&sq=&lang=&file=File:Private_Practices_Book_Cover_Naoko_Wake.jpg) Cover | |
| Author | Naoko Wake |
|---|---|
| Original title | Private practices : Harry Stack Sullivan, the science of homosexuality, and American liberalism |
| Language | English |
| Subject | History of medicine, American gay psychiatrists, liberalism in 20th century America |
| Genre | Non-fiction |
| Publisher | Rutgers University Press |
Publication date | March 9, 2011 |
| Publication place | United States |
| Pages | 263 |
| ISBN | 978-0813549583 |
Private practices : Harry Stack Sullivan, the science of homosexuality, and American liberalism is a 2011 book by U.S. based-Japanese historian, author, and academic Naoko Wake published by Rutgers University Press. The book explores the interplay of science, sexuality, gender, race, and culture in 1920-1950 America, focusing on Harry Stack Sullivan, a neo-Freudian psychiatrist. The book reveals contradictions among liberal intellectuals that influenced the rise of American conservatism. Wake delves into scientists' conflicted perspectives on homosexuality, highlighting a gap between their public stance (viewing it as a "disease") and private beliefs (questioning such a stigmatizing view). This disparity reflects a modern culture valuing self-awareness and open-mindedness as markers of mature gender and sexual identities. The book underscores the limits of the scientific approach to subjectivity, emphasizing its impact on shaping sexual subjectivity in American culture.