Sex Itself

The Search for Male and Female in the Human Genome

Nonfiction, Science & Nature, Science, Biological Sciences, Genetics, Other Sciences, History
Cover of the book Sex Itself by Sarah S. Richardson, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Sarah S. Richardson ISBN: 9780226084718
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: December 13, 2013
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Sarah S. Richardson
ISBN: 9780226084718
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: December 13, 2013
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

Human genomes are 99.9 percent identical—with one prominent exception. Instead of a matching pair of X chromosomes, men carry a single X, coupled with a tiny chromosome called the Y. Tracking the emergence of a new and distinctive way of thinking about sex represented by the unalterable, simple, and visually compelling binary of the X and Y chromosomes, Sex Itself examines the interaction between cultural gender norms and genetic theories of sex from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, postgenomic age.

           

Using methods from history, philosophy, and gender studies of science, Sarah S. Richardson uncovers how gender has helped to shape the research practices, questions asked, theories and models, and descriptive language used in sex chromosome research. From the earliest theories of chromosomal sex determination, to the mid-century hypothesis of the aggressive XYY supermale, to the debate about Y chromosome degeneration, to the recent claim that male and female genomes are more different than those of humans and chimpanzees, Richardson shows how cultural gender conceptions influence the genetic science of sex. 

           

Richardson shows how sexual science of the past continues to resonate, in ways both subtle and explicit, in contemporary research on the genetics of sex and gender. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, genes and chromosomes are moving to the center of the biology of sex. Sex Itself offers a compelling argument for the importance of ongoing critical dialogue on how cultural conceptions of gender operate within the science of sex.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

Human genomes are 99.9 percent identical—with one prominent exception. Instead of a matching pair of X chromosomes, men carry a single X, coupled with a tiny chromosome called the Y. Tracking the emergence of a new and distinctive way of thinking about sex represented by the unalterable, simple, and visually compelling binary of the X and Y chromosomes, Sex Itself examines the interaction between cultural gender norms and genetic theories of sex from the beginning of the twentieth century to the present, postgenomic age.

           

Using methods from history, philosophy, and gender studies of science, Sarah S. Richardson uncovers how gender has helped to shape the research practices, questions asked, theories and models, and descriptive language used in sex chromosome research. From the earliest theories of chromosomal sex determination, to the mid-century hypothesis of the aggressive XYY supermale, to the debate about Y chromosome degeneration, to the recent claim that male and female genomes are more different than those of humans and chimpanzees, Richardson shows how cultural gender conceptions influence the genetic science of sex. 

           

Richardson shows how sexual science of the past continues to resonate, in ways both subtle and explicit, in contemporary research on the genetics of sex and gender. With the completion of the Human Genome Project, genes and chromosomes are moving to the center of the biology of sex. Sex Itself offers a compelling argument for the importance of ongoing critical dialogue on how cultural conceptions of gender operate within the science of sex.

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book Crime and Justice, Volume 42 by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book The Market and Other Orders by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book The Public Good and the Brazilian State by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Ekklesia by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book The Hollow Hope by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book International Bankruptcy by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Impostors by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Disruptive Acts by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Walden Warming by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Building Globalization by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Hawai'i by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Forgive and Remember by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Speaking into the Air by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Tax Policy and the Economy, Volume 29 by Sarah S. Richardson
Cover of the book Island Life by Sarah S. Richardson
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy