Gendering Drugs: Ericka Johnson's Feminist Lens on Pharmaceuticals
We sort of take this one step forward in many of the chapters and talk also about non-humans, particularly animals, but other non-human, trying to break down these divides between, um, all sorts of divides through a critical study.
Have you ever wondered how medical technologies shape our understanding of gender? In this episode of 'New Books in Drugs, Addiction, and Recovery', host Marshall Poe sits down with Ericka Johnson to discuss her groundbreaking book, 'Gendering Drugs: Feminist Studies of Pharmaceuticals'. Johnson's work takes a deep dive into how pharmaceuticals influence and construct gendered bodies.
From examining Alzheimer's research that uses sexed flies to exploring the pharmaceuticalized prostate, Johnson sheds light on the often unseen gender biases in medical science. The book is split into two insightful parts. The first part focuses on how medical technologies produce gendered bodies, touching on topics like the health of transgender children and the role of pharmaceuticals in shaping our understanding of gender. Johnson even brings in the influential feminist health publication 'Our Bodies, Ourselves' to enrich her analysis.
The second part of the book shifts gears to look at how pharmaceuticals are marketed and prescribed. Johnson explores how drug advertisements create specific identities and behaviors for their users. One fascinating example she discusses is how the HPV vaccine becomes a non-human participant in parent-child relationships. Johnson's feminist technoscience research challenges conventional wisdom and pushes for social justice by breaking down the barriers between humans and non-humans.
This episode promises a thought-provoking conversation that questions societal norms and offers new perspectives on the pharmaceutical industry and gender. Tune in to hear Ericka Johnson and Marshall Poe delve into these complex issues, and get ready to see medical science through a whole new lens.