On this week’s 51%, a scholar of gender and sexual studies has a new book out on sexual politics.
Sexual politics is practically everywhere in U.S. political life: embedded in policy areas ranging from healthcare to economics to war and peace, and playing out in debates over trans rights, pay equity and domestic work. In her book, “The Sex Obsession: Perversity and Possibility in American Politics,” Janet Jakobsen takes up this issue and examines how, for the last several decades, gender and sexuality have reappeared time and again at the center of political life. Religion has been wound up in these political struggles. Jakobsen, professor of Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Columbia’s Barnard College, talks about what propelled her to write this book.
Janet Jakobsen interview 25:25Janet Jakobsen is professor of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Barnard College, Columbia University. She was talking about her latest book, “The Sex Obsession: Perversity and Possibility in American Politics.”
That’s our show for this week. Thanks to Tina Renick for production assistance. Our executive producer is Dr. Alan Chartock. Our theme music is Glow in the Dark by Kevin Bartlett. This show is a national production of Northeast Public Radio. If you’d like to hear this show again, sign up for our podcast, or visit the 51% archives on our web site at wamc.org. And follow us on Twitter @51PercentRadio
