Sociology of Sexualities

3 Credits · Level: Undergraduate

In this course, we will examine sexuality–defined as behavior + desire–using a sociological perspective. We will explore sexual attitudes, beliefs, and behaviors, and also consider how the biology of sex gets sociologically constructed, including the myriad ways sexual desire and sexual activity are structured by social relations. Cross-cultural and historical accounts of sexual practices and meanings will be considered, as well as the contemporary theories and research methods used in sexuality studies. The course also focuses on the ways in which sexuality in social institutions and identity intersects with other major hierarchies of privilege and inequality, specifically race, ethnicity, social class, and gender.