The aim of this book is to pass on the 'insight' of the anthropologist to those who are not acquainted with the work of scientific anthropology. Its purpose is more than informative; it is propagandist in the best sense of the word. The author, committed to the belief that more knowledge means more freedom, attempts to convey her knowledge of the rôle which 'maleness and femaleness' play in cultural processes to a broad audience. She firmly believes that such knowledge, integrated in the 'mind of the nation', will eventually influence society to make the best use of the specific endowments of both sexes, and thus help mankind in 'rising to heights of which each living generation can only glimpse the next step of the ascent'.

The book is divided into four parts. The first