SOCA01H3 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Gay Liberation, Gay Bar, Bisexuality
Document Summary
The social construction of sexualities there are multiple sexualities and we need to recognize such multiplicity. Sexuality includes your sexual orientation (who you are attracted to sexually), your sexual identity (butch, femme, heterflexible, queer, straight, genderqueer), and sex acts (masturbation, bondage, kissing, oral sex, barebacking, penetration) Sexuality also includes our sex life (polyamory, monogamy, infidelity, age of consent) and the commodification of sex (prostitution, pornography) Sexual politics (activism, family values, homophobia, heteronormativity) are also part of sexuality as are reproductive politics (abortion, adoption) and sexual violence. Understanding sexuality as a social construction then means understanding that the meanings of sexual desires and sexual acts as well as sexual expressions have social approval and which are disavowed are all socially organized. These meanings are fluid; they change over time and from culture to culture. North american society associates kissing with romance and sex; we also use the kiss for nonsexual purposes (i. e. greeting, farewell)
