BOOK REVIEWS

Parker, R.G. Bodies, Pleasures and Passions : Sexual Culture in
Contemporary Brazil, Boston: Beacon Press, 1991.

Richard Parker's first book keeps the attention of readers
interested in sexual culture and gender studies. The author,
trained as an anthropologist, has published many articles about the
social construction of gay identity in Brazil, and recently
evaluated the impact of AIDS policies on the sexual behaviour of
Brazilians. Bodies, Pleasures and Passions originates from his
Doctoral dissertation. His main argument is that Brazilian
sexuality is a social construction influenced by a unique
historical condition. He also emphasized that the experience of
sexual life in different settings is shaped as much by the cultural
context as by the physiology of the species.

In the opening chapters, the author traces a portrait of the
history of Brazil and how slavery influenced relations between men
and women. The author believes that the miscegenation that occurs
between the colonizers, slaves and the indigenous population had an
impact on the sexual culture of Brazilians. His analysis relies
mostly on the controversial works of Gilberto Freyre that depict a
patriarchal social order in the 19 t " century. By analyzing sexual
practices in contemporary Brazil, Parker, influenced by
structuralism, explores the "ideology of the erotic" by
scrutinizing the linguistic code that delimits the boundaries of
sexual conduct. What can astonish readers is the extensive
variations in the Brazilian sexual code. For instance in North
America one drop of homosexuality de-masculinizes a man, while in
Brazil the scenario appears to be different. Same-sex activities
are tolerated and even encouraged as far as the hierarchical social
order remains. The author suggests that the "real" man is the
active partner and consequently will not be condemned by society,
while the passive one receives a derogatory label. Nevertheless the
scheme of a patriarchal and sexist society persists despite the
resurgence of feminist movements; women endure oppression and
discrimination both in rural and urban areas. The sexual roles are
clearly defined as active/passive whether it is an heterosexual or
homosexual encounter. Also, according to Parker's investigation
bisexuality is widespread in Brazil. This supports one aspect of
the machismo ideology that implies that a man can have numerous
encounters with both women and men.

The presentation of the author is clear and he enhances his
"propos" with extracts from thirty-one informants interviewed. My
main criticism relies on two essential aspects that are
underestimated in Parker's study. Firstly he does not make a clear
differentiation on the sexual meanings between social class and
"milieu". Only in the conclusion Parker specified that his study
focuses on sexual culture in urban Brazil and not all Brazil. I

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believe that a sharper analysis would enrich the debate. I also
feel uncomfortable by the assumption of the author that the sexual
linguistic code is singular to Brazil. Some of the vocables used in
English and French have a similar connotation.

In conclusion Bodies, Pleasures and Passions is well
documented with an extensive bibliography. For scholars pursuing
fieldwork abroad, the appendix on his notes in the field are
particularly useful. Parker's book will delight people who believe
that sexuality does rely solely on biology and physiological
processes, but like many aspects of life is socially constructed
and encompasses a political component.

Reviewed by:
Michael Turcotte
Department of Sociology
and Anthropology
Carleton University

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