The Birth Of Pleasure

A New Map of Love

Carol Gilligan

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Paperback

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English

Vintage
15 September 2003

Physiological & neuro-psychology, biopsychology; Family & relationships; Popular psychology

A new edition with a new introduction by the author

Love, like falling rain, can revive an arid life. But how can we find the love that brings true pleasure? How can we avoid the tragic love, with its lessons of sacrifice and loss, so deeply embedded in our culture? 'Pleasure is a sensation. It is written into our bodies; it is an experience of delight, of joy'In this inspiring book, Carol Gilligan sets out to create a radical new map of love. Although old patriarchal structures have been challenged the underlying patterns remain- the channeling of boys into 'masculinity'; the anxiety of girls in adolescence, the silences between men and women, the split between our social and our inner voice. In her work with children, adolescents and couples in crisis, Gilligan came to see how this 'double consciousness' - already present in the violence and betrayal of ancient myths, like that of Oedipus - had developed over thousands of years. Hunting for a counter myth, she discovered the story of Psyche and Cupid, a haunting tale of love and the searching soul, a model of resistance which she uses to frame her quest, showing how joy can be discovered in the heart of pain. The Birth of Pleasure rings with the voices of girls and boys, mothers and fathers, lovers and couples and echoes with telling readings of familiar writers, from Greek tragedy to Anne Frank, from Shakespeare to Proust, from Freud to Toni Morrison. All of us will find something that we recognise - and with luck, this brilliant, compassionate, flame-like book could really change our lives.

By: Carol Gilligan
Imprint: Vintage
Country of Publication: United Kingdom
Dimensions: Height: 198mm, Width: 129mm, Spine: 16mm
Weight: 193g
ISBN: 9780099459613
ISBN 10: 0099459612
Pages: 272
Publication Date: 15 September 2003
Recommended Age: From 0 years
Audience: Professional and scholarly , College/higher education , General/trade , Undergraduate , Primary
Format: Paperback
Publisher's Status: Active

Carol Gilligan is the Graham Professor of Gender Studies at Harvard University and is a practicing psychotherapist. She has also taught in Britain at the University of Cambridge. Her book, In a Different Voice- Psychological Theory and Women's Development is a feminist classic, translated into 16 languages and Meeting at the Crossroads written with Lyn Mikel Brown, reported young girls voices and concerns as never before.

Reviews for The Birth Of Pleasure: A New Map of Love

This is a book about love - not just between men and women but between men and men, women and women, parents and children - love in the widest sense of the word. Using a combination of personal interviews, literature and historical research, Gilligan looks at women past and present and how they have seen love and pleasure; as a counter-example she discusses their experiences of slavery in its various forms and their quest for freedom - including the freedom to love. Gilligan examines men's conflicts about intimacy, especially with their sons. She talks about the sensitive and emotional side of boys, their difficulty with sharing their 'softer' feelings with each other and how sons and fathers relate. The old patterns - the 'silences' between men and women, the development of 'masculinity' in boys, the anxiety of adolescent girls - are discussed and analysed, plus the ways we have learnt to survive in hierarchical societies. Underlying this is the story of Psyche and Cupid, showing how love and pleasure can overcome tragedy, anger and pain. This is a fascinating tale of emotion, struggle, joy and resistance. (Kirkus UK)