Beyond Emasculation: Pleasure and Power in the Making of hijra in Bangladesh

Based on extensive ethnographic research with hijras in Dhaka,Bangladesh, this book challenges the notion of hijras as an asexual, emasculated third sex/gender and presents them as a counter-cultural formation that offers alternative forms of erotic pleasures and practices. It emphasizes the importance of recognizing alternative sites and sources of bodily power and pleasure and calls for a global re-examination of male femininities.

Format: Hardback
Length: 244 pages
Publication date: 03 February 2022
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

This captivating book delves into the intricate world of hijras, the iconic figures representing South Asian sexual and gender diversity in Dhaka, Bangladesh. Through extensive long-term ethnographic research, the author presents the hijra as a remarkable counter-cultural formation that challenges prevailing notions of masculinity and offers an alternative subculture that embraces diverse forms of erotic pleasures and practices often prohibited in mainstream society. While many studies perceive hijras as asexual, emasculated, and a third sex/gender, this book challenges the phallocentric logic that obscures alternative sites and sources of bodily power and pleasure. By highlighting how hijras craft their own subject position, the book offers a fresh and thought-provoking perspective that invites a global re-examination of both hijras and the broader spectrum of male femininities. Ethnographically rich and theoretically engaging, this book is a must-read for anyone interested in understanding the complexities of gender and sexuality in South Asia and beyond.

Weight: 466g
Dimension: 161 x 237 x 21 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781316517048
Edition number: New ed