Review of 'Gender, Sex and Sexualities: Psychological Perspectives'

Citation: Nancy K Dess, Jeanne Marecek, & Leslie C. Bell
New York, NY, Oxford, 2018. 376 pp. ISBN 978-0-19-065854-0

"Gender, Sex and Sexualities: Psychological Perspectives" offers an expansive view of a rich topic that often goes unexplored in traditional psychology curriculums. The book explores thinking beyond binaries, exploring gendered power and identity intersectionality. Additionally, the book investigates modern thought of gender, sex and sexuality, including genetics, neuroscience, biology, developmental, psychoanalytic and social psychology. Throughout the book discussion of where future scholarly endeavors should focus is also included. The editors are exceptionally fitting to write this book. Nancy K. Dess is APA’s former senior scientist, Jeanne Maracek is a critical feminist psychologist who has extensively researched culture’s impact on gendered relations, and Leslie C. Bell is a psychotherapist with a research focus on women’s experiences of sexuality and relationships.

It is revitalizing that "Gender, Sex, and Sexuality" does not begin by discussing the biological bases of behavior. As the authors note, doing so would prejudice the reader to believe biology plays an outsized role in shaping gender, sex and sexuality. Instead, the book begins part one describing in full detail the myriad ways gender, sex and sexuality can manifest, i.e., nonbinary identities, intersectionality, etc. Part two is focused on the contemporary theories used to describe gender, sex and sexuality and research suggestions for expanding theories.

The problem today is researchers do not realize and/or acknowledge that research is “carried out in a social, political, historical and geopolitical context” (Magnusson, & Maracek, 2018, p. 26). Because of these contexts, biased or prejudiced views are quite common among psychologists regarding gender, sex and sexuality. If results cannot be tailored to the myriad gender, sex and sexuality expressions, that has the potential to limit research applicability.

Particularly well described is using intersectionality as a framework in feminist psychology. The argument is made that researchers need to incorporate intersectionality, despite the fact that it cannot be accounted for in an ANOVA. Critical discourse analysis and discursive psychology’s qualitative research methods may need to complement quantitative methods for intersectionality to be measured in contemporary research (Warner, & Shields, 2018, p. 38-39).

Another very well described concept is in the chapter on discursive psychological approaches. This chapter explores who is served by gendered power relations. It explores how evolutionary psychology’s language is implemented in everyday practice to preserve gendered power relations. This also argues why status is given to quantitative studies and withheld from qualitative studies. Discursive psychology will help fulfill the goal of this book to destroy the patriarchy’s constructed dominant discourses (Donaghue, 2018, p. 147). With such varied concepts and terms, it is excellent the editors of the book had the foresight to include an index. For students and professionals who are less familiar with the fields of feminist and queer psychology, this is very useful for navigating unfamiliar terms.

One significant drawback of the text is its inclusion of a chapter about nonbinary gender identities but a lack of describing how to incorporate these identities into psychological research. While there is a great discussion about the gender binary and gender’s cultural specificity there is no consensus reached on how researchers can move towards including nonbinary individuals. Hegarty, Ansara and Barker (2018) merely conclude “there is scope and need for innovative work to undo the operations of gender binaries in psychology.” I was hoping there would be suggested guidance for psychologists to include nonbinary individuals in future research. For example, Div. 44 recommends “asking specifically about more common nonbinary identities such as genderqueer and gender fluid, as well as an option to write in ‘other gender identity’” (Webb, Matsuno, Budge, Krishnan, & Balsam, 2015).

Also, considering the book’s focus on Western research, it would have been timely for the text to mention hegemonic masculinity. There is a description of evolutionary psychology and its underpinnings in gendered power relations. These concepts could be directly tied to hegemonic masculinity, which can cause “extreme competition and greed, insensitivity to or lack of consideration of the experiences and feelings of others, a strong need to dominate and control others, an incapacity to nurture, a dread of dependency, a readiness to resort to violence and the stigmatization and subjugation of women, gays and men who exhibit feminine characteristics” (Kupers, 2005, p. 717).

Overall this is an intelligible and comprehensive book worth utilizing for psychologists and psychologists in training to become better acquainted with gender, sex and sexuality. If psychologists stay abreast on these topics, they can continue being at the forefront for social change and activism. The book is written and edited by experts in the fields of feminist and queer psychology. It introduces readers to often overlooked subjects and identities and proposes a way of moving beyond conventional thought. There are a couple of add-ons that would have made the book even more timely. However, considering the rapid advances in the field and the expertise of those involved in this text, I am confident future editions will expound upon topics like nonbinary research and the role of hegemonic masculinity in the Western context.

References

Donaghue, N. (2018). Discursive psychological approaches to the (un)making of sex/gender. In Gender, sex, and sexualities: Psychological perspectives (pp. 127-148). New York, NY: Oxford.

Hegarty, P., Ansara, Y. G., & Barker, M. (2018). Nonbinary gender identities. In Gender, sex, and sexuality: Psychological perspectives (pp. 53-76). New York, NY: Oxford.

Kupers, T. A. (2005). Toxic masculinity as a barrier to mental health treatment in prison. Journal of Clinical Psychology, 61(6), 713-724.

Magnusson, E., & Marecek, J. (2018). Setting the stage: Gender, sex, and sexualities in psychology. In Gender, sex, and sexualities: Psychological perspectives (pp. 3-28). New York, NY: Oxford.

Warner, L. R., & Shields, S. A. (2018). Intersectionality as a framework for theory and research in feminist psychology. In Gender, sex, and sexuality: Psychological perspectives (pp. 29-52). New York, NY: Oxford.