This course examines how sexual identities, communities, desires, and practices are socially, historically, and culturally constructed. We will look at how people reproduce dominant models of sexuality, as well as how a wide range of people--including lesbians, bisexuals, gay men, transgenderists, and self-described queers--contest the power that operates through dominant models of sexuality. Looking at empirical studies and theoretical texts, we will trace the paradigm shift from late 19th century sexology to early 20th century psychoanalysis, through a variety of approaches in the 1960's and 1970's to the feminist and queer theory of recent decades.

We will be drawing upon social construction theory to examine the creation, reproduction, and stratification of sexualities and sexual cultures in particular social, cultural, historical, and political contexts. While many people think of sexuality as inherent, biological, and purely “natural”, we will be challenging the idea of a “pre-social” sexuality. You will come to see sexuality as something that is constructed and structured by and through social relations. The course will begin with an examination of sociological theories of sexuality, including queer theory. Sexuality will be explored in relationship to other social locations such as gender, race, class, and ethnicity. The differential effects of sexuality and sexual politics along these lines will be discussed and highlighted throughout all of the applied topics.

All Sociology upper division course seats are reserved for declared Sociology majors ONLY. In phase II (7/18/22), we will open up seating to accommodate most majors.

Repeat Rules

Course is not repeatable for credit.

Requirements class fulfills