The Female Turn: How Evolutionary Science Shifted Perceptions About Females

The Female Turn  explores how evolutionary biology transformed its understanding of females from being coy, reserved, and sexually passive to having active sexual strategies and often mating with multiple males. It provides a global overview of shifting perceptions about females in sexual selection research on a wide range of animals, from invertebrates to primates. Malin Ah-King's analysis engages with key theoretical approaches in gender studies of science, revealing how ignorance was produced.

Format: Hardback
Length: 325 pages
Publication date: 06 January 2023
Publisher: Springer Verlag, Singapore

The Female Turn: Shifting Perceptions of Females in Sexual Selection Research

The Female Turn, a groundbreaking book by evolutionary biologist and feminist science scholar Malin Ah-King, delves into the fascinating history of how evolutionary biology has revolutionized our understanding of females. Traditionally portrayed as coy, reserved, and sexually passive, this book reveals that females have developed active sexual strategies and often engage in polyandrous mating.

The question of why it took so long to uncover female active sexual strategies is a central theme of The Female Turn. Ah-King explores the various factors that prevented some researchers from engaging with sexually active females and the factors that prompted others to develop this new knowledge.

The book provides a comprehensive overview of shifting perceptions about females in sexual selection research across a wide range of animals, from invertebrates to primates. Through extensive knowledge of the scientific literature and in-depth interviews with leading researchers, pioneers, and feminist scientists in the field, Ah-King offers a unique interdisciplinary perspective on this history.

Ah-King's analysis engages with key theoretical approaches in gender studies of science, shedding light on how scientific interests, theoretical frameworks, specific study animals, technological innovations, methodologies, and sometimes feminist insights have shaped conclusions drawn about sex. By examining the scientific interests, theoretical frameworks, and methodologies of different researchers, The Female Turn reveals how ignorance was produced and how certain researchers gained knowledge about active females while others missed, ignored, or delayed it.

This book is a valuable resource for scholars, researchers, and anyone interested in understanding the complex dynamics of sexual selection and the role of females in the natural world. It challenges traditional assumptions and provides a fresh perspective on the evolution of female behavior. The Female Turn is a testament to the power of interdisciplinary research and the importance of recognizing and challenging gender biases in scientific inquiry.

Weight: 570g
Dimension: 210 x 148 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789811971600
Edition number: 1st ed. 2022