TY - JOUR

T1 - Drowning in a Sea of Estrogens: sex hormones, sexual reproduction and sex.

AU - Roberts, C. M.

N1 - RAE_import_type : Journal article RAE_uoa_type : Sociology

PY - 2003/5/1

Y1 - 2003/5/1

N2 - Contemporary life is taking its toll on sex, according to scientific, environmental and pop-scientific literature. Both women and men are being overwhelmed with estrogens and hormonally active chemicals in their environments - in water, plastics, and food. Such `estrogenization' produces interesting questions about the `nature' of sex, gender and reproduction, and their relations to each other. This paper critically juxtaposes contemporary discourses on estrogenization with feminist work on sex, gender and reproduction. It asks: How might a feminist theorizing of the body take on questions about sex hormones without essentializing sex or reproduction, or underestimating their relevance as biological actors in the production of sex?

AB - Contemporary life is taking its toll on sex, according to scientific, environmental and pop-scientific literature. Both women and men are being overwhelmed with estrogens and hormonally active chemicals in their environments - in water, plastics, and food. Such `estrogenization' produces interesting questions about the `nature' of sex, gender and reproduction, and their relations to each other. This paper critically juxtaposes contemporary discourses on estrogenization with feminist work on sex, gender and reproduction. It asks: How might a feminist theorizing of the body take on questions about sex hormones without essentializing sex or reproduction, or underestimating their relevance as biological actors in the production of sex?

KW - endocrinology • feminism • reproduction • sex • sex hormones

U2 - 10.1177/1363460703006002003

DO - 10.1177/1363460703006002003

M3 - Journal article

VL - 6

SP - 195

EP - 213

JO - Sexualities

JF - Sexualities

SN - 1461-7382

IS - 2

ER -