essentialists" existed, since none of the authors accepted the term. She wrote that each of the essays used limited historical evidence "to either prove or disprove that homosexuality has always been with us." Kirby praised some of the essays, but considered others dull, despite the interesting subject matter. She criticized the work for not including more female authors, and concluded that, "Rather than the discussion about sexuality the book promised, the writers have so narrowly defined the ideas of human sexuality as to have written a series of intellectual exercises, far removed from the people their subject is supposed to be discussing."[17]

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References
  1. Stein 1992, p. 4.
  2. Foucault 1992, pp. 11–23.
  3. McIntosh 1992, pp. 25–42.
  4. Hacking 1992, pp. 69–88.
  5. Davidson 1992, pp. 89–132.
  6. Boswell 1992, pp. 133–173.
  7. Weinrich 1992, pp. 175–208.
  8. Dynes 1992, pp. 209–238.
  9. Epstein 1992, pp. 239–293.
  10. Tiefer 1992, pp. 295–324.
  11. Stein 1992, pp. 3–9.
  12. Stein 1992, pp. 325–353.
  13. Stein 1992, pp. iv, xi.
  14. Phelan 1992, pp. 73–78.
  15. Nardi 1994, pp. 465–467.
  16. Greenberg 1992, pp. 117–124.
  17. Kirby 1994.

Bibliography
Books
Journals
  • Greenberg, David F. (1992). "Forms of Desire (book)". Journal of Homosexuality. 23 (3).
  • Nardi, Peter M. (1994). "Forms of Desire: Sexual Orientation and the Social Constructionist Controversy (Book)". Gender & Society. 8 (3).
  • Phelan, Shane (1992). "Forms of Desire: Sexual Orientation and the Social Constructionist Controversy/Gender Trouble: Feminism and she Subversion of Identity/The Social Construction of Lesbianism". Women & Politics. 12 (1).
Online articles
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