Paradise Hill by: [Netherlands] Minique Schipper Publisher: Guangxi Normal University Press

Introduction · · · · · ·
Who has the final say over women’s bodies? Who has been examining and evaluating these parts of the body that are unique to women?

Going one step further on the basis of "Misogyny"! Tracing the roots of misogyny and the underlying logic of patriarchy from the origin of mankind, recreating the history of the birth and deprivation of women's rights.

Gender bias, physical violence, maternal punishment, childbearing difficulties... Why do women always encounter injustice? How can they break through the gender dilemma? A cross-cultural research work that reveals how women's ideas about themselves are misled by patriarchal society and gradually lose their power.

【Content Introduction】

Gender bias, physical violence, maternal punishment, childbearing difficulties... Even in the 21st century, women still have to carry these "original sins" and move forward with difficulty. All of this stems from the unique body parts of women and the ancient social mechanism that attempts to control women through this - patriarchy.

This book cites a large number of cases, tracing the history of the formation of patriarchy from the origin of mankind, and tells how the unique body parts of women give them power, but are ultimately ruthlessly deprived of it. Women who lose power are stigmatized and downgraded, and inequality becomes the social norm and an insurmountable obstacle, so women often suffer injustice. What is the deep root behind this? In the new era, how will women who have awakened their consciousness break through the gender dilemma and dismantle the repeatedly counterattacking forces of gender discrimination one by one? This book gives a powerful answer.

【Highlights of this book】

1. Going one step further on the basis of "Misogyny", in-depth analysis of the roots of misogyny and the history of the formation of patriarchy around the world.

In her book "Misogyny", the famous Japanese sociologist Chizuko Ueno proposed that patriarchal society is a society with misogyny as its core mechanism. So what is the deep root of misogyny? How did patriarchy with misogyny as its core mechanism form around the world? Professor Minick Schipper gave a wonderful answer in this book. The content of this book not only echoes the book "Misogyny", but also supplements and answers many questions that were not further developed in "Misogyny", and has a more global perspective.

2. Reveals the history of how women’s ideas about themselves are misled by male discourse and how they gradually lose themselves and their power.

Who has the final say over women's bodies? Who is examining and evaluating the body parts that belong to women? In modern society, where women seem to have gained the right to speak for themselves, the male-centric concept still unconsciously influences and misleads. The author systematically sorts out this history for us and reminds women to regain the right to speak about their own bodies.

3. It explains the deep-seated causes of many social inequalities and has broad topicality and important social significance.

In 2021, social events caused by gender inequality continued, repeatedly triggering extensive discussions on issues such as gender violence, gender bias, fertility difficulties, and the sense of worthlessness of housewives. What are the deep-seated reasons behind these events? The author cuts into the origin myths from all over the world and conducts a detailed analysis. This provides sufficient theoretical basis and research support for women to accurately identify the root causes of gender inequality and dismantle the repeated counterattacks of gender discrimination one by one.

4. This work was recommended as a major work at the 6th China-Europe International Literary Festival in 2021, and the author’s sharing video received widespread attention.

【Recommended by famous experts】

Mineke Schipper’s Paradise Hill is a phenomenal book about the gender and sexuality of women. The book examines the various images of women’s body parts throughout human civilization, from ancient mysteries to images in contemporary socio-cultural discourse. The author astutely points out that some information about women is provided and collected from a male perspective, while women’s views on their gender and sexuality have long been “silenced”. Women’s characteristics are objectified as private property. The book shows how this idea is created and how it is reinforced and consolidated into a deeply rooted social concept. It also reveals how women themselves are misled by the male discourse on women’s bodies, which is also very striking. The emotions about women’s bodies are a mixture of power, fear and insecurity, which deeply permeate everything people say and write about the topic. The mechanism and formation of the male perspective on women’s bodies has been a process throughout human history. This book brilliantly reveals this process and in doing so expertly shows and explores the power and powerlessness of both sexes. In this powerful and revealing way, the book not only corrects patriarchal biases against women's body parts, but also reaffirms that gender characteristics are the source of women's empowerment and women's self-empowerment.

——Zhang Xiaohong, Vice President of Shenzhen University

I recently read this book and thought it was a very critical read for both men and women. I have been recommending it to all my female friends and it has become a frequent topic of discussion around our family dinner table.

——Rui Mohan, host of the 6th China-Europe International Literary Festival