Reviews tagging 'Sexual content'

The Right to Sex: Feminism in the Twenty-First Century by Amia Srinivasan

9 reviews

mayze's review

challenging informative reflective medium-paced

4.25

A intersectional feminist book around the politics around sex. It covers in detail, the waves of feminist movements since the 2nd half of the 20th Century and how certain topics (Pornography, sex work, sexuality) have caused rifts within. 

The books main topic is around sexual politics, particularly in US/UK academic settings. It asks (and tries to answer) questions around consent/non-consent, legalisation of sex work and how current views of sex can have different outcomes depending on social background, ethnicity, gender identification or even job title. 

The asks many thought-provoking questions such as (paraphrasing here) "even if you have consent from a potential sex partner, should you still go ahead" or "your attraction to certain peoples/things... Are they inherent or is it heavily influenced by external factors no how neutral you try to be? "

The book is really well-written and think Amia Srinavasan has laid down her argument in a really thoughtful and interesting manner and it's well worth a read even if you don't fully agree with its points.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual violence, Transphobia, Adult/minor relationship, Sexual harassment, Classism, Toxic relationship, Colonisation, Rape, Sexism, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Body shaming, Misogyny, Racism, Sexual assault, and Sexual content

tanya_mahadwar's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.5

Definitely a book that everyone should be reading. A bit dense and hard to read (in part due to the weight of the subject) at times, but jam packed with thought provoking questions that will genuinely make you ponder the state of “Post Me-Too” feminism. 

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, Homophobia, Mental illness, Abortion, Child abuse, Sexism, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Violence, Colonisation, Racism, Gaslighting, Pedophilia, Police brutality, and Mass/school shootings

dominic_t's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

I really enjoyed this book. I didn't agree with everything the author said, but I found it all incredibly thought-provoking. She did a great job of supporting her arguments, and her tone was very engaging. 

The title is deliberately inflammatory, but it really does suit the collection of essays. The author really interrogates the liberal ideas of sexual freedom that are prevalent in mainstream western feminism. She argues that our sexual desires and behaviors do have political implications, and that statement makes a lot of people very uncomfortable. But I think we owe it to ourselves to push through that discomfort and listen to what she's saying. She's not saying that your desires have to be "politically correct" or that you should sleep with people you don't want to sleep with. She's saying that marginalized people are also marginalized when seeking sexual relationships, and we need to engage with that fact instead of ignoring it. "The question, then, is how to dwell in the ambivalent place where we acknowledge that no one is obligated to desire anyone else, and that no one has a right to be desired, but also that who is desired and who isn't is a political question, a question often answered by more general patterns of domination and exclusion" (p. 90). I love that she invites us to engage with that question without giving a straightforward, easy answer.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny and Sexual harassment

Moderate: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence

Minor: Domestic abuse and Sexual violence

nickytheparttimebelgian's review against another edition

challenging informative inspiring medium-paced

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual harassment, Sexism, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual assault, and Sexual violence

ellenbridge_'s review against another edition

dark hopeful informative inspiring fast-paced

5.0

Amazingly insightful book I love the way she talks and analyses things
Chapter on porn I found the most interesting and informative
Love the new or new to me take on sex and how it works in every layer of our society 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Rape, Sexual violence, and Misogyny

Moderate: Police brutality, Suicide attempt, Transphobia, Abortion, Physical abuse, and Violence

karol99's review against another edition

challenging emotional informative reflective slow-paced

3.75

Took me way to long to finish it. I enjoyed the first half of the book, but then found myself starting and finishing as I never gravitated to finish this. Happy I did though! It was a very informative and interesting read. Definitely wish I has read it back when I was writing my dissertation, it would be really good as a reference!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Violence, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexism, Domestic abuse, Rape, Racism, Physical abuse, Miscarriage, Medical trauma, Forced institutionalization, Colonisation, Classism, Child abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Infertility, Hate crime, Deportation, Medical content, Police brutality, Misogyny, and Gaslighting

Moderate: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Colonisation, Deportation, Pedophilia, Medical content, Xenophobia, Toxic relationship, Suicide, Suicidal thoughts, Religious bigotry, and Pregnancy

chiaralzr's review

challenging informative reflective slow-paced

4.75

This book was great. Amia Srinivasan made excellent arguments on a variety of complex topics regarding women's liberation. Recommended!

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Sexism, Gun violence, Classism, Hate crime, Xenophobia, Sexual harassment, Misogyny, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual content, Transphobia, Racism, and Rape

foreverinastory's review against another edition

challenging informative medium-paced

5.0

Wow this is such an interesting and informative book!

CWs: sexual violence, rape, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual content, sexism, misogyny, racism, classism, domestic abuse. Moderate: violence, adult/minor relationship, transphobia/transmisia, xenophobia, police brutality, homophobia/homomisia, murder, hate crime. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny, Racism, Classism, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexual harassment, Sexual content, Rape, Sexism, and Domestic abuse

Moderate: Xenophobia, Police brutality, Homophobia, Murder, Adult/minor relationship, Hate crime, Violence, and Transphobia

dalmavatai's review

challenging hopeful informative inspiring reflective medium-paced

Very well-written, thought-provoking, wise, and incredibly brave. This book is asking difficult questions and giving honest and nuanced answers. A must read for feminists. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Police brutality, Racism, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Sexual violence, Transphobia, Violence, and Xenophobia