Scan barcode
dashadashahi's review against another edition
5.0
In Bodies in Doubt: An American History of Intersex (2021) Reis investigates the cultural history of American doctors and laypeoples’ perception and treatment of those bodies that anatomically diverged from the bodily binary of male and female. Reis’s first chapter establishes how America’s early colonial period viewed these individuals as “monsters” or as punishment from their mother’s sins or imagination (p. 7). The second chapter describes how doctors and laypeople began to focus on affirming gender stability among “hermaphrodites.” In contrast to this focus on gender, the third chapter demonstrates how by the late nineteenth century and the theory of sexual inversion, the focus shifted towards sexuality. Intersex individuals received “treatment” based on their sexual attraction and how that could be fit into a heteronormative framework. Chapter four describes how doctors in the early twentieth century increasingly focused on the gonads to determine the “correct” sex of individual, permitting that the sex fit into the heteronormative marriage model. Doctors stresses the importance of consent in any surgeries that performed (p. 83). However by the Cold War period, psychology, such as John Money’s research, greatly influenced treatment of intersex individuals, as Reis details in her fifth chapter. The idea that social conditions could shape the individual of male or female, with surgical interventions up to eighteen months, took hold in this period. This meant that more children and babies were treated, based on which treatments would result in ideal child rearing practices, without patients’ consent and often without parents’ fully informed consent. These treatments often failed with many people experiencing gender dysphoria later in life despite years of social conditioning (p. 119). During the second half of the twentieth century consent became increasingly important in treating the general population, yet ambiguous bodies remained an exception to this policy. Reis’s final two chapters are new to the second edition and bring to light the ethical concerns of operating on children defined with ambiguous sexual development. Though covering a long period of time, Reis argues that the treatment and understanding of intersex individuals have been and continue to be constrained by social factors such as a heteronormative culture, a strict male/female binary, and an ongoing conflation between gender and sex.
Reis utilizes medical records, medical journals, and authoritative medical textbooks to reconstruct the history of intersex people and their relationship with the medical field in America. There is also a focus on legal and institutional changes such as certain states’ decision to enact protective legislation to prevent medically unnecessary procedures on infants, children, and teens (p. 185). She frames her research within a largely structuralist approach, such as that described by David Halperin in How to do the History of Homosexuality (2002) as Reis, while acknowledging the different terms used historically, identifies the category of intersex people from the eighteenth century all the way up to present day with only slight variations in how the medical field defined the category. For example, in the early American colonial period physicians’ largely believed that a true hermaphrodite did not exist but this belief shifted over into the nineteenth century.
I believe the greatest weakness of this analysis is that Reis is not able, likely due to limitations of sources and how she read her sources, to highlight how intersex individuals’ nonconforming bodies exerted agency and influenced the system they existed within.
Reis utilizes medical records, medical journals, and authoritative medical textbooks to reconstruct the history of intersex people and their relationship with the medical field in America. There is also a focus on legal and institutional changes such as certain states’ decision to enact protective legislation to prevent medically unnecessary procedures on infants, children, and teens (p. 185). She frames her research within a largely structuralist approach, such as that described by David Halperin in How to do the History of Homosexuality (2002) as Reis, while acknowledging the different terms used historically, identifies the category of intersex people from the eighteenth century all the way up to present day with only slight variations in how the medical field defined the category. For example, in the early American colonial period physicians’ largely believed that a true hermaphrodite did not exist but this belief shifted over into the nineteenth century.
I believe the greatest weakness of this analysis is that Reis is not able, likely due to limitations of sources and how she read her sources, to highlight how intersex individuals’ nonconforming bodies exerted agency and influenced the system they existed within.
i_will_papercut_a_bish's review
A breakdown of the American historical misconceptions about what it means to be intersex, involuntary gender assignment, and how societal and religious expectations on gender expression tend to cloud good science/patient care.
filaughn's review
informative
sad
medium-paced
4.0
This is an overview of the history of how intersex people have been viewed and treated within the US from about 1600 to the early 2000s. It covers both the decisions and framing doctors and others used throughout time and how these issues related to broader societal trends at the time. Considering that it covers that span of time in less than 200 pages (not counting references) the depth of discussion is - as you may expect - varied across time periods. I found it engaging and very informative, though frustrating (not the writer; the way intersex people have been treated and viewed). If you already know quite a bit about intersex conditions and the history of intersex people in the US, you may not learn a ton from this but if (like me) you have very superficial knowledge, this is a solid overview.
Bodies in Doubt was published in 2009 and it is a bit dated at this point. Evidently a new edition is coming out later this year (2021) which should help with this.
The warnings I included are not positions that the author agrees with but are issues discussed in the book and may be difficult for some readers. Elizabeth Reis discusses her decision to include some illustrations and photographs and does include pre-1940 or so images with the explanation that she included only those she thought were truly adding to the book while being old enough any individuals pictured were unlikely to be living at the time of publication. I found her use of illustrations and photos to follow the guidelines she set and not to feel exploitative in any way (her use; the original context where they were taken often was exploitative) and I do think some intersex folks or others with medical trauma or other triggers related to seeing these images may have a difficult time with this book. She also frankly discusses surgical procedures, often without consent from patients, doctors keeping medical information from patients, and many types of misinformation, judgment, and degrading language and views directed toward intersex people (and others, including LGBT people) throughout US history. I didn't find it gratuitous and it's very clear that she doesn't agree with it, but I could also see it being a very tough read for some.
Bodies in Doubt was published in 2009 and it is a bit dated at this point. Evidently a new edition is coming out later this year (2021) which should help with this.
The warnings I included are not positions that the author agrees with but are issues discussed in the book and may be difficult for some readers. Elizabeth Reis discusses her decision to include some illustrations and photographs and does include pre-1940 or so images with the explanation that she included only those she thought were truly adding to the book while being old enough any individuals pictured were unlikely to be living at the time of publication. I found her use of illustrations and photos to follow the guidelines she set and not to feel exploitative in any way (her use; the original context where they were taken often was exploitative) and I do think some intersex folks or others with medical trauma or other triggers related to seeing these images may have a difficult time with this book. She also frankly discusses surgical procedures, often without consent from patients, doctors keeping medical information from patients, and many types of misinformation, judgment, and degrading language and views directed toward intersex people (and others, including LGBT people) throughout US history. I didn't find it gratuitous and it's very clear that she doesn't agree with it, but I could also see it being a very tough read for some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Homophobia, and Medical trauma
Moderate: Transphobia
balladofreadingqueer's review
informative
medium-paced
4.25
I found this book a useful, readable and enjoyable book on the history of intersex in America.
It is relatively surface level, covering from the 1600s to the present. It discusses how intersex conditions were viewed as “punishments from god” or “monstrous.” It also examines in depth how doctors’ hubris and arrogance decided the gender of patients often more than parents or patients themselves as doctors imposed their views based on genitals or gonads. Nevertheless intersex people sometimes ignored doctors or sought out surgeries to fulfill their own desires. The fears of homosexuality and the desire to ensure heterosexuality in patients was an essential part of treatment which was interesting.
This is a useful and important text in LGBTQ history. I would like to have seen more discussion of race within the book. Also more in-depth discussion of intersex activism and protest against the medical establishment as that section is particularly short.
It is relatively surface level, covering from the 1600s to the present. It discusses how intersex conditions were viewed as “punishments from god” or “monstrous.” It also examines in depth how doctors’ hubris and arrogance decided the gender of patients often more than parents or patients themselves as doctors imposed their views based on genitals or gonads. Nevertheless intersex people sometimes ignored doctors or sought out surgeries to fulfill their own desires. The fears of homosexuality and the desire to ensure heterosexuality in patients was an essential part of treatment which was interesting.
This is a useful and important text in LGBTQ history. I would like to have seen more discussion of race within the book. Also more in-depth discussion of intersex activism and protest against the medical establishment as that section is particularly short.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Medical trauma, and Medical content
nonfictionfeminist's review
5.0
This book has been equal parts infuriating and fascinating. People have a history of being less than kind to those who diverge from the norm, and intersexuals are no different. Due to the historical focus of this book, and horrible treatment of intersexuals, possible triggers for readers of this history include abuse of social power, forcible surgery, and other intersexual issues, as well as the discussion and use of the historical language of intersex. The author uses these terms, stories, and social treatments in discussing historical views of intersex individuals, and in no way advocates their use.
I came across this book when looking through research articles for a paper on intersexuality. I ordered the book and immediately found it engaging and well-written. A good book makes you feel things, and this is a text one can easily get emotionally involved in.
Reis has research enough to back up her claims, but never lets her writing feel tedious or dry. Photos are included in the chapters; she discusses her feelings on this aspect, and her ultimate decision to proceed with their inclusion, showing readers the consideration put into writing this book. While you may not agree with some of her decisions, you can certainly understand her reasons for them.
Read the rest of my review here: https://vulvaink.wordpress.com/2017/02/01/bodies-in-doubt-an-american-history-of-intersex-by-elizabeth-reis/
I came across this book when looking through research articles for a paper on intersexuality. I ordered the book and immediately found it engaging and well-written. A good book makes you feel things, and this is a text one can easily get emotionally involved in.
Reis has research enough to back up her claims, but never lets her writing feel tedious or dry. Photos are included in the chapters; she discusses her feelings on this aspect, and her ultimate decision to proceed with their inclusion, showing readers the consideration put into writing this book. While you may not agree with some of her decisions, you can certainly understand her reasons for them.
Read the rest of my review here: https://vulvaink.wordpress.com/2017/02/01/bodies-in-doubt-an-american-history-of-intersex-by-elizabeth-reis/
More...