Loneliness and Its Opposite

"This is far and away the best book on disability and sexuality I have read for years. The authors provide a fascinating analysis of attitudes and practices in Denmark and Sweden, which has relevance to how we achieve sexual citizenship for disabled people everywhere. It's a very welcome contribution to a very important debate" - Tom Shakespeare, author of Disability Rights and Wrongs

"Conceptually deft and sophisticated, based on fascinating empirical research, but above all radiant with a clear-eyed and respectful humanity,  Loneliness and Its Opposite is a gem, a major contribution to disability studies and to thought about social justice." - Martha C. Nussbaum, The University of Chicago

“Complex but important to disability studies programs. … Recommended. Graduate students, faculty, professionals." - J. L. Croissant, Choice

“This is a powerful book, sure to make the reader sit up, both intellectually and emotionally, as it considers a subject still largely hidden from investigative scrutiny because of ignorance, anxiety, prejudice and false moralities…. Loneliness and its Opposite will make highly rewarding reading for academically oriented insiders and various feminist, queer, disability and welfare state theorists.” - E. Stina Lyon, Times Higher Education

"Kulick and Rydström make important and timely contributions to several disciplines, including disability studies, social work and gender studies. Loneliness and Its Opposite is a must-read for those who work with and care for people with disabilities and it should also be of great interest to disability and gender studies scholars. Readers will be impressed by the breadth of historical detail and will be challenged to further consider the materiality of disability. . . ." - Margaret Campbell, Social Anthropology

"Loneliness and its Opposite is an important contribution to the ongoing work of advancing the sexual lives of disabled people, particularly in its empirical findings that show how life changing politically progressive policy frameworks can be for disabled lives when they are both well funded and when there exists a strong commitment to facilitating those policies in practice." - Kelly Fritsch, Feminist Review

"Thought provoking, intentionally humorous at many times, and possessing a rare clarity in argument, this book should be broadly assigned, read, and debated in both undergraduate and graduate seminars."  - Karen Nakamura, Medical Anthropology Quarterly

"As a medical anthropologist interested in chronicity and impairment, I’m more than a little in love with Loneliness and Its Opposite. It makes me attempt to take a more inclusive and daring approach, both in the topics I study as well as the work produced. The work is compelling and accessible, written in a style that captures the reader at the start and holds that interest throughout." - Narelle Warren, Somatosphere

"Loneliness and Its Opposite goes a long way toward understanding how a right to sex might be realized for people with disabilities. In their engaging anthropological/historical study of Denmark and Sweden, we hear from sex workers and people with disabilities, read about obscure policy papers and academic articles on disability, and see sexually explicit education pamphlets and movie stills. All of this provides the reader with a rich understanding of those countries’ approaches to sexuality and disability. In the process, it forces us to confront the role of the state in facilitating sexual expression for those with cognitive or physical impairments."  - Alexander A. Boni-Saenz, New Rambler Review

"[S]imultaneously unsettles a number of taken-for-granted notions about what it means to care or what it means to fulfill a right. As such, this intriguing book deserves a readership outside the realm of sexuality or disability studies." - Bjarke Oxlund, American Anthropologist

"Loneliness and Its Opposite is a significant contribution to the body of literature on disability studies. . . . This book is beneficial not only for students of anthropology, gender and sexuality studies, and disability studies, but also for students and general readers of history, public policy, and public health because of the added dimensions of thought, analysis, and consideration given to people with disabilities." - John A. Carranza, Anthropology Book Forum