The Revolt of the Primitive: An Inquiry into the Roots of Political Correctness

by Howard S. Schwartz

Overview

Perceptions of men as abusers, sexual predators, and deadbeat dads have become firmly entrenched in our culture. Schwartz aims to dispel some of these negative images by delving into the psychological dynamics that have caused them. Revealing the hard facts about how we view men and women in our society, this work explores why the gender war and political correctness continue to be part of our culture.

This work explores the psychological dynamics of the gender war and political correctness. Perceptions of men as abusers, sexual predators, and deadbeat dads have become firmly entrenched in our culture, Schwartz argues, based on bogus information and not on solid objective facts. Aiming to dispel some of these negative images by delving into the psychological dynamics that have caused them and revealing the hard facts about how we view men and women in our society, Schwartz questions the current gender war. This book will be of interest to scholars and students in the areas of psychology, women's and men's studies, social policy, child development, and family therapists.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780275965778
Publisher:	Bloomsbury Academic
Publication date:	05/30/2001
Pages:	256
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.75(d)

About the Author

HOWARD S. SCHWARTZ is Professor of Organizational Behavior in the School of Business Administration at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan./e

Table of Contents

Introduction
Scenes from a Sexual Holy War
The Sexual Holy War and the Meaning of Work
Feminist Reattribution of Work's Discontents
The Sin of the Father
The Psychodynamics of Political Correctness
The March of the Virgin: Psychodynamics of Sexual Politics and the Issue of Women in Combat
Conclusion: Littleton and Beyond
References

Editorial Reviews

Schwartz (organizational behavior, Oakland University) says in his introduction: "My main point is that what appears to be a war between the sexes is something far more dangerous. It is nothing less than a revolt of the primitive against the mature, driven by the most powerful forces withing the psyche. Its potential danger is immense." He elucidates his point of view, using an approach stemming from psychoanalytic phenomenology, to look at various aspects of work, sexual politics, political correctness, feminism, and violence in contemporary society. Annotation c. Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)

Booknews

"The Revolt of the Primitive is one of the most original, profound, and disturbing analyses of cultural politics in our time. It raises the discourse of gender politics and gender wars to an altogether higher level, revealing some of the primitive emotional forces that loom behind the vilification of the father and its dire consequences for our cultural and political institutions." —Yiannis Gabriel, professor of organizational behavior, Imperial College, London "I heartily commend and recommend Schwartz's book. [It] is a monument in thought that towers conspicuously above the figurative rubble of our age." —Lou Marinoff, professor of philosophy, City College of New York "The Revolt of the Primitive is a fascinating account of an intellectual's attempt to understand his own history and the strange cultural forms which give shape to it, past and present. In documenting these bizarre forms and attempting to specify their inner meaning, Schwartz teaches us a lot about what motivates some of the key political struggles of our time." —Human Relations

From the Publisher