21st Century Sexualities

Exploring sexuality in the twenty-first century, this unique book collects together more than fifty timely and accessible contributions to create a wide-ranging and compelling picture of contemporary American sexuality. Incorporating the latest cutting-edge controversies, theory and methodological material from the major domains of sexual education, sexual health, sexual rights, and globalization, this book includes a superb editorial overview that opens up the field for students and teachers alike. This anthology will be an invaluable supplement to all levels of students and researchers interested in sexuality across a range of disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, gender and sexuality studies and politics.

Sexual interactions are socially constructed within a historical, social and cultural milieu, and are continually defined and redefined accordingly depending on the surrounding economic, political, moral, and religious social forces. Although the human capacity for sexual expression spans a wide range of variations and permutations, it is nonetheless seriously confined, limited and restricted to only a few “acceptable” forms. Western style “sexual acceptability” is, in turn, determined by the prevailing white, heterosexual standards of patriarchy perpetuated through childhood masculine socialization and adolescent and adult machismo practices. Revisiting Sexualities in the 21st Century examines a whole set of explanatory and definitional issues from the very outset, particularly regarding what may be rightly included and excluded from its provenance and coverage. The contributors to this book are brought together from three different methodological spheres: qualitative, quantitative, and historical/comparative. Each author lays out the traditional parameters of the methodology used in their perspectives of social science research, and openly discusses how they have been applied to the study of hetero sexuality/non-heterosexuality and the ways in which their theory and methodology may be improved. Their contributions outline some of the major theoretical and methodological problems that still confront the study of modern sexualities, while also presenting a selection of theoretical and methodological issues of interest to both new and experienced researchers. This anthology identifies the need in contemporary social and cultural studies for more elaborate understandings of the relations of various masculinities and femininities to power, nation, empire, violence, race, class, and embodiment, and, in doing so, brings together an eclectic, multidisciplinary, and wide-ranging collection of essays. The various contributions to this book will appeal to social scientists (especially sociologists, psychologists and sexologists), biomedical scientists, health professionals and other academic and professional audiences, and students, researchers and instructors of sexuality studies. Undoubtedly, with this collection, sexuality studies comes of age as an academic field.

Exploring sexuality in the twenty-first century, this unique book collects together more than fifty timely and accessible contributions to create a wide-ranging and compelling picture of contemporary American sexuality. Incorporating the latest cutting-edge controversies, theory and methodological material from the major domains of sexual education, sexual health, sexual rights, and globalization, this book includes a superb editorial overview that opens up the field for students and teachers alike. This anthology will be an invaluable supplement to all levels of students and researchers interested in sexuality across a range of disciplines, including anthropology, sociology, gender and sexuality studies and politics.

Gender, Sex, and Politics: In the Streets and Between the Sheets in the 21st Century includes twenty-seven chapters organized into five sections: Gender, Sexuality and Social Control; Pornography; Sex and Social Media; Dating, Desire, and the Politics of Hooking Up; and Issues in Sexual Pleasure and Safety. This anthology presents these topics using a point-counterpoint-different point framework. Its arguments and perspectives do not pit writers against each other in a binary pro/con debate format. Instead, a variety of views are juxtaposed to encourage critical thinking and robust conversation. This framework enables readers to assess the strengths and shortcomings of conflicting ideas. The chapters are organized in a way that will challenge cherished beliefs and hone both academic and personal insight. Gender, Sex, and Politics is ideal for sparking debates in intro to women’s and gender studies, sexuality, and gender courses.

In this compilation, the authors include a brief discussion of the myths, taboos, tendencies and new human relations that are related to the sexual behavior of elders, since sexual activities are a determinant factor when it comes to one's satisfaction in life. Additionally, they discuss the physiological changes that are inherent to aging, such as menopause, andropause, and consequently, the medications and hormonal replacement therapies which have been allowing seniors over 60 years of age to prolong their sexual life. This book includes an examination of how sexual minority youth are treated within ministry settings, church atmosphere around LGBT concerns, and factors that impact this atmosphere. Next, the impact of chronic pain on sexual functioning and the psychosocial, pharmacological, and biological variables that determine disability during sexual activity are discussed. The authors examine the effects of chronic pain comorbid conditions on sexual functioning and how pharmacological treatment of pain and its comorbid disorders can impede sexual functioning. Issues concerning the relations between sexuality, gender and diversity in schools are studied in an effort to promote a democratic culture in schools that properly values diversity, seeing it as a way to develop a sense of community, not as a problem to be solved. The authors share the belief that schools should develop pedagogical strategies adopting, as guiding principle, the promotion of attitudes characterized by the autonomy, responsibility and pleasure in relation to ones own body and sexuality. Later, the educational institution climate is explored, as well as interest, knowledge, and experiences of youth ministry educators in relation to sexual minority youth and sexual identity issues. 54 youth ministry educators completed an online questionnaire that inquired about their perception of the educational institution climate as well as their personal interest, knowledge, and experience with sexual minority youth. Lastly, a paper is presented investigating why the phenomenon of same sex relationships such a difficult concept to understand in African settings and public sentiments towards LGBT individuals among the Shona immigrants in South Africa. The goal of the study was to establish attitudes and level awareness and tolerance of the public towards LGBT individuals. The authors maintain that tolerance and awareness could be improved through neutral discourses and advocacy activities on internet, social media and public forums by significant members of society.

When did the sexual revolution happen? Most Americans would probably say the 1960s. In reality, young couples were changing the rules of public and private life for decades before. By the early years of the twentieth century, teenagers were increasingly free of adult supervision, and taking control of their sexuality in many ways. Dating, going steady, necking, petting, and cohabiting all provoked adult hand-wringing and advice, most of it ignored. By the time the media began announcing the arrival of a ‘sexual revolution,’ it had been going on for half a century. Youth and Sexuality in the Twentieth-Century United States tells this story with fascinating revelations from both personal writings and scientific sex research. John C. Spurlock follows the major changes in the sex lives of American youth across the entire century, considering how dramatic revolutions in the culture of sex affected not only heterosexual relationships, but also gay and lesbian youth, and same-sex friendships. The dark side of sex is also covered, with discussion of the painful realities of sexual violence and coercion in the lives of many young people. Full of details from first-person accounts, this lively and accessible history is essential for anyone interested in American youth and sexuality.

Love, sex, and marriage are changing faster than ever before in human history. The current tidal wave of social changes will continue into the next century, and we will have to adapt our sexual values and relationships to these accelerating changes. These 22 honest, authentic stories tell of the unconventional paths pioneering church leaders and spiritually-aware women and men have taken in their quest to link their sexuality with their spiritual needs. Some might see in these unorthodox explorations only tales of promiscuous couplings. But these are not stories of wild thrill-seekers. These are tales told from the core of their being about their deeply felt need for genuine, responsible love and intimacy within a spiritual context. Their journeys do not promise paradise or instant happiness, as popular magazines do with recipes for lifelong marital bliss and fiery passion. These sojourners have much to teach us, even when we decide that this or that path is not for us. Their individual paths are not nearly as important as the simple message of God and Eros being inseparable that underlies journey. God and Eros can come together in many different relationships. And they must come together if we want to nourish and fulfill the divine spark at the core of our being. These women and men challenge our assumptions and our willingness to adapt to our radically changing world.

â oeSomething happened in the 1990sâ ; a group of people who were perceived as radical and â oeunmentionableâ were transformed into a group of people who deserved human rights, and, if you looked close enough, were â oenormal, â just like everybody else (John Dâ (TM)Emilio (2002). Had a â oepost-gay eraâ (Ghaziani, 2011) begun? And if so, how might this impact on the meaning of sexual identity and a political movement steeped in identity politics? Have the LGBT youth of today been â oeduped into conformity because they believe the mediaâ (TM)s representation of their lives?â (to quote Sarah Shulman). The articles gathered here address, from a wide variety of perspectives, the question of sexual identity for LGBT people in an era when sexual identity is seen by some as obsolescent. In the opening essay, Ritch Savin-Williams asks whether â oeyoung people with same-sex desires are basically content with modern culture and donâ (TM)t desire a critical analysis.â This volume considers this question and others in relation to identity, fluidity, ambisexuality, a reluctance to label sexuality, and the possible irrelevance of sexual orientation in the 21st century. Contributors explore postulations in contexts that include same-sex topics in high school teaching; rural queers; the nature of art installations and same-sex desires; post-AIDS literature; contemporary Russian film and online chat rooms; and the Boy Scouts of America. The essays offer compelling debates about the current state of the discourse about sexual identity in the 21st century.