It has the potential to be a powerful and positive force that deepens intimate connections. Opinion the forgotten anger of our bodies, ourselves. Selling more than four million copies since its debut in 1970, it has challenged medical dogmas about womens bodies and sexuality, shaped health care policies, energized the reproductive rights movement, and stimulated medical research on womens health. Our bodies ourselves and the womens health movement in the. Our bodies, ourselves and censorship sciencedirect. An article in the national womens studies association journal praised. So much information, demystification of menopause, political and patronization of women at this point. The boston womens health book collective, also known as the our bodies, ourselves collective, is a feminist group that created our bodies, ourselves. Their mission is to empower women by providing information about health, sexuality, and reproduction. Born of the womens liberation movement of the 1960s, our bodies, ourselves was written from a feminist and leftist political perspective by women who believed that all women need full and. Our bodies, ourselves 1973, by the boston womens health.
May 04, 1970 our bodies, ourselves by the boston womens health book collective, claims to have served as a way for women, across ethnic, racial, religious and geographical boundaries, to start examining their health from a perspective that will bring about change. English by american journal of public health podcast from desktop or your mobile device. Our bodies, ourselves is the organizations core vehicle for driving their mission. This series of three reports about our bodies, ourselves forthcoming may 2005 offers a. Our bodies, ourselves and censorship 141 effectiveness of censorship efforts. Trans bodies, trans selves a resource for the transgender community edited by laura ericksonschroth. It was a groundbreaking publication in its expressed goal of dispelling widespread ignorance about the female body and womens health issues. Written and carefully researched by the boston womens health collective, a nonprofit organization committed to education about women and health, the book candidly discusses a variety of issues concerning womens health and their bodies. It is based on, and has grown out of, hundreds of womens experiences. A textbook example of the modern impulse to elevate the body and its urges. Today, we think of our bodies, ourselves as primarily a book in which women can find candid discussions about masturbation or birth control, and it.
Creating physical and emotional health during the change. Most readers of signs know the story of our bodies, ourselves. For example, our bodies, ourselves was the model adopted by the group that produced trans bodies, trans selves, 6 and obos cofounder wendy sanford was asked to write the afterword for this unique resource. We ourselves felt exactly the same powerfulness that we wanted other women to feel. Academic journal article international journal of mens health our bodies, ourselves revisited.
The dissemination of our bodies, ourselves, particularly in. The book, our bodies, ourselves, combined personal experiences with useful information and. Our bodies, ourselves by boston womens health book. Finally, i will consider what kind of knowledge the language of our. Jun 21, 2011 this vivid account of the history of participatory medicine is valuable on many counts. Our bodies, ourselves, american book on womens health, first published in 1970 and followed by eight revised and updated editions, with the last appearing in 2011. It questions the medicalization of womens bodies and lives, and highlights holistic knowledge along with conventional biomedical information. Since the revised 1976 edition was selected as one of the best of the best books for young adults by the american library association, our bodies, ourselves has been the target of frequent. That act was terrifying, but it was also exhilarating. The collective formed at the peak of the womens movement in boston. Our bodies, ourselves 1973, by the boston womens health book.
From my own vantage point, i could provide some answers. Search the history of over 424 billion web pages on the internet. The dissemination of our bodies, ourselves, particularly in the socalled. Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health book. It has since been translated into 31 languages one of the most translated feminist texts, ever. For example, our bodies, ourselves was the model adopted by the group that produced trans bodies, trans selves,6 and obos cofounder wendy sanford was asked to write the afterword for this unique resource. Our bodies ourselves the classic written by women for. Apr 10, 2018 smart news keeping you current our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health book, will no longer print new editions in the 1970s, the book promoted nonjudgemental discussions.
A new edition for a new era sisterhood is powerful sisterhood is forever. The book we now recognize as our bodies, ourselves wasnt published until 1973. Third, the historical lack of selfknowledge about the female body had had one major consequence pregnancy and through greater information, women. A course from 1970 digitized by the boston womens health book collective. The 6th book ive read in the our bodies, ourselves collection. The history of our bodies, ourselves and the boston womens health book collective bwhbc began in the spring of 1969 at a womens liberation conference held in boston. Our bodies, ourselves, a succession to a pamphlet of resources pulled from coops of women in and around boston, massachusetts, was published in new york in 1973 by simon and schuster. In 1971, the first our bodies, ourselves book sold 250,000 copies at the time, fewer than 10% of doctors were women, and many topics were taboo time magazine named our bodies, ourselves.
But if the book caused some women to question ht, it was short lived. Spock, feminists, and the fight for participatory medicine. Journal names it one of open pdf file unix command its best books 2011 in the. Project muse our bodies, ourselves for a new generation. Our bodies ourselves, first published in 1970, prompted dramatic changes in the treatment of womens health issues. There have been eight editions of our bodies, ourselves, as well as sequels such as our bodies, ourselves. Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health. Our bodies, ourselves boston womens health book collective on. Our bodies ourselves obos is a nonprofit, public interest organization that develops and promotes evidencebased information on girls and. Male body image and psychological wellbeing article pdf available in international journal of men s health 53. In this theoretically sophisticated book that i have yearned for, kathy davis offers history and an assessment of our bodies, ourselves as a multisited epistemological project, and she brilliantly reveals quite hopeful implications for transnational feminist theory. Retitled from the original women and their bodies, our bodies, ourselves was an effort by a group of educated, middle class women to reinforce womens ownership of their bodies. Library journal named the 2011 edition one of the best consumer health books of the year. Apr 19, 2005 the boston womens health book collective now known as our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 whose board members include teresa heinz kerry, susan love, and gloria steinem.
The making of our bodies, ourselves duke university press. A brief history and reflection journal of the american medical womens association winter 1999 by judy norsigian, vilunya diskin, paula doressworters, jane pincus, wendy sanford, and norma swenson. When i proposed a panel for the national womens studies association conference in. Learn about the early history of our bodies, ourselves. But after nearly 50 years, our bodies ourselves, the boston nonprofit home of the book, will stop publishing the pubescent tome amid a period of. A 60day guided journey to healing from your experience. Unlike most health books on the market, our bodies, ourselves for the new century is unique in many respects. Click here to view a pdf version of the original women and their bodies. This section looks at sexual pleasure and challenges, along with social influences on sexuality and relationships. Since its first newsprint edition published in the early 1970s, our bodies, ourselves obos has enabled women to learn about their bodies, gain insight from the experiences of other women, and consider how best to achieve political and cultural changes that would improve womens lives. This article offers a brief history of our bodies, ourselves, the landmark book about womens health and sexuality first published in 1970, as well as the boston womens health book collective, its author and sponsor of numerous womens health initiatives. An early cover of the womens health book our bodies, ourselves.
Newly revised and updated, our bodies, ourselves is the classic guide for women of all ages to every. It publishes research on the social, economic, and cultural history of authorship, editing, printing, the book arts, publishing, the book trade, periodicals, newspapers, ephemera, censorship, literary. While obos is famous for its voice in policy, advocacy, and educational efforts related to womens health, they see their role as a global content provider as paramount. The story of our bodies, ourselves the book and our bodies ourselves the organization also known as the boston womens health book collective is long and fruitful. Norsigian, judy and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books. Apr 12, 2018 but after nearly 50 years, our bodies ourselves, the boston nonprofit home of the book, will stop publishing the pubescent tome amid a period of transition. Recruitment and retention of women in clinical studies and. Our bodies, ourselves is a book about womens health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit organization our bodies ourselves originally called the boston womens health book collective. Feminism travels, and our bodies, ourselves is today the most transnational effort of womens health movements. The most recent edition, published in 2011, was selected by library journal as one of the best consumer health books of the year. The boston womens health book collective now known as our bodies ourselves is a nonprofit organization founded in 1969 whose board members include teresa heinz kerry, susan love, and gloria steinem.
Sexuality is a state of being, a way of experiencing and giving pleasure to ourselves and others. Author of our bodies ourselves classic to speak at smu smu. According to the authors, some of them among the original contributors, knowledge is power, but women will make little change in the medical and healthcare industries unless they join forces with other women at home and around the world. Our bodies, ourselves is a book about womens health and sexuality produced by the nonprofit. Menopause provides an indepth look at subjects such as hormone therapy and sexuality as well as proven strategies for coping with challenges like hot flashes, mood swings, and night sweats. A read is counted each time someone views a publication summary such as the title, abstract, and list of authors, clicks on a figure, or views or downloads the fulltext. The original edition of 1970s nowclassic our bodies, ourselves has sold more than three million copies, and the revised and expanded edition will likely prove equally popular among women of all ages. Our bodies, ourselves is a book about womens health and sexuality produced by the. Norsigian, judy and a great selection of similar new, used and collectible books available now at great prices. The history of our bodies, ourselves and the boston womens health book. Why the womens sexual health book still matters orgasmic our bodies, ourselves was the first book to teach women about sex and birth control. First published in 1970, the book grew out of a course by and for women about health, sexuality, and childbearing. Book history is devoted to every aspect of the history of the book, broadly defined as the history of the creation, dissemination, and reception of script and print. The book our bodies, ourselves is a feminist success story.
Judy norsigian is the executive director of our bodies ourselves. In picking up the tools of our own liberation, in our case medical instruments, we broke a powerful taboo. American journal of public health ajph from the american public. The boston women health book collective and our bodies, ourselves. Oboss colleagues in other countries have translated and adapted our bodies, ourselves into. Our bodies ourselves for the new century a touchstone. First published in the late 1960s, it contains information related to many aspects of womens health and sexuality. Our bodies, ourselves has long been referred to as the womens health bible.
To learn about it, check out the following resources. Suffolk university is taking steps to reinvigorate the mission of the trailblazing our bodies ourselves, which a year ago announced that it would suspend plans to produce any new print publications as it transitioned to a primarily volunteerdriven organization. Our bodies, ourselves will continue to provide comprehensive, accurate health information from a end page 173 feminist, consumeroriented perspective. This companion journal to jen crosss book writing ourselves whole is a space to put the pain on a page, and in doing so, release the hold it has on us and restore our bodies and minds. Since those early editions, our bodies, ourselves has been updated and revised approximately every four to seven years, with the most recent edition published in 2011. The book our bodies, ourselves, the definitive womens health resource, has been providing important information to women for the past 25 years.
It has been accepted for inclusion in new england journal of. A course was reprinted in 1971 under the name our bodies, our selves. The travels of our bodies, ourselves scholarworks at umass boston. It publishes research on the social, economic, and cultural history of authorship, editing, printing, the book arts, publishing, the book trade, periodicals, newspapers, ephemera. Our bodies, ourselves, or, our bodies, our liberal selves. In clear, accessible language, the book dispels menopause myths and provides crucial information that women can use to take control. Most of us grew stronger, more selfassured, confident in our own abilities. In clear, accessible language, the book dispels menopause myths and provides crucial information that women can use to take control of their own health and get the best care possible. As a cofounder and past executive director of our bodies ourselves obos, formerly known as the boston womens health book collective, inc.
Davis began her research on our bodies, ourselves as a straightforward oral history project, but eventually discovered that the historiography was more problematic, and the book s history making more nuanced, than she had initially imagined. Oct 04, 2011 our bodies, ourselves is the organizations core vehicle for driving their mission. Welcome to our bodies, ourselves for the new century. The womens anthology for a new millennium the wisdom of menopause revised edition. First and only complete resource written by trans people for trans people. A cultural history of death and the funeral home in twentiethcentury america, the first embalmers made house calls. But i wanted to reflect on what would be different in 2005 and how the new book would respond to todays technologies and sensibilities. We offer firsttime readers and old friends a greatly updated and expanded book that remains true to its beginnings.
Our bodies, ourselves boston womens health book collective. According to the authors, some of them among the original contributors, knowledge is power, but women will make little change in the medical and healthcare industries unless they join forces with. She said that the book our bodies, ourselves was important to how health care was delivered. Our bodies, ourselves, american book on women s health, first published in 1970 and followed by eight revised and updated editions, with the last appearing in 2011. Sidebars throughout feature personal stories, opinion pieces, and spotlights that explore topics in more detail. Journalist lee cullum will moderate a discussion of the book s long history and its continuing relevance. Menopause ebook 9781439103432 by boston womens health book collective. This article was originally published in the winter 1999 edition of journal of the. Reading the written body m ost readers of signs know the story of our bodies, ourselves.
Our bodies, ourselves, the revolutionary feminist health book, will no longer print new editions in the 1970s, the book promoted nonjudgemental discussions about womens sexual and. Journal of the american medical womens association, winter 1999. Suffolk university to launch our bodies ourselves today. This book not only had a decisive impact on how generations of american women felt about their bodies, their sexuality and their health, but it was translated and adapted in 20 languages, both within and outside europe.
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