Male and Female in Social Life

Sex is a theoretical puzzle because it is much older than we are. A primary fact of biology, sex has defined society from nearly the beginning of life on earth, and as a result we cannot see its effects in our lives in evolutionary comparisons with near primate or mammalian relatives. Sex is a puzzle, too, because it is often misconstrued in social science. It is not, as many social scientists believe, a mere feature of a person, like hair or skin color. Rather it is a part played in the life of the species. This propensity to view sex as a personal feature has kept social science from seeing how sex figures in the social life of the species.

Male and Female in Social Life presents a theoretical framework to describe how sex (the division of our species between male and female) brings life and order to society. It argues that sex is the mainspring of social life and it tells us the most about social dynamics and forms. The book centers on five chapters that describe four "moments" of human social life. Following an introduction, chapter 2 begins with the firs

Lloyd E. Sandelands is professor at the University of Michigan in the Department of Psychology and in the School of Business Administration

Acknowledgments

i

Preface

iii

Introduction

1

(10)

Images

1

(3)

A Philosophical Challenge

4

(2)

The Argument

6

(3)

Plan of the Book

9

(2)

Unity

11

(26)

Dark Matter Mystery

11

(10)

One Humanity

21

(13)

Unity and Order

34

(3)

Division

37

(28)

Again, Images

37

(6)

A Singular Moment of One Long Story

43

(3)

The Great Divide

46

(9)

Unity in Difference

55

(7)

Involution of the Whole in Parts

62

(3)

Play

65

(24)

Viva La Differance

65

(15)

Sex is Play is Sex

80

(3)

Conclusion

83

(6)

Order

89

(32)

Elements of Order

89

(27)

Summary and Conclusion

116

(5)

Pathos

121

(44)

Worlds Apart

123

(15)

Mystery Lost

138

(20)

Conservation Again

158

(7)

Conclusion

165

(10)

Notes

175

(28)

References

203

(10)

Index

213

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Male and Female in Social Life

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials