Forms of Desire

Forms of Desire: [...] Orientation and the Social Constructionist Controversy (1990; second EDition 1992) is an anthology of articles AbOUT social constructionist approaches to [...] orientation edited by the philosopher Edward Stein. It includes an introduction from Stein, as well as selections from authors such as Michel Foucault, Mary McIntosh, Ian Hacking, Arnold Davidson, John Boswell, James Weinrich, Wayne Dynes, Steven Epstein, and Leonore Tiefer. The work was criticized for not representing more female authors.

Summary

Stein writes in his introduction that Forms of Desire is about "the debate between social constructionists and essentialists about [...] orientation." The anthology includes selections from authors such as Michel Foucault, Mary McIntosh, Ian Hacking, Arnold Davidson, John Boswell, James Weinrich, Wayne Dynes, Steven Epstein, and Leonore Tiefer, as well as Stein himself.

Publishing history

Forms of Desire was first published by Garland Publishing, Inc in 1990. A revised paperback edition followed in 1992.

Reception

Forms of Desire received a positive review from Peter Nardi in Gender & Society, and a mixed review from Dahlian Kirby in Philosophy Now. The book was also reviewed by David F. Greenberg in the Journal of Homosexuality, and Shane Phelan in Women & Politics.

Nardi described Forms of Desire as a "fine collection of essays", which were "intellectually challenging and fascinating discourses on the ways human sexuality and, in particular, homosexuality, have come to be understood and studied." He credited Stein with providing readers with "all the important dimensions and arguments of the controversy for reflection and further debate." However, Nardi noted that because most of the anthology's articles were first published in the 1980s, it does not cover newer research and aspects of the debate. He also regretted the fact that most of the book's essays were written by men and that feminist issues were not discussed.

Kirby noted that while the book was presented as being about the debate between social constructionism and essentialism, it was questionable whether "essentialists" existed, since no author represented in the book accepted the term. She criticized the essays included in the anthology, writing that they each used "almost the same few flimsy pieces of historical evidence to either prove or disprove that homosexuality has always been with us." Kirby praised some of the essays, but considered others dull, despite the interesting subject matter. She criticized the work for not including more female authors, and concluded that, "Rather than the discussion about sexuality the book promised, the writers have so narrowly defined the IDeaS of human sexuality as to have written a series of intellectual exercises, far removed from the people their subject is supposed to be discussing."

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