Margins
The Politics of Passion book cover
The Politics of Passion
Women's Sexual Culture in the Afro-Surinamese Diaspora
2006
First Published
4.26
Average Rating
336
Number of Pages
Gloria Wekker analyzes the phenomenon of mati work, an old practice among Afro-Surinamese working-class women in which marriage is rejected in favor of male and female sexual partners. Wekker vividly describes the lives of these women, who prefer to create alternative families of kin, lovers, and children, and gives a fascinating account of women's sexuality that is not limited to either heterosexuality or same-sex sexuality. She offers new perspectives on the lives of Caribbean women, transnational gay and lesbian movements, and an Afro-Surinamese tradition that challenges conventional Western notions of marriage, gender, identity, and desire. Bringing these women's voices to the forefront, she offers an extensive and groundbreaking analysis of the unique historical, religious, psychological, economic, linguistic, cultural, and political forces that have shaped their lives.
Avg Rating
4.26
Number of Ratings
119
5 STARS
46%
4 STARS
38%
3 STARS
13%
2 STARS
3%
1 STARS
1%
goodreads

Author

548 Market St PMB 65688, San Francisco California 94104-5401 USA
© 2026 Paratext Inc. All rights reserved