Biological politics

"One of the perennial themes of argument for feminists has been the extent to which biology influences the destiny of women. Variations on this theme have consistently been put forward by writers on the so-called 'woman question'. Argument has focused on sex differences in physical strength and aggressiveness, in reproduction, and in the brain; the differences between men and women being repeatedly cited to justify sexual inequality and used to reinforce and maintain traditional sex roles. Feminists have, of course, responded to and taken issue with these arguments. In Biological Politics Janet Sayers discusses both the anti-feminist and feminist perspectives on biological accounts of sex differences, providing a critical appraisal of on the one hand, the ways in which those opposed to changes in women's social role have sought to appropriate biology for their cause, and on the other, the various ways in which feminists conceptualize the relation between biology and the position of women in society." -- Back cover.