Sex, Identity and Hermaphrodites in Iberia, 1500–1800

Explore a captivating examination of gender identity in early modern Europe with Sex, Identity and Hermaphrodites in Iberia, 1500–1800 by Francisco Vazquez Garcia. Published by Taylor & Francis Ltd in 2016, this insightful work spans 224 pages and delves into the transformative perceptions of sex and identity in Iberia, contrasting it with shifts occurring in northern Europe.

In a time when conventional beliefs held that men and women were inherently the same, the seventeenth century witnessed an important ideological turn. Medical and legal perspectives began to challenge the traditional 'one-sex' model, re-evaluating hermaphroditism and debunking its classification as mere medieval superstition. Vazquez Garcia’s engaging narrative unravels how these theories prompted significant cultural and social shifts regarding intersexuality.

A must-read for scholars and enthusiasts of history and gender studies, this book offers a profound insight into the complexities of identity and the evolving understanding of sexuality in Iberian society.