About the book
In a sweeping synthesis of American history, Mary Ryan demonstrates how the meaning of male and female has evolved, changed, and varied over a span of 500 years and across major social and ethnic boundaries. She traces how, at select moments in history, perceptions of sex difference were translated into complex and mutable patterns for differentiating women and men. How those distinctions were drawn and redrawn affected the course of American history more generally.
Ryan recounts the construction of a modern gender regime that sharply divided male from female and created modes of exclusion and inequity. The divide between male and female blurred in the twentieth century, as women entered the public domain, massed in the labor force, and revolutionized private life. This transformation in gender history serves as a backdrop for seven chronological chapters, each of which presents a different problem in American history as a quandary of sex. Ryan’s bold analysis raises the possibility that perhaps, if understood in their variety and mutability, the differences of sex might lose the sting of inequality.
Editions of Mysteries of Sex
- Hardcover
- ISBN 9780807830628
- Paperback
- ISBN 9780807859452
- EBook
- ISBN 9798890869883
- EBook
- ISBN 9781469606057
- EBook
- ISBN 9780807876688
Read an Excerpt
In a sweeping synthesis of American history, Mary Ryan demonstrates how the meaning of male and female has evolved, changed, and varied over a span of 500 years and across major social and ethnic boundaries. She traces how, at select moments in history, perceptions of sex difference were translated into complex and mutable patterns for differentiating women and men. How those distinctions were drawn and redrawn affected the course of American history more generally.
Ryan recounts the construction of a modern gender regime that sharply divided male from female and created modes of exclusion and inequity. The divide between male and female blurred in the twentieth century, as women entered the public domain, massed in the labor force, and revolutionized private life. This transformation in gender history serves as a backdrop for seven chronological chapters, each of which presents a different problem in American history as a quandary of sex. Ryan’s bold analysis raises the possibility that perhaps, if understood in their variety and mutability, the differences of sex might lose the sting of inequality.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Mysteries of Sex about?
In a sweeping synthesis of American history, Mary Ryan demonstrates how the meaning of male and female has evolved, changed, and varied over a span of 500 years and across major social and ethnic boundaries. She traces how, at select moments in history, perceptions of sex difference were translated into complex and mutable patterns for differentiating women and men. How those distinctions were drawn and redrawn affected the course of American history more generally.
Ryan recounts the construction of a modern gender regime that sharply divided male from female and created modes of exclusion and inequity. The divide between male and female blurred in the twentieth century, as women entered the public domain, massed in the labor force, and revolutionized private life. This transformation in gender history serves as a backdrop for seven chronological chapters, each of which presents a different problem in American history as a quandary of sex. Ryan’s bold analysis raises the possibility that perhaps, if understood in their variety and mutability, the differences of sex might lose the sting of inequality.
What core themes, tropes, or subjects are explored in Mysteries of Sex?
History and Archaeology > History > History of the Americas
Where can I read a sample of Mysteries of Sex?
You can read an official preview of the few pages here https://www.book2look.com/book/9780807830628
How long is Mysteries of Sex and how many pages does it have?
Mysteries of Sex has 448 page(s)
Who is/are the Author/s of the book Mysteries of Sex?
Mary P. Ryan
What are the ISBN numbers for the physical and digital editions?
Mysteries of Sex is available as hardcover(ISBN 9780807830628) and paperback(ISBN 9780807859452) and ebook(ISBN 9798890869883) and ebook(ISBN 9781469606057) and ebook(ISBN 9780807876688)
Where can I buy Mysteries of Sex online or support local independent bookshops?
You can buy Mysteries of Sex from below
Where can I buy Mysteries of Sex?