The Invention of Heterosexual Culture (The MIT Press)

Heterosexuality Is Celebrated--in Film And Television, In Pop Songs And Opera, In Literature And On Greeting Cards--and At The Same Time Taken For Granted. It Is The Cultural And Sexual Norm By Default. And Yet, As Louis-georges Tin Shows In 'the Invention Of Heterosexual Culture, ' In Premodern Europe Heterosexuality Was Perceived As An Alternative Culture. The Practice Of Heterosexuality May Have Been Standard, But The Symbolic Primacy Of The Heterosexual Couple Was Not. Tin Maps The Emergence Of Heterosexual Culture In Western Europe And The Significant Resistance To It From Feudal Lords, Church Fathers, And The Medical Profession. Tin Writes That Before The Phenomenon Of 'courtly Love' In The Early Twelfth Century, The Man-woman Pairing Had Not Been Deemed A Subject Worthy Of More Than Passing Interest. As Heterosexuality Became A Recurrent Theme In Art And Literature, The Nobility Came To View It As A Disruption Of The Feudal Chivalric Ethos Of Virility And Male Bonding. If Feudal Lords Objected To The 'hetero' In Heterosexuality And What They Saw As The Associated Dangers Of Weakness And Effeminacy, The Church Took Issue With The 'sexuality, ' Which Threatened The Christian Ethos Of Renunciation And Divine Love. Finally, The Medical Profession Cast Heterosexuality As Pathology, Warning Of An Epidemic Of 'lovesickness.' Noting That The Discourse Of Heterosexuality Does Not Belong To Heterosexuals Alone, Tin Offers A Groundbreaking History That Reasserts The Cultural Identity Of Heterosexuality--publisher Description. Pt. 1. Chivalric Opposition To Heterosexual Culture. The Middle Ages: From A Homosocial To A Heterosexual Culture ; The Renaissance: The Continuing Conflict Between Homosocial Tradition And Heterosexual Culture ; The Seventeenth Century: The Triumph Of Heterosexual Culture Over Chivalric Opposition -- Pt. 2. Ecclesiastical Opposition To Heterosexual Culture ; The Medieval Church Versus The Heterosexual Couple ; The Renaissance: The Enduring Conflict Between The Church And Heterosexual Culture ; The Seventeenth Century: The Triumph Of Heterosexual Culture Over Eccliasitical Opposition ; The Twentieth Century: The Last Traces Of Clerical Opposition -- Pt 3. Medical Opposition To Heterosexual Culture. Heterosexual Love And Medieval And Renaissance Medicine ; The Seventeenth Century: The Last Traces Of Medical Opposition -- Conclusion. Louis-georges Tin. Originally Published By Editions Autrement In 2008 As: L'invention De La Culture Hétérosexuelle. Includes Bibliographical References And Index. The rise of heterosexual culture and the resistance it met from feudal lords, church fathers, and the medical profession. Heterosexuality is celebratedin film and television, in pop songs and opera, in literature and on greeting cardsand at the same time taken for granted. It is the cultural and sexual norm by default. And yet, as Louis-Georges Tin shows in The Invention of Heterosexual Culture , in premodern Europe heterosexuality was perceived as an alternative culture. The practice of heterosexuality may have been standard, but the symbolic primacy of the heterosexual couple was not. Tin maps the emergence of heterosexual culture in Western Europe and the significant resistance to it from feudal lords, church fathers, and the medical profession. Tin writes that before the phenomenon of "courtly love" in the early twelfth century, the man-woman pairing had not been deemed a subject worthy of more than passing interest. As heterosexuality became a recurrent theme in art and literature, the nobility came to view it as a disruption of the feudal chivalric ethos of virility and male bonding. If feudal lords objected to the "hetero" in heterosexuality and what they saw as the associated dangers of weakness and effeminacy, the church took issue with the sexuality, which threatened the Christian ethos of renunciation and divine love. Finally, the medical profession cast heterosexuality as pathology, warning of an epidemic of lovesickness. Noting that the discourse of heterosexuality does not belong to heterosexuals alone, Tin offers a groundbreaking history that reasserts the cultural identity of heterosexuality. La jaquette du livre indique : "Heterosexuality is celebrated--in film and television, in pop songs and opera, in literature and on greeting cards--and at the same time taken for granted. It is the cultural and sexual norm by default. And yet, as Louis-Georges Tin shows in 'The Invention of Heterosexual Culture, ' in premodern Europe heterosexuality was perceived as an alternative culture. The practice of heterosexuality may have been standard, but the symbolic primacy of the heterosexual couple was not. Tin maps the emergence of heterosexual culture in Western Europe and the significant resistance to it from feudal lords, church fathers, and the medical profession. Tin writes that before the phenomenon of 'courtly love' in the early twelfth century, the man-woman pairing had not been deemed a subject worthy of more than passing interest. As heterosexuality became a recurrent theme in art and literature, the nobility came to view it as a disruption of the feudal chivalric ethos of virility and male bonding. If feudal lords objected to the 'hetero' in heterosexuality and what they saw as the associated dangers of weakness and effeminacy, the church took issue with the 'sexuality, ' which threatened the Christian ethos of renunciation and divine love. Finally, the medical profession cast heterosexuality as pathology, warning of an epidemic of 'lovesickness.' Noting that the discourse of heterosexuality does not belong to heterosexuals alone, Tin offers a groundbreaking history that reasserts the cultural identity of heterosexuality."