Material Girls: Why Reality Matters for Feminism

Kathleen Stock

Aug 2021 · Little, Brown Book Group · Narrated by Kathleen Stock

About this audiobook

'A clear, concise, easy-to-read account of the issues between sex, gender and feminism . . . an important book' Evening Standard

'A call for cool heads at a time of great heat and a vital reminder that revolutions don't always end well' Sunday Times

Material Girls is a timely and trenchant critique of the influential theory that we all have an inner feeling known as a gender identity, and that this feeling is more socially significant than our biological sex.

Professor Kathleen Stock surveys the philosophical ideas that led to this point, and closely interrogates each one, from De Beauvoir's statement that, 'One is not born, but rather becomes a woman' (an assertion she contends has been misinterpreted and repurposed), to Judith Butler's claim that language creates biological reality, rather than describing it. She looks at biological sex in a range of important contexts, including women-only spaces and resources, healthcare, epidemiology, political organization and data collection.

Material Girls makes a clear, humane and feminist case for our retaining the ability to discuss reality, and concludes with a positive vision for the future, in which trans rights activists and feminists can collaborate to achieve some of their political aims.

Ratings and reviews

Classic! Insightful, funny and respectful of the forbidden topic - Kathleen is one of the most important writers of our age, her words record a critical time in history for women. Thank you, Dr. Kathleen Stock, we're lucky to have you. XX

Thoroughly examines the implications of calling males women, particularly for women's rights. Mentions some of the harms resulting from these legal and social changes, such as women being assaulted and harassed, and missing out on opportunities, using specific examples such as Jessica Yaniv, Karen White, Laurel Hubbard and Munroe Bergdorf. She details how females face disadvantages in society not faced by trans women. She explains the harms of activists lumping trans people together with gays, and lumping male and female trans people together, who have different needs. She criticizes activists for exaggerating the threat of suicide and murder, and for smear tactics that paint critics as genocidal bigots or far-right fascists. Oddly, she chooses to use female pronouns for most trans women, except those who have raped women. Weird place to draw the line. Her book doesn't really dive into the health risks of transition, but she notes issues with diagnosis and a lack of long term data.

About the author

Kathleen Stock is a public philosopher, a freelance writer and a recovering academic.