Gender & Sexuality Studies
This guide provides resources and support for students and researchers exploring topics related to gender and sexuality. It offers access to academic articles, books, databases, and multimedia materials that examine the diverse experiences, theories, and histories surrounding gender identities and sexual orientations. Whether you are new to the subject or conducting in-depth research, this guide aims to foster critical thinking, inclusivity, and engagement with global and interdisciplinary perspectives on gender and sexuality.
Statement of Purpose
LMU Libraries is committed to providing comprehensive and inclusive resources that reflect the diversity of voices, experiences, and scholarship within this field. Gender and sexuality intersect with various disciplines, including sociology, psychology, literature, history, law, and health sciences. This guide offers resources to support research across these areas, emphasizing the interdisciplinary nature of this subject.
What is Gender & Sexuality Studies?
Abbas, A. (2020). Gender studies. In M. J. Amey & M. E. David (Eds.), The SAGE Encyclopedia of Higher Education (1st ed.). Sage UK. https://search.credoreference.com/articles/Qm9va0FydGljbGU6NTEzMjk=?aid=96765
Academic Search Premier database offers full text for 4,800 journals, including 12,000+ peer-reviewed titles, with back files and cited references.
America: History and Life database covers U.S. and Canadian history, indexing 1,800+ journals, books, and media reviews from 1895 to present.
Gale OneFile: Gender Studies offers scholarly journals and magazines on gender studies, family, marital issues, and more.
Historical Abstracts covers world history (excluding U.S. and Canada) from 1450 to present, with citations from over 2,300 journals.
JSTOR is a digital library with over 2,300 academic journals, monographs, and materials in humanities, social sciences, and sciences.
Project MUSE provides trusted, high-quality books and journals in the humanities and social sciences from over 200 university presses.
PsycINFO, from the American Psychological Association, is the largest peer-reviewed resource in behavioral science and mental health, offering global research and abstracts.
North American Women's Letters and Diaries offers 1,325 women’s experiences across 150,000 pages, with indexed letters, diaries, and biographies.
Orlando offers comprehensive entries on authors' lives, careers, contextual material, timelines, links, and bibliographies across all time periods.
Women Working features digitized books, pamphlets, images, and selections from Harvard's Louise Bosworth Collection, focusing on Boston’s working women.
Association of College & Research Libraries (ACRL) Women and Gender Studies Core Books Project
This ACRL page from the Women's and Gender Studies Section (WGSS) offers a curated list of core books covering various topics in gender studies, including feminist theory, LGBTQ+ issues, and intersectionality, serving as essential resources for researchers and educators in the field.
Click Here to Redirect to Women and Gender Studies Core Books Project ➜
Terminology & Reference
American Masculinities: a Historical Encyclopedia by
"This is a highly recommended purchase for undergraduate, medium-sized, and large public libraries wishing to provide a substantial introduction to the field of men′s studies."--Reference & User Services Quarterly"Pleasing layout and good cross-references make Carroll′s compendium a welcome addition to collections serving readers of all ages. Highly recommended."--CHOICE"An excellent index, well-chosen photographs and illustrations, and an extensive bibliography add further value. American Masculinities is well worth what would otherise be too hefty a price for many libraries because no other encyclopedia comes close to covering this growing field so well."--American Reference Books AnnualAmerican Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia is a first-of-its-kind reference, detailing developments in the growing field of men′s studies. This up-to-date analytical review serves as a marker of how the field has evolved over the last decade, especially since the 1993 publication of Anthony Rotundo′s American Manhood. This seminal book opened new vistas for exploration and research into American History, society, and culture. Weaving the fabric of American history, American Masculinities illustrates how American political leaders have often used the rhetoric of manliness to underscore the presumed moral righteousness and ostensibly protective purposes of their policies. Seeing U.S. history in terms of gender archetypes, readers will gain a richer and deeper understanding of America′s democratic political system, domestic and foreign policies, and capitalist economic system, as well as the "private" sphere of the home and domestic life. The contributors to American Masculinities share the assumption that men′s lives have been grounded fundamentally in gender, that is, in their awareness of themselves as males. Their approach goes beyond scholarship which traditionally looks at men (and women) in terms of what they do and how they have influenced a given field or era. Rather, this important work delves into the psychological core of manhood which is shaped not only by biology, but also by history, society, and culture. Encapsulating the current state of scholarly interpretation within the field of Men′s Studies, American Masculinities: A Historical Encyclopedia is designed to help students and scholars advance their studies, develop new questions for research, and stimulate new ways of exploring the history of American life. Key Features - Reader′s Guide facilitates browsing by topic and easy access to information - Extensive name, place, and concept index gives users an additional means of locating topics of interest - More than 250 entries, each with suggestions for further reading - Cross references direct users to related information - Comprehensive bibliography includes a list of sources organized by categories in the field Topics Covered - Arts, Literature, and Popular Culture - Body, Health, and Sexuality - Class, Ethnic, Racial, and Religious Identities - Concepts and Theories - Family and Fatherhood - General History - Icons and Symbols - Leisure and Work - Movements and Organizations - People - Political and Social Issues About the Editor Bret E. Carroll is Associate Professor of History at California State University, Stanislaus. He received his Ph.D. from Cornell University in 1991. He is author of The Routledge Historical Atlas of Religion in America (1997), Spiritualism in Antebellum America (1997), and several articles on nineteenth-century masculinity.
Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender by
Gender studies have become a major academic field in the past 25 years, providing a lens through which to reexamine and reevaluate knowledge in every area of human interaction and activity. The Encyclopedia of Sex and Gender encompasses the various concepts of sex and gender that have arisen from the critical study of those subjects worldwide, as well as the emerging reimagination of the more traditional humanities and social sciences. Broad theoretical essays address issues of sex and gender at the personal and the social level; others examine issues of identity, status, class, ethnicity, race, and nation; of sexuality and the body; of social institutions and the structures of representation - all through the lens of gender. With a truly global perspective, topics of individual entries include changing conceptions of the feminine, the family and masculinity, religion, morality, cultural images, medical practice, public health, economy and society and many more. In addition, the work discusses the influences of gender studies on various academic disciplines, examining how it has transformed and utilized methods and theories that have evolved. 01
Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, and Queer (LGBTQ) History by
A three-volume set, The Global Encyclopedia of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender History (Charles Scribner's Sons) will provide a global view of the history of LGBTQ, covering significant figures and events worldwide. Wide-ranging in scope, this encyclopedia complements courses in a variety of disciplines, including history, literature, psychology, sociology and others. This title is being created under an international editorial board, led by Howard Chiang (University of California, Davis).
The International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality by
This Encyclopedia is a comprehensive A-Z reference with over 500 entries that define sexuality from a broad biocultural perspective and show the diversity of human sexual behavior and belief systems. * Contains entries ranging from short definitions of scientific, clinical, cultural, and colloquial terms to extended explorations of major concepts * Covers 13 key areas of content, from clinical medicine and body modification to the language of sexuality and the history of sexology * Serves as an essential resource for students, scholars, and researchers with contributions from an international team of top scholars and practitioners 3 Volumes www.encyclopediaofhumansexuality.com
The Multimedia Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World by
The Encyclopedia of Women in Today's World looks at women today and delves into contexts of being female in the 21st century. The scope of the Encyclopedia focuses on women's status starting approximately in the year 2000 and going forward. From A-to-Z, this work will cover the spectrum of defining women in the contemporary world. Signed entries (with cross-references and recommended readings) cover the full range of issues in contemporary women's studies, with volumes including information relevant to the following academic disciplinary contexts: arts and media; business and economics; criminal justice; education; family studies; health; media; military; politics; science and technology; sports; religion; and women in different cultures and countries.
Books
**This is not an exhaustive list, but a curated selection of introductory texts on Gender and Sexuality Studies. For topic-specific collections, please visit: https://library.lmunet.edu/genderstudies
Connexions: histories of race and sex in North America by
Connexions investigates the ways in which race and sex intersect, overlap, and inform each other in United States history. An expert team of editors curates thought-provoking articles that explore how to view the American past through the lens of race and sexuality studies. Chapters range from the prerevolutionary era to today to grapple with an array of captivating issues: how descriptions of bodies shaped colonial Americans' understandings of race and sex; same-sex sexual desire and violence within slavery; whiteness in gay and lesbian history; college women's agitation against heterosexual norms in the 1940s and 1950s; the ways society used sexualized bodies to sculpt ideas of race and racial beauty; how Mexican silent film icon Ramon Navarro masked his homosexuality with his racial identity; and sexual representation in mid-twentieth-century black print pop culture. The result is both an enlightening foray into ignored areas and an elucidation of new perspectives that challenge us to reevaluate what we "know" of our own history. Contributors: Sharon Block, Susan K. Cahn, Stephanie M. H. Camp, J. B. Carter, Ernesto Chávez, Brian Connolly, Jim Downs, Marisa J. Fuentes, Leisa D. Meyer, Wanda S. Pillow, Marc Stein, and Deborah Gray White.
Female Masculinity by
Masculinity without men. In Female Masculinity Judith Halberstam takes aim at the protected status of male masculinity and shows that female masculinity has offered a distinct alternative to it for well over two hundred years. Providing the first full-length study on this subject, Halberstam catalogs the diversity of gender expressions among masculine women from nineteenth-century pre-lesbian practices to contemporary drag king performances. Through detailed textual readings as well as empirical research, Halberstam uncovers a hidden history of female masculinities while arguing for a more nuanced understanding of gender categories that would incorporate rather than pathologize them. She rereads Anne Lister's diaries and Radclyffe Hall's The Well of Loneliness as foundational assertions of female masculine identity. She considers the enigma of the stone butch and the politics surrounding butch/femme roles within lesbian communities. She also explores issues of transsexuality among "transgender dykes"--lesbians who pass as men--and female-to-male transsexuals who may find the label of "lesbian" a temporary refuge. Halberstam also tackles such topics as women and boxing, butches in Hollywood and independent cinema, and the phenomenon of male impersonators. Female Masculinity signals a new understanding of masculine behaviors and identities, and a new direction in interdisciplinary queer scholarship. Illustrated with nearly forty photographs, including portraits, film stills, and drag king performance shots, this book provides an extensive record of the wide range of female masculinities. And as Halberstam clearly demonstrates, female masculinity is not some bad imitation of virility, but a lively and dramatic staging of hybrid and minority genders.
Gender Trouble by
Since its publication in 1990, Gender Troublehas become one of the key works of contemporary feminist theory, and an essential work for anyone interested in the study of gender, queer theory, or the politics of sexuality in culture.
Masculinities in Theory by
Masculinities in Theory is a clear, concise, and comprehensive introduction to the field of masculinity studies from a humanities perspective. Serves as a much-needed introduction to the field for students and scholars of cultural studies, literature, art, film, communication, history, and gender studies Includes discussions of gay/queer, feminist, and gender studies in relation to masculinity Covers the key theoretical approaches to the study of masculinity, and introduces new models Explores the question "What is masculinity and how does it work?" Looks at language, discourse, signification, power, cross-dressing, female, queer and transsexual masculinity, race and masculinity, nation and masculinity, interracial masculinities, and masculinities in history
Refusing to Be a Man by
Since its original publication in 1989, Refusing to be a Man has been acclaimed as a classic and widely cited in gender studies literature. In 13 eloquent essays, Stoltenberg articulates the first fully argued liberation theory for men that will also liberate women. He argues that male sexual identity is entirely a political and ethical construction whose advantages grow out of injustice. His thesis is, however, ultimately one of hope - that precisely because masculinity is so constructed, it is possible to refuse it, to act against it and to change. A new introduction by the author discusses the roots of his work in the American civil rights and radical feminist movements and distinguishes it from the anti-feminist philosophies underlying the recent tide of reactionary mens movements.
The Second Sex by
Newly translated and unabridged in English for the first time, Simone de Beauvoir's masterwork is a powerful analysis of the Western notion of "woman," and a groundbreaking exploration of inequality and otherness. This long-awaited new edition reinstates significant portions of the original French text that were cut in the first English translation. Vital and groundbreaking, Beauvoir's pioneering and impressive text remains as pertinent today as it was sixty years ago, and will continue to provoke and inspire generations of men and women to come.
The Subjection of Women by
John Stuart Mill's 1869 essay The Subjection of Women argues for equality between the sexes, putting forward ideas that were an affront to many at the time. His wife, Harriet Taylor Mill, is credited with co-authoring the essay. The Subjection of Women puts forward a detailed and passionate opposition to the social and legal inequalities imposed on women by society. Mill saw that he was going against the grain of the time, but argued that such inequality was a past relic from a time when might equaled right and that it had no place in the modern world. Inequality between the sexes limited human development as it made half of humanity unable to contribute to society outside of their own homes.
A vindication of the rights of woman : with strictures on political and moral subjects by
Mary Wollstonecraft wrote Vindication of the Rights of Woman in response to public debate and discussion about the education of women. She argues that women should be educated according to their station, and that they could be more than mere wives to their husbands and educators to their children. The text is one of the earliest works of feminist philosophy.
We Real Cool: Black men and masculinity by
"When women get together and talk about men, the news is almost always bad news," writes bell hooks. "If the topic gets specific and the focus is on black men, the news is even worse." In this powerful new book, bell hooks arrests our attention from the first page. Her title--We Real Cool; her subject--the way in which both white society and weak black leaders are failing black men and youth. Her subject is taboo: "this is a culture that does not love black males:" "they are not loved by white men, white women, black women, girls or boys. And especially, black men do not love themselves. How could they? How could they be expected to love, surrounded by so much envy, desire, and hate?"
We Should All Be Feminists by
In this essay -- adapted from her TEDx talk of the same name -- Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, award-winning author of Americanah, offers readers a unique definition of feminism for the twenty-first century, one rooted in inclusion and awareness. Drawing extensively on her own experiences and her understanding of the often masked realities of sexual politics, here is one remarkable author's exploration of what it means to be a woman now -- and an of-the-moment rallying cry for why we should all be feminists.
Articles
