Anthropology of Human Sexuality

(3 Credit Hours) · Undergraduate

Sexuality is a complex and multi-faceted suite of biological and cultural/behavioral components. It is an important part of the human existence, especially in modern day North American society. This course seeks to examine human sexuality in an anthropological context. We will review sexuality in an evolutionary perspective via a comparison of nonhuman primate sexual behavior and the theoretical constructs surrounding adaptive explanations for human sexuality. The physiology of sex and the development of the reproductive tract will also be covered. The remainder of the course will consist of the evaluation of data sets regarding aspects of human sexual practice, sexual preference, mate choice, gendered sexuality, and related issues of human sexuality.