



Women's Sexual Desire: A Feminist Critique.
The Journal of Sex Research 2006, August, 43, 3
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Publisher Description
Sexual desire is a key component of the current popular conceptualizations of sexual identity, sexual orientation, and sexual functioning and dysfunctioning. Some sexologists contend that no scholarly or scientific discussion of sexuality can occur without reference to it (Leiblum & Rosen, 2000; Levine, 2002). Even though sexual desire has been the topic of much recent research, there is a great deal of ambiguity and variation regarding the conceptualization, definition, operationalization, and application (in research and practice) of the term "sexual desire" as it relates to women (e.g. Basson, 2002b; Kaschak & Tiefer, 2002; Tiefer, 1995). This variation is profoundly related to the theoretical framework from which sexual desire is viewed. Most often sexual desire has been studied from a biomedical paradigm, as noted by Basson (2002a; 2002b), Rosen and Lieblum (1995), and Winton (2001). This paradigm posits sexuality as intrinsic, natural, and universal (Tiefer, 1988). In contrast, feminist scholars and researchers have called for a critical analysis of the biomedical paradigm in favor of more woman-centered models of sexuality (e.g., Daniluk, 1998; McCormick, 1994; Tiefer, 1991, 1995, 2000). Feminism is not a monolithic ideology, but instead is defined and practiced in various ways by different people and groups (e.g., radical and liberal; McCormick). In its broadest interpretation, feminism represents advocacy for women's interests. In a stricter definition, it is the "theory of the political, social, and economic equality of the sexes" (LeGates, 1995, p. 494). Feminist sexology is the scholarly study of sexuality that is of, by, and for women's interests (Koch, 2004). Using diverse epistemologies, methods, and sources of data, feminist scholars examine women's sexual experiences and the cultural frame that constructs sexuality (Vance & Pollis, 1990). To this end, Pollis (1988) has proposed the following principles to overcome the deficits in understanding women's experiences, gender and gender asymmetry, and sexuality: