Testosterone and Human Aggression: Methods and Narratives that Link Race, Class, Gender, and Violence

Abstract: In this colloquium, Jordan-Young will discuss her paper and responses offered by Lisa Brush (Pitt, Sociology) and Bridget Keown (Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies). The paper foreshadows her forthcoming book, Testosterone: An Unauthorized Biography, coauthored with Katrina Karkazis (Harvard University Press, spring 2020). The authors describe their project thus: “So familiar that it can go by a single initial, T is at once a mercurial cultural figure and a specific molecule. We take aim at received wisdom about T in six domains—female reproduction, aggression, risk-taking, power, sports, and parenting—to show that stories about T don’t just seem to naturalize gender differences, but class, and racial distinctions, too.”

Reading the paper in advance is helpful, but not required to attend. The paper is available here, or by contacting bioethics@pitt.edu.

Co-sponsored by Gender, Sexuality, and Women’s Studies and the Humanities Center