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Who's Afraid of Gender?
- Narrated by: Judith Butler
- Length: 11 hrs and 47 mins
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Who's Afraid of Gender?
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Summary
Brought to you by Penguin.
From a global icon, a bold, essential account of how a fear of gender is fuelling reactionary politics around the world
Judith Butler, the ground-breaking philosopher whose influential work has redefined how we think about gender and sexuality, confronts the attacks on gender that have become central to right-wing movements today. Global networks have formed "anti-gender ideology movements" dedicated to circulating a fantasy that gender is a dangerous threat to families, local cultures, civilization -- and even "man" himself. Inflamed by the rhetoric of public figures, this movement has sought to abolish reproductive justice, undermine protections against violence, and strip trans and queer people of their rights.
But what, exactly, is so scary about gender? In this vital, courageous book, Butler carefully examines how "gender" has become a phantasm for emerging authoritarian regimes, fascist formations, and transexclusionary feminists. They illuminate the concrete ways that this phantasm displaces anxieties and fears of destruction. Operating in tandem with deceptive accounts of critical race theory and xenophobic panics about migration, the anti-gender movement demonizes struggles for equality, fuels aggressive nationalism, and leaves millions of people vulnerable to subjugation.
An essential intervention into one of the most fraught issues of our moment, Who's Afraid of Gender? is a bold call to make a broad coalition with all those whose struggle for equality is linked with fighting injustice. Imagining new possibilities for both freedom and solidarity, Butler offers us an essentially hopeful work that is both timely and timeless.
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Critic reviews
'An international celebrity academic...Butler's influence is immense.' (Masha Gessen)
What listeners say about Who's Afraid of Gender?
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance4 out of 5 stars
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- n3yk8
- 12-04-24
Informative and Digestible
This book is intended for a wider public but grounds itself in critical theory. It is therefore very 'readable' yet exercises academic vigor in its delivery of very, very important and concerning global trends in the fight for tolerance, equality, and acceptance amongst both cisgender women and the LGBTQIA+ community.
For those unfamiliar, Judith Butler has been a household name in feminist and queer theory for decades; some more well-versed in the field may be understandibly critical of her use of older theoretical frameworks (Freud, Lacan, Derrida) in order to pose her theses, although it is possible she uses these names precisely because they might be recognizable to a wider audience and are also used by adversarial critics. This is not to say she does not cite more modern sources as well. Most chapters are about an hour long and focus on a particular theme, so this is perfect for listening. There are many things she says that I would highlight and want to revisit, so pairing this with a hard copy would be ideal. Her voice is not the most dynamic but her messages are far more powerful when they are delivered with her own voice.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- E. Preston-dunlop
- 28-08-24
Very readable
This is approachable Butler, who calmly assesses and breaks down the arguments opposing gender freedom. I found it both informative and self affirming.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Gemma Brady
- 29-04-24
The Most Important Book I’ve Read This Year
I don’t think I can write a review that does this thought provoking and intelligent book justice, but here goes. I very much appreciate Butler not letting the Vatican off the hook for the terrible damage they propagate against women and LGBTQ+ people. They call out dangerous groups like Citizen Go and ‘gender critical’ ideology (and break down why this position is the opposite of a critical position that requires no critical thinking or wide reading). I also found the insight on linguistics, language and colonialism fascinating (as in that colonialism destroyed cultures who were light years ahead of ‘the west’ when it came to gender). I can’t stress enough how important it is to understand the ways in which the anti gender movement facilitates fascism and theocrats who are a threat to everyone’s personal freedom and safety.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Yashes
- 23-03-24
Just incredible!
An extremely well researched and thought out book that perfectly encapsulated the scale of the movement against gender. Very necessary read!
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2 people found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- marcelo
- 15-10-24
Deeply engrossing!
Masterpiece by Butler! Extensive and updated research in the politics and cultural aspects of gender.
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Overall1 out of 5 stars
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- Catriona Grant
- 09-04-24
Boring
I walked into this with y eyes open. I quite liked Gender Trouble but this was repetitive and frankly boring. I enjoyed Butler’s reading but after 5 mins I lost interest as it felt like word spaghetti. I couldn't finish it.
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