Shira Tarrant
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Shira Tarrant is an American writer on gender politics,
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, sexuality, pop culture, and masculinity. Tarrant's books include '' When Sex Became Gender'', ''Men and Feminism'', ''Men Speak Out: Views on Gender'', ''Sex, and Power'', '' Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style'', and the forthcoming '' New Views on Pornography''. She is described as an "unconventional feminist" redefining gender rights, and is considered "a national leader in working with younger feminist men". She was identified in 2010 as an "extraordinarily accomplished thought leader" by the national
Women's Media Center Women's Media Center (WMC) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit women's organization in the United States founded in 2005 by writers and activists Jane Fonda, Robin Morgan, and Gloria Steinem.
. In 2012, she was named a Glidden Visiting Professor at Ohio University.


Career

Tarrant grew up in
Cleveland Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...
, Ohio, attended
Olney Friends School Olney Friends School is a small, co-educational boarding and day school affiliated with the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). Located in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in Barnesville, Ohio, the school "challenges students to grow ...
, and lives in Los Angeles. She received a PhD in political science from
UCLA The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) is a public land-grant research university in Los Angeles, California. UCLA's academic roots were established in 1881 as a teachers college then known as the southern branch of the California ...
in 2001, working with advisor
Carole Pateman Carole Pateman (born 11 December 1940) is a feminist and political theorist. She is known as a critic of liberal democracy and has been a member of the British Academy since 2007. Biography Pateman was born in Maresfield, Sussex, England. Ed ...
. Tarrant's Ph.D. thesis topic was "Confronting the Bonds of Ideology: Feminist Social and Political Theory, 1945-1965". In 2006, Tarrant was an assistant professor of women's studies at
Goucher College Goucher College ( ') is a private liberal arts college in Towson, Maryland. It was chartered in 1885 by a conference in Baltimore led by namesake John F. Goucher and local leaders of the Methodist Episcopal Church.https://archive.org/details/h ...
. In 2010, Tarrant was selected by the Women's Media Center for its Progressive Women's Voices media and leadership training program, which identifies "extraordinarily accomplished thought leaders" from across the United States. In 2012, she was awarded the Glidden Visiting Professorship at
Ohio University Ohio University is a public research university in Athens, Ohio. The first university chartered by an Act of Congress and the first to be chartered in Ohio, the university was chartered in 1787 by the Congress of the Confederation and subseq ...
. She is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Women's, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at California State University, Long Beach. A frequent speaker at college campuses and public venues across the country, Tarrant is frequently quoted in print, radio, television, and online media. Tarrant was interviewed for the 2011 film '' The Bro Code: How Contemporary Culture Creates Sexist Men''. She is a member of the National Advisory Board for the pro-feminist men's magazine ''Voice Male'' and a representative for the national organization Faculty Against Rape.


Writings

Tarrant is the author of ''
Men and Feminism Since the 19th century, men have taken part in significant cultural and political responses to feminism within each "wave" of the movement. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in a range of social relations, generall ...
'' ( Seal Press), '' When Sex Became Gender'' (
Routledge Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...
) and editor of the anthology '' Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power'' (Routledge). Her book, '' Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style'', with Marjorie Jolles, was published in 2012 (SUNY Press). A second edition of ''Men Speak Out'' appeared in 2013 from Routledge. ''New Views on Pornography: Sexuality, Politics, and the Law'' was published in February, 2015 (Praeger, co-edited with Lynn Comella). Within Tarrant's ''Men and Feminism'', the first chapter titled “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” introduces the issues of modern
feminism Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...
, its growing inclusivity and relevance to male identified people (described from this point on as men). The chapter prefaces the book by defining feminism as “a movement for ending all forms of oppression, including gender based oppression” and explains the fundamental principles of the movement which include the necessity of confronting patriarchal, racist and binary thinking. While emphasizing how feminism applies to men (as the system of patriarchy also restricts men's roles), it highlights how by accepting and working within the framework of feminism, men can use their own gender privilege to stand up and better the lives of those oppressed in our current societal system. Relying on quotes and anecdotes, the first chapter of ''
Men and Feminism Since the 19th century, men have taken part in significant cultural and political responses to feminism within each "wave" of the movement. This includes seeking to establish equal opportunities for women in a range of social relations, generall ...
'' provides insight to a growing demographic of men who consider egalitarian views and social responsibility to be common sense in today's world and persuades the reader to ponder “what men can offer feminism and what feminism can offer men”. The chapter discusses the multiple ways in which all men can commit to acting as proponents for equality. The examples range from deconstructing traditional
gender role A gender role, also known as a sex role, is a social role encompassing a range of behaviors and attitudes that are generally considered acceptable, appropriate, or desirable for a person based on that person's sex. Gender roles are usually cent ...
s to calling out racist or sexist jokes, ultimately stressing the importance of “examining our own place in various systems of domination - how we benefit and how we’re held back” in order to generate social and political transformation. The chapter also introduces key aspects of feminism such as the importance of understanding
intersectionality Intersectionality is an analytical framework for understanding how aspects of a person's social and political identities combine to create different modes of discrimination and privilege. Intersectionality identifies multiple factors of adva ...
and refuting essentialism, effectively laying down the ground rules that are required when learning to think critically about all forms of oppression and the perspectives needed when working to mitigate them. By recognizing the fact that some forms of feminism have been unwelcoming of men's engagement within the movement historically, chapter one also proves that there is room for men today and invites them to be “comrades in struggle”. Furthermore, while the chapter acknowledges the politics inherent in labeling oneself a feminist, it recommends that men need not fear the term and emphasizes that the success of an effective and well received ally ultimately depends on their actions and level of commitment. In addition to providing real life examples of men working through the lens of feminism and acknowledging opportunities for progress in daily life, the book is written in a clear and straightforward style, making it accessible to not only academics but also the target audience of young males. Overall, Tarrant's “This Is What A Feminist Looks Like” provides an informative overview of the movement's evolution and brings the reader to understand that in true bell hooks fashion, feminism is indeed for everybody. Tarrant's writing has appeared in ''
Bitch Bitch may refer to: * A female dog or other canine * Bitch (slang), a vulgar slur for a human female Bitch or bitches may also refer to: Arts and media Film and television * ''The Bitch'' (film), a 1979 film starring Joan Collins * ''Bitc ...
'', ''
Bust Bust commonly refers to: * A woman's breasts * Bust (sculpture), of head and shoulders * An arrest Bust may also refer to: Places * Bust, Bas-Rhin, a city in France *Lashkargah, Afghanistan, known as Bust historically Media * ''Bust'' (magazin ...
'', ''
Ms. Ms. (American English) or Ms (British English; normally , but also , or when unstressed)''Oxford English Dictionary'' online, Ms, ''n.2''. Etymology: "An orthographic and phonetic blend of Mrs ''n.1'' and miss ''n.2'' Compare mizz ''n.'' The pr ...
'' blog, ''
Women's Studies Quarterly ''Women's Studies Quarterly'', often referred to as ''WSQ'', is a biannual peer-reviewed academic journal of women's studies that was established in 1972 and published by The Feminist Press. The Feminist Press was founded by Florence Howe in 1970. ...
'', ''
The Huffington Post ''HuffPost'' (formerly ''The Huffington Post'' until 2017 and sometimes abbreviated ''HuffPo'') is an American progressive news website, with localized and international editions. The site offers news, satire, blogs, and original content, and ...
'', and other mainstream and academic outlets. Her two forthcoming books include ''Gender, Sex, and Politics: In the Streets and Between the Sheets in the 21st Century'' (Routledge) and ''The Pornography Industry: What Everyone Needs to Know'' (Oxford University Press).


Bibliography


Books

* ''When Sex Became Gender'' (Routledge, 2006) * ''Men Speak Out: Views on Gender, Sex and Power'' (editor) (Routledge, 2008; 2013) * ''Men and Feminism'' (Seal Press, 2009) * ''Fashion Talks: Undressing the Power of Style'' (with Marjorie Jolles) (SUNY Press, 2012) * ''New Views on Pornography: Sexuality, Politics, and the Law'' (with Lynn Comella) (Praeger, 2015) * ''The Pornography Industry: What Everyone Needs to Know'' (Oxford University Press, 2016)


Articles and essays

*“Women, Sex and S&M: Mainstream Media Totally Wrong About Female Desire — Again.” AlterNet, April 16, 2012 *“It’s a Dress, Not a Yes,” Ms. Magazine Blog, November 4, 2011 *“Why Are Conservatives Obsessed With the Sex Lives of College Kids?” AlterNet, April 17, 2011 *“The Silence Around a Fraternity Sexual Assault Case,” Jezebel.com, December 9, 2010 *"Pornography 101: Why College Kids Need Porn Literacy Training", AlterNet, September 15, 2010 *"Is Pornography Racist?", ''Ms.'' Blog, August 16, 2010 *"Porn: Pleasure or Profit? Ms. Interviews Gail Dines, Part III", ''Ms.'' Blog, August 6, 2010 *"Getting Down About Hooking Up", ''Ms.'' Blog, March 24, 2010 *"Judge Orders Rape Survivors to Take Lie-Detection Test", ''Ms.'' Blog, March 19, 2010 *"What's 'The Scoop' About Groping?", ''Ms.'' Blog, March 12, 2010 *"The Hurt Locker Blows Up More Than Bombs", ''The Huffington Post'', March 2, 2010 *"California College: Up In Smoke?", ''The Huffington Post'', June 19, 2009 *"Sonia Sotomayor: The Answer Rhymes With 'Fender'", ''The Huffington Post'', May 29, 2009 *"Hip to Strip? Or Is it Time for Men to Stop Watching?", ''The Huffington Post'', May 8, 2009 *"Guy Trouble", ''Bitch Magazine: Feminist Response to Popular Culture'', Spring 2009 *"The Great Cover-Up: Can High Necklines Cure Low Morals?", ''Bitch Magazine: Feminist Response to Popular Culture'', Winter 2008 *"Men Speak Out on Gender, Sex and Power", ''Voice Male'', Spring 2007 *"The Little FemBlog That Wasn't", ''Barnard College Scholar & Feminist Online'', Vol. 5 no. 2, Spring 2007 *"When Sex Became Gender: Mirra Komarovsky's Feminism of the Fifties", ''Women's Studies Quarterly'' Vol. 33 nos. 3 & 4, 2005 *"Who's Accountable for the Abuse at Abu Ghraib?", ''Off Our Backs''. September–October 2004


References


External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Tarrant, Shira American non-fiction writers Living people American feminist writers California State University, Long Beach faculty Ohio University faculty University of California, Los Angeles alumni 1963 births Goucher College faculty and staff American women non-fiction writers American women academics 21st-century American women