WTF: Vibrators Used to Calm Misbehaving Women

Posted January 23, 2020

External Article: London Free Press

Research by School of History and Sociology Chair Eric Schatzberg and visiting lecturer Hallie Lieberman was mentioned in "WTF: Vibrators used to calm misbehaving women" in the London Free Press on Jan. 23, 2020.

The piece explores the conception of the history of the vibrator, which some sources, notably Rachel Maines' 1999 book "The Technology of Orgasm," claim was invented to cure "hysteria" in women in the 19th century. However, there may be significant misconceptions driving that story, and Lieberman and Schatzberg's paper "A Failure of Academic Quality Control: The Technology of Orgasm" is cited as a rebuttal to Maines' narrative. 

Excerpt:

Lieberman and Schatzberg don’t outright call BS, but they come pretty close.

“The 19-year success of Technology of Orgasm points to a fundamental failure of academic quality control. This failure occurred at every stage, starting with the assessment of the work at the Johns Hopkins University Press.”

Read the full story here.