Gendered Lives : Communication, Gender, and Culture (with InfoTrac) (Wadsworth Series in Communication Studies)

Rating:
Summary: Man Haters handbook
Review: Having read way too many textbooks in my academic career, I feel pretty confident saying that this is one of the best. The author presented the material (some of it difficult to swallow) in a straight-forward way, interjecting much-needed humor here and there. Many different viewpoints are addressed, and comments from other students, from a wide variety of walks of life are included, giving the reader exposure to a wide variety of thoughts and opinions.
The text reads quickly, and a lot of territory is covered. The author addresses everything from the various 'waves' of feminism to media coverage and violence. There is a lot of material in the book, and if it is read with an open mind, I don't see how the reader can help but be moved and possibly changed. There is no one that this book won't relate to - everyone has a gender.

Rating:
Summary: Good Arguments_Questionable Bias
Review: I found the contents of the book very enlightening regarding issues and problems our society is faced with concerning gender. I was pleased with the academic backing with which the author Julia T. Wood supported her arguments. I was also impressed with how well rounded her discussion was in an attempt to remain somewhat separate from the issues. The author makes a great portrayal of and argument against oppression of many kinds in this book.
There was a theme, or bias rather, running through the book that I was continually dissatisfied with. I found no discussion of oppression for religion, political affiliation, or disabilities, and too much about homosexuality. I felt that the author blurred the lines between choice, accountability and fate. On page 5 of her introduction the author states, "I define feminism as an active commitment to equality and respect for life. For me, this includes respecting all people, as well as nonhuman forms of life and the earth itself. Simply put, my feminism means I am against oppression, whether it be oppression of women, men, lesbians, African Americans, Jewish individuals, gay men, elderly people, children, animals, or our planet." I appreciate her defining her biases before the book begins, but still feel that the book was disproportionate in its view of oppression and contributes to a larger misunderstanding of the nature of two very different types of oppression.
I would describe those types as choice and non-choice oppressions. There are aspects of our lives over which we have absolutely no choice, nor control (sex, age, race, class, disabilities) and there are other aspects of our life that we have very much control and choice over (sexual orientation, religion, political affiliation, appetites, place of residence). I agree that oppression is wrong, especially when it is regarding something over which we have no choice. When we choose a practice, which is unhealthy or socially unacceptable (i.e. drinking and driving) we choose discrimination against ourselves (i.e. freedom to drive), we choose to face opposing views and ideas. This is particularly true in the case of political affiliation, religion, and sexual preference. When we are discriminated against for these things, we still have choice in the matter.
In a civilized society we should agree to disagree, without being disagreeable. These differences among us should never be the source of social unrest, but neither should we be forced to agree with the disagreeable. It is not healthy for us to have a right to everything we want, nor to accept something as socially acceptable simply because someone wants it. Human nature proves daily that we want things that are very unhealthy for us. For that reason there must be a distinction between ignorant oppression and predetermined discrimination for the health of society.
I felt that Gendered Lives blurred the lines between these choice and non-choice categories, reasoning as if they were one. My advice is that the discussion of oppression should be limited to non-choice oppression, or it should be more comprehensive discussing more choice oppression issues such as religion and political affiliation right along with sexual orientation. We should not confuse the two.

Rating:
Summary: Eye-opening- Wonderful book!
Review: I took Gender Communication at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and Dr. Wood was my professor. Not only did I find the class stimulating, but I felt the book was incredible. It helps to explain the ways in which men and women communicate-how they are socialized to communicate in specific ways, which ultimately leads to miscommunication between the sexes. It also covers a number of areas, including non-verbal communication, violence between intimates, the different women's and men's movements, and various communication theories. I would recommend this book to everyone. I believe that if everyone understood how and why the sexes communicate the way they do, there would be fewer social problems. You can't read this book and NOT be changed by what you learn. Overall, a great aid in education and a great read outside of a formal classroom atmosphere.

Rating:
Summary: Gendered Lives is a good read
Review: I was assigned this book for my Gender, Race and Class class but I enjoyed it so much that I am not selling it back! I found standpoint theory helpful as I try to figure out where I stand in the world of feminism. As a minority, I liked reading about different cultures. So many textbooks are White. But this one wasn't. It was refreshing.

Rating:
Summary: Man Haters handbook
Review: Julia Wood takes every chance she can to insult and denigrate men. In fact, the only men she will acknowledge in a positive way are those who have distinctly "feminine" traits. Many feminists may find this refreshing and validating, but it does little to foster better communication or interaction with members of the opposite sex. Wood is guilty of the same spiteful attacks on men that she portrays as happening to women.

Rating:
Summary: A traditional challenge
Review: Ms. Wood has delineated the feminist cause in this book and its challenge to the traditional views of men and women. Many in the current generation are taking that challenge to defy the stereotypes and we are seeing progress! But while people are seeking to explore new identities, they seem unsure of where they are going. Yet we observe with every newspaper the rising tide of violence toward women, pornography, child abduction, and female poverty- things which were not known to such a great extent even 50 years ago. I do not blame feminists for these social ills. We live in a complex society with many patterns of interaction, but perhaps in the traditional role models there was a kind of safety net for women and children which the "independent single woman" no longer possesses. The greatest cry I heard from the standpoint of "Gendered Lives" is a cry for respect. And yet respect never comes on demand. The women of this generation have a challenge to respect the contributions of men and value their unique role regardless of race, class or gender and then perhaps men could also respect the great and wonderful contributions that we as women can make.

Rating:
Summary: Gendered Lives Review
Review: Ok, so I was totally not even the slight bit interested in reading a book like this one, but alas, for one of my classes this semester I was required to partake. I must admit that I initially had a difficult time relating to the rhetoric and struggled throught the first chapters ... only because of my poor attitude. However, there are a couple of chapters on communication between the sexes that were incredibly intriguing, so much that I would recommend them to anyone and everyone. I disagreed often with some of Wood's assertions, however, I found that the reason for my differing viewpoint was based on the fact that I could not empathise with her statements. Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone interested in gender relations and the real story behind feminist theory/history, not to mention someone interested in communication discrepancies between the mars and venus.

Rating:
Summary: Validate arguments
Review: Perhaps this was one of the best texts books I have ever used in graduate school. Although the subject was of interest to me I feel that Julia Wood writes in a way that captivates the interest and curiosity of any reader. Her book is much more enjoyable than the usual textbook. Although this book might be viewed as feminist literature-I disagree. Although the content of her book is based on generalizations of our society I feel that her arguments are justified and for the most part accurate. While Wood mostly addresses feminine issues she also includes issues facing men as well. Even if men are not seen as the "ultimate" oppressed gender in some areas of life they are oppressed. I would have like to have seen more attention given to this issue. I did not agree with all of Woods' points, but I do feel that Wood presents provoking realities of the struggles for both men and women. However, I would have liked to see information on how religion influences these matters. Overall, I thought this was an exceptional book that raises interesting issues that are pressing matters in society today.

Rating:
Summary: Validate arguments
Review: Perhaps this was one of the best texts books I have ever used in graduate school. Although the subject was of interest to me I feel that Julia Wood writes in a way that captivates the interest and curiosity of any reader. Her book is much more enjoyable than the usual textbook. Although this book might be viewed as feminist literature-I disagree. Although the content of her book is based on generalizations of our society I feel that her arguments are justified and for the most part accurate. While Wood mostly addresses feminine issues she also includes issues facing men as well. Even if men are not seen as the "ultimate" oppressed gender in some areas of life they are oppressed. I would have like to have seen more attention given to this issue. I did not agree with all of Woods' points, but I do feel that Wood presents provoking realities of the struggles for both men and women. However, I would have liked to see information on how religion influences these matters. Overall, I thought this was an exceptional book that raises interesting issues that are pressing matters in society today.

Rating:
Summary: Making the masses think
Review: This book makes one think about their own standards, virues, and biases about gender, masculinity, femininity, sexual orientation, and moral values. Wood's book is thought provoking. The reader should proceed through this book with a knowledge that Wood is providing the information that is available and that not all perspectives of the gender issues are presented. This book should not be used as the authority of gender studies. There is lack of information about masculinity issues and also a lack of information about religion and gender. Social class has a very brief reference and can not stand alone in relation to gender issues in Wood's discussion.