Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary

Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary - Hardcover

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Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary
  • Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary
Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary - Hardcover

Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary - Hardcover

by Agustín Fuentes
$24.95
$24.95
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Hardcover $24.95 Paperback $18.31

Book Overview

Why human biology is far more expansive than the simple categories of female and male

Being human entails an astonishingly complex interplay of biology and culture, and while there are important differences between women and men, there is a lot more variation and overlap than we may realize. Sex Is a Spectrum offers a bold new paradigm for understanding the biology of sex, drawing on the latest science to explain why the binary view of the sexes is fundamentally flawed--and why having XX or XY chromosomes isn't as conclusive as some would have us believe.

In this lively and provocative book, leading biological anthropologist Agustín Fuentes begins by tracing the origin and evolution of sex, describing the many ways in the animal kingdom of being female, male, or both. Turning to humans, he presents compelling evidence from the fossil and archaeological record that attests to the diversity of our ancestors' sexual bonds, gender roles, and family and community structures, and shows how the same holds true in the lived experiences of people today. Fuentes tackles hot-button debates around sports and medicine, explaining why we can acknowledge that females and males are not the same while also embracing a biocultural reality where none of us fits neatly into only one of two categories.

Bringing clarity and reason to a contentious issue, Sex Is a Spectrum shares a scientist's perspective on why a binary view of sex and gender is not only misguided but harmful, and why there are multitudes of ways of being human.
ISBN9780691249414
Author Agustín Fuentes
PublisherPrinceton University Press
GenreEducation
FormatHardcover
PublishedMay 2025
LanguageENG- English
Pages216
Weight1.0 lb
Target AudienceAdults
Print SizeStandard Print

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More by Agustín Fuentes

Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary

Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary - Paperback

Sex Is a Spectrum: The Biological Limits of the Binary - Paperback

By Agustín Fuentes

About Agustín Fuentes

Agustín Fuentes, during more than two decades of research, has published more than one hundred academic articles and book chapters. He has chased monkeys, apes, and humans in the jungles and cities of Asia, the mountains of Morocco, and the streets of Gibraltar. He's explored the lives of our evolutionary ancestors and examined people's daily routines across the globe. He is a professor and the chair of the University of Notre Dame's Department of Anthropology and a National Geographic Explorer. His perspectives and research have been covered in The Atlantic, Scientific American, The Huffington Post, and on NPR. He lives in Indiana.

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