Book Review: Just Care: Messy Entanglements of Disability, Dependency, and Desire by Akemi Nishida

Abstract

suggest that young people seem less interested in “working collectively to dismantle hegemonic binaries” than they are in “practicing neoliberal individualized identities” that place “emphasis on personal choice” (p. 132). This observation left us wondering how reflexive and routine practices might differ across generations as well as how the ability (i.e., associated risk and protection) to dismantle hegemonic binaries may differ across gender and sexual identities. Overall, this book illuminates the ways reflexive and routine practices are interconnected: how reflexive can become routine; how routine practices may prompt reflexive engagements; how routine does not negate reflexivity; and how both can reinforce or resist dominant structures. The authors highlight how routine and reflexive practices do not exist in a social vacuum but, rather, are bound to social conditions, particularly relational and discursive structures. A Kaleidoscope of Identities demonstrates how reflexivity and routine serve the purpose of accountability—to dominant social structures, to community, and to one’s self. This book is suitable for researchers of all levels who are interested in gender and sexual identities. For the novice sociologist, the book follows a clear structure that begins each section with an overview outlining the objectives it sets to achieve. The authors use accessible language and operationalize terminology upon first use. Arguments build sequentially, which provides foundational learning for novice sociologists and a welcomed refresher for those more senior. And, importantly, the foundational theories upon which structured action theory is built highlight a clear gap in previous thinking and the importance of Messerschmidt and Bridges’ work in advancing our understanding of gender, sex, and sexual identities.