Ambiguity and Sexuality: A Theory of Sexual Identity

by W. Wilkerson

Overview

A new account of the formation of sexual identity, coined 'emerged fusion', which avoids the traps of the essentialism versus constructivism debate, and offers a viable third alternative. This book is a theoretical tool that will be useful in sociology, queer studies, and gender studies as a new approach to understanding sexual identity.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780230619654
Publisher:	Palgrave Macmillan US
Publication date:	03/16/2010
Series:	Future of Minority Studies
Edition description:	2008
Pages:	198
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.40(h) x 0.60(d)

About the Author

WILLIAM WILKERSON Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Alabama in Huntsville, USA.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments ix

1 Introduction: The Question of Sexual Identity 1

2 Starting with Experience 13

3 The Shape of Experience 31

4 Desire by Itself 49

5 Desire in Relation to Others 59

6 Social Identities 69

7 Choosing Our Sexuality and Sexual Identity as Project 87

8 Science and Sexual Orientation 105

9 Reality and Ambiguity in Sexual Identity 129

10 Social Constructionism and Essentialism 137

11 Subjection, Liberation, and the Future 157

Notes 175

Bibliography 187

Index 193

Editorial Reviews

'This work makes a significant contribution to the field in its original account and application of phenomenology to debates over experience, identity, and desire.' - Linda Alcoff, Professor of Philosophy and Women's Studies, Syracuse University, USA

'This nuanced and carefully argued account of identity provides a philosophically satisfying description of the interplay of history and human agency, and a politically energizing account of social self construction. By showing how sexuality is both contextually determined and chosen, Wilkerson reminds us of the inevitability of diversity, and the importance of fostering cultures where queer choices are fully sanctioned.' - Chris Cuomo, Professor of Philosophy, Director of the Institute for Women's Studies, University of Georgia, USA

'A very clear, balanced, and helpful treatment of the thorny question of gay identity.' - Michael Warner, Professor of English, Yale University, USA

From the Publisher