Eroticism of More- and Other-than-Human Bodies

Focusing on non-human actors, Grayna Gajewska expands the discussion of eroticism in contemporary culture by bringing in material culture, object studies, and the anthropology of things. She sets out from the assumption that things (such as, for instance, attire, underwear, shoes, or jewelry) play an important role in arousing erotic imaginationthey are genuine participants in the process, not mere signifiers of eroticism. Their use does not denote only undeniable facts of everyday life associated with functionality, the pragmatic or aesthetic aspect, but also contribute to the shaping of human emotions, fantasies and phantasms. In her study, Gajewska brings eroticism in contemporary culture to light through applying gender studies to new contextsanimals, robots, virtual worldseven as she explores a new methodology, the anthropology of things.

Applies the new framework of the anthropology of things to eroticism, gender, and sexuality Considers non-human actors (objects) as not merely signifiers, but active performers in shaping human emotions Relevant for humanists (gender studies, sexuality, and eroticism), social scientists (cultural anthropology, contemporary anthropology, and new media studies) as well as methodological researchers in non-anthropocentric fields (posthumanism, transhumanism)

Autorentext

Gräyna Gajewska is Professor of Literature at Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland. Her research centers on the methodology of humanistic anthropology, interdisciplinary methods for analyzing contemporary culture, multi- and metaculturalism, gender studies, transhumanist studies, and post-humanist approaches.

Klappentext

Focusing on non-human actors, Gräyna Gajewska expands the discussion of eroticism in contemporary culture by bringing in material culture, object studies, and the anthropology of things. She sets out from the assumption that things (such as, for instance, attire, underwear, shoes, or jewelry) play an important role in arousing erotic imagination they are genuine participants in the process, not mere signifiers of eroticism. Their use does not denote only undeniable facts of everyday life associated with functionality, the pragmatic or aesthetic aspect, but also contribute to the shaping of human emotions, fantasies and phantasms. In her study, Gajewska brings eroticism in contemporary culture to light through applying gender studies to new contexts animals, robots, virtual worlds even as she explores a new methodology, the anthropology of things.

Inhalt

Chapter 1: Introduction: The dynamics of affects and experiences of the arch-non-human bodies .- Chapter 2: More-than-human Network of Relationality.- Chapter 3: Nature as a Phantasm of Culture.- Chapter 4: The Obsession of Artificial Bodies.- Chapter 5: The Beloved Objects.- Chapter 6. Conclusion.