Loving to Survive: Sexual Terror, Men's Violence, and Women's Lives (Feminist Crosscurrents)

Rating:
Summary: Interesting theory which lacks solid proof.
Review: The theory promoted in this book, called Societal Stockholm Syndrome, is supposed to be a universal law of behavior which states that femininity, love of men, and heterosexuality are a function of patriarchy and thus cannot be called natural. The book tries to understand this newly discovered law and propose ways in which a more natural woman may be promoted. While the gender stereotypes of expected behavior fit well within the definition of the Societal Stockholm Syndrome, very little time is given to understanding that gender stereotypes are merely that: stereotypes, models for how people might behave, not a fact of how people must behave. When the theory is applied to the individual lives of each woman I doubt it will hold up for all of us. It certainly did not hold up for me. The most helpful part of the book is the final chapter, which discusses how gender stereotypes of what it means to be a woman can be recognized and fought. Overall it offers good insights but needs to be expanded to include the fact that women themselves may relate in such ways and often encourage such stereotyped behavior from other women.