Sexual Citizenship

Catalog description

Using a public health approach, Sexual Citizenship draws on the Sexual Health Initiative to Foster Transformation (SHIFT) study from Columbia University and the work of Jennifer Hirsh and Seamus Kahn, as well as the Sexual Assault and Related Misconduct (SARM) survey data from Cornell University, to explore the social ecosystem that makes sexual assault on college campuses a common experience. Using a framework that introduces the concepts of sexual projects, sexual citizenship, and sexual geographies, we will explore the role of physical spaces, peers, and social and cultural influences that shape students' experiences and interpretations of both sex and sexual assault. A focus for the course will be individuals' agency, culture change and 'bright spots' (what is working, what is positive).