Engendering Emotions

The question of what distinguishes men and women emotionally has been an almost universal topic of interest. This book examines the production of the idea of difference in male and female emotionality in the contemporary West. It questions a number of assumptions about difference, particularly the idea that emotional differences between men and women are 'natural' and universal. The book examines the politics and gender biases of expert, particularly psychological, knowledge of...
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The question of what distinguishes men and women emotionally has been an almost universal topic of interest. This book examines the production of the idea of difference in male and female emotionality in the contemporary West. It questions a number of assumptions about difference, particularly the idea that emotional differences between men and women are 'natural' and universal. The book examines the politics and gender biases of expert, particularly psychological, knowledge of emotion, and shows how such knowledge is used to regulate social relations in spheres such as the military and warfare, love, intimacy and sex, and the workplace. It assesses the impact of a growing concern with 'emotional literacy' and of consumerism in intimate life on constructions of gender and difference. The book charts new territory in the study of gender and emotions and will prove invaluable to students, academics and others interested in this area.