Topics: Hot Button Issues in Sexuality

Catalog description

This course is intended to provide a broad array of information from both academic and popular sources on a variety of hot-button sexuality issues, and to critique them using the concepts of intersectionality, i.e., how inequitable cultural forces interact to discriminate or oppress, and social construction, i.e., how social realities and institutions are created and perpetuated, how they operate in the social landscape, and how we as individuals can work to maintain the status quo or to influence change. In this pursuit we will examine the social construction of gender, male and class privilege, women’s sexual agency, facets of sexual identity, the sexualization of girls and young women, feminist sexuality activism, the social construction of the physical body, sex work and sex trafficking, the politics of abortion, rape and consent, pornography and the pornification of culture, the commercialization and medicalization of sexuality, and various economies of sex. Sexuality is a complex, intriguing, life affirming, disconcerting, and often very complicated facet of our lives. You may find some of the topics that we interrogate in this course to be enlightening, liberating, or somewhat, even very uncomfortable to think about and discuss, especially when deeply held personal experiences or religious beliefs may be challenged. It’s important that we allow for the spectrum of viewpoints in class discussions, and give each person the respect that we expect for ourselves. If you find any topic for discussion particularly difficult or problematic for any reason, please see me after class or in my office to discuss your feelings.