Sex and Gender in Paleopathological Perspective - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0521021219 ISBN 13: 9780521021210

Publisher: Cambridge University Press, 2005

Synopsis

A growing body of literature indicates that diseases can affect women and men differently. Because sex differences extend far beyond biology, it is crucial to adopt a biocultural approach toward understanding human disease patterns and processes. This book synthesizes modern medical research with paleopathological investigations. Contributors explore conditions such as osteoporosis and osteopenia, iron deficiency anemia, infection, and immune reactivity and trauma. Recognizing the relationship between these conditions and aspects of sex and gender in past populations assist in the formulation of models from which modern disease processes can be better understood.

About this title

Book Description:

A growing body of literature indicates that diseases can affect women and men differently. This book synthesizes modern medical research with paleopathology, the study of disease in human skeletal remains excavated from archeological sites. This volume is the first to consider the ramifications of sex and gender on ancient and modern human diseases such as osteoporosis, iron deficiency anemia and infection. It will provide provocative ideas for researchers in the fields of physical anthropology, evolutionary biology and women's studies.

Review:

"In this groundbreaking book, Grauer and Stuart-Macadam bring together 11 original articles examining various human disease patterns and processes with an eye toward sex and gender differences...Not only is the biocultural approach employed here important for gaining a better perspective on modern disease processes, but the interdisciplinary approach will serve to generate numerous ideas and hypotheses in areas such as physical anthropology, evolutionary biology, the history of medicine, and archaeology." Choice

"The book is an important and useful contribution to the study of the interactions of biology and culture in human society, and it lives up to the premise offered in the title. For readers who are not physical anthropologists, the book provides a useful introduction to paleopathology and the contributions of skeletal biology to understanding cultures in the past. Sex and Gender in Paleopathological Perspective offers a wealth of interesting interpretations of the interactions among biology, culture, and disease in human societies...this book clearly demostrates the need to include gender and sex in interpretative models of biology and culture in past human populations." AJA

"provides both an informative and interesting addition to the growing publications on gender. The bibliographies following each article are good guides to further sources and the index isz useful for both paleopathologists and non-paleopathologists. Grauer and Struart MacAdam have done a nice job of cross-referencing and this is important in a work like this becuase most readers will be primarily interested in a specific chapter. All chapters are well-written, with numerous, useful sub-headings. Photographs and figures are appropriate." Candian Jrnl of Archaeology 24, 2000

About this edition

• Publisher: Cambridge University Press
• Publication date: 2005
• ISBN 10: 0521021219
• ISBN 13: 9780521021210
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 208
• Editor: Grauer Anne L., Stuart-Macadam Patricia