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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
Less an "interesting look" and more a "cursory glance" at sexual harassment in schools. It includes some stories from women who were considered the school sluts and have gone on to become strong, independent women, who credit their high-school reputations with their self-assuredness now. Unfortunately, I doubt that's the case for most of the girls saddled with those reputations. Slut! doesn't really cover the main reasons this sort of thing happens, or even why, but it does break the girls into three categories: the promiscuous/sexual girl, the raped girl, and the outsider, and goes into some depth on each of those. An okay read, but if you're interested in the topic, try Fast Girls: Teenage Tribes and the Myth of the Slut [http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/105649.Fast_Girls_Teenage_Tribes_And_The_Myth_Of_The_Slut] instead.
Aside: is there a single sociology book where the jacket copy doesn't describe the content as "A groundbreaking look at ______"?
Aside: is there a single sociology book where the jacket copy doesn't describe the content as "A groundbreaking look at ______"?
This book rocksssss. I'd recommend this to anyone (even anti-feminists!) - Tannenbaum makes her case against the sexual double standard thoroughly and articulately. I liked that the book was peppered with a diverse group of "slut"s' personal accounts. As a teaching candidate, I was seriously bummed out that teachers and administrators NEVER did anything to stop the slut-bashing, even when it involved in-class harassment and tears. WTF, dudes!
I read Slut! for the first time as a senior in college on the recommendation of my roommate. She commented to me something along the lines of having read it long after coming to many of the realizations described in the book & wished she'd read it in middle school or high school.
I read it and had to agree; I found myself wishing it were required reading for ALL teenagers, male & female. As for me, I'd already learned those lessons -- in middle & high school, the hard way.
As someone who occasionally teaches high school sex ed, I recently reread the book (11/08) in order to find useful excerpts for class, particularly lessons dealing with sexual stereotypes & double standards. Now that I've been a high school teacher for a few years now, it all makes even MORE sense, and I stand by my initial assessment: Tanenbaum's book should be required reading for all teens.
I read it and had to agree; I found myself wishing it were required reading for ALL teenagers, male & female. As for me, I'd already learned those lessons -- in middle & high school, the hard way.
As someone who occasionally teaches high school sex ed, I recently reread the book (11/08) in order to find useful excerpts for class, particularly lessons dealing with sexual stereotypes & double standards. Now that I've been a high school teacher for a few years now, it all makes even MORE sense, and I stand by my initial assessment: Tanenbaum's book should be required reading for all teens.
Incredibly dated narratives of "sluts," centered around the author's own experience as a "slut" but too personally invested to have the proper distance for insightful representation of these narratives. Overall a simplistic, self-indulgent, repetitive, and disappointing read. Full of misplaced (stereotypical "feminazi") reactionary feminist rhetoric.
It would be a suckysuckybook, but Tanenbaum is self-aware enough that the book seems aware of some of its anecdotal/reactionary flaws (if not how utterly crippling they are to the fundamental message...). Also, I appreciated the Mean-Girls-applicable discussion of girl-on-girl crime (not called that by Tanenbaum, but still acknowledged in Tanenbaum's repetitive, not-quite-getting-to-the-real-point way...).
It would be a suckysuckybook, but Tanenbaum is self-aware enough that the book seems aware of some of its anecdotal/reactionary flaws (if not how utterly crippling they are to the fundamental message...). Also, I appreciated the Mean-Girls-applicable discussion of girl-on-girl crime (not called that by Tanenbaum, but still acknowledged in Tanenbaum's repetitive, not-quite-getting-to-the-real-point way...).
Had to read this for my sociology class and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very eye opening and interesting. It really delves into the topic of slut shaming and is very relevant to today's society.