Books like The Invention of Heterosexuality by Jonathan Ned Katz


Jonathan Ned Katz argues that the concept of heterosexuality is a relatively recent invention, rather than an ancient, universal category. Drawing on the history of medical terminology, he shows that until 1923 the term "heterosexuality" referred to a "morbid sexual passion," and that its current usage emerged to legitimate men and women having sex for pleasure. Using insights from Sigmund Freud, James Baldwin, Betty Friedan, and Michel Foucault, Katz examines the social, psychological, and cultural effects of heterosexuality’s newly forged primacy on both scientific literature and popular culture.
First publish date: 1995
Genre: History/Modern History
Authors: Jonathan Ned Katz
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The Invention of Heterosexuality by Jonathan Ned Katz

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