Lesbians Women and Society

Description

First published in 1980, Lesbians, Women and Society presents an analysis of lesbianism as a phenomenon that developed from a ‘personal problem’ or ‘individual deviance’ to a social movement with political ambitions. Social lesbianism, an important concept introduced in the text, refers to the emergence of a public expression of lesbianism and is a stage in the process of establishing a lesbian group identity. It thrusts the issue into the public eye, and lends vitality to society’s awareness. Two groups of ‘social lesbians’ are visible: those fearful of change who cling to traditional and social views, ‘sick but not sorry’; and those who wish to challenge such traditional views in favour of a more public approach, ‘sorry, but we’re not sick.’ But regardless of their relationships to the dominant sexual ideology, as a group, ‘social lesbians’ threaten the structure of power in society. This critical analysis thus challenges many people’s views of lesbianism, and points out to the uninformed observer the complexities which are involved in the contemporary lesbian experience. This book will be of interest to students of sociology, gender studies, feminist theory, and sexuality studies. Cover Half Title Title Copyright Original Title Original Copyright Dedication Table of Contents Acknowledgments Introduction — Lesbianism: a personal problem or a women’s issue 1 Sappho revisited: a new look at lesbianism 2 The social reality of lesbianism 3 Social lesbians and social lesbianism: Who are they? What is ‘it’? 4 ‘Sick, but not sorry’ vs ‘sorry, but not sick’: the born lesbian and the self-chosen lesbian 5 Lesbian consciousness and lesbian practice 6 The emergence of political consciousness: lesbian feminism as an ideological form Afterword — The lesbian struggle: sex vs class or nature vs labour? Appendix 1 Sample interview Appendix 2 Sample letter sent with questionnaire Appendix 3 Sample questionnaire Appendix 4 How the data was collected Appendix 5 Characteristics of social lesbians who were interviewed Appendix 6 Characteristics of lesbians who were interviewed as compared with lesbians who responded to the questionnaire survey Glossary of terms Notes Bibliography Index