The Gender of Sexuality: Exploring Sexual Possibilities

by Virginia Rutter, Pepper Schwartz professor of sociology, U

Overview

The Gender of Sexuality serves as a fun and informative guide on how to approach the topics of gender and sexuality—two areas fraught with stereotypes and misinformation. The second edition of this book features significant new material on the changing status of gender, same sex marriage, and transgender. After introducing key concepts in gender and sexuality, the authors explore topics such as sexual desire, the role of biology, sexual behavior, uncommitted sexual relationships and “hooking up,” marriage and cohabitation, and the politics of sexuality. Examples from popular culture, film, and media invite readers to engage with key concepts. This is an ideal book for courses on gender, sexuality, marriage and family, or social problems.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780742570054
Publisher:	Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Publication date:	11/26/2011
Series:	Gender Lens
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	288
File size:	6 MB

About the Author

Virginia Rutter is professor of sociology at Framingham State University. She is a senior fellow of the Council on Contemporary Families and an editor and columnist at Girl w/ Pen, where she writes about gender and sexuality.

Pepper Schwartz is professor of sociology at the University of Washington, past chairman of the Board of the National Sexuality Resource Center, past president of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality, and past president of the National Sexuality Resource Center. Author of numerous books, she is a senior fellow at the Council of Contemporary Families and is the Love, Sex, and Relationship ambassador for AARP.

Table of Contents

Preface to Second Edition
Acknowledgments
Chapter 1: Sexual Desire and Gender
Chapter 2: Sexual Behavior and Gender
Chapter 3: Uncommitted Sexual Relationships
Chapter 4: Sex and Marriage
Chapter 5: The Politics of Sexuality
Chapter 6: But how do we use what we know? Questions and Answers
References
Index
About the Authors

Editorial Reviews

With its broad range of contemporary and historical examples from empirical research, popular culture and news events, The Gender of Sexuality is a superb resource for discussion-oriented courses and is sure to evoke lively class discussions, as well as to encourage students to be self- reflective about their own beliefs, practices and identities regarding gender and sexuality. . . . The authors' final instructions for the readers to 'feel free to construct who you want to be' and to 'become a positive force for sexual health and positive sexual experiences' exemplify the book's optimistic vision of a society with boundless sexual possibilities. In this manner, The Gender of Sexuality is not merely informative but inspiring, a rare find among textbooks.

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research

With its broad range of contemporary and historical examples from empirical research, popular culture and news events, The Gender of Sexuality is a superb resource for discussion-oriented courses and is sure to evoke lively class discussions, as well as to encourage students to be self- reflective about their own beliefs, practices and identities regarding gender and sexuality.. .. The authors' final instructions for the readers to 'feel free to construct who you want to be' and to 'become a positive force for sexual health and positive sexual experiences' exemplify the book's optimistic vision of a society with boundless sexual possibilities. In this manner, The Gender of Sexuality is not merely informative but inspiring, a rare find among textbooks.

Sex Roles: A Journal of Research

Assign this book and your students will get a clear overview of research on sex, and how gender affects our sex lives. Whether the topic is what couples are actually doing in bed, gay marriage, teen sex education, bisexuality, or the college 'hookup,' Rutter and Schwartz provide clear explanations of research and debates.

Paula England

From Lady Gaga to Bristol Palin, this second edition features fresh updates and invites readers to explore sexuality as a gendered phenomenon. Rutter and Schwartz provide a nuanced and comprehensive analysis of major research studies and contemporary cultural scripts on sexuality and gender. The authors address key questions from an integrative perspective, illustrating why human sexuality and gender must be examined together. The Gender of Sexuality succeeds as a sociological toolbox—equipping readers to investigate the stereotypes and assumptions hidden within everyday social productions of sexualities.

Adina Nack

In this lively, relevant, and fun to read book, Rutter and Schwartz invite us to question why sexuality is a gendered experience, rather than something based on preferences or tastes such as 'tall' or 'left-handed.' Using both experience and evidence, they uncouple gender from sexuality to explain why and how we insist on putting them together in the first place. A unique strength of the book is the integration of biological and social constructionist perspectives on sexuality. The result is an up-to-date, comprehensive tour de force of the social science of gendered sexuality.

Jodi O'Brien

Assign this book and your students will get a clear overview of research on sex, and how gender affects our sex lives. Whether the topic is what couples are actually doing in bed, gay marriage, teen sex education, bisexuality, or the college 'hookup, ' Rutter and Schwartz provide clear explanations of research and debates.--Paula England, New York University

From Lady Gaga to Bristol Palin, this second edition features fresh updates and invites readers to explore sexuality as a gendered phenomenon. Rutter and Schwartz provide a nuanced and comprehensive analysis of major research studies and contemporary cultural scripts on sexuality and gender. The authors address key questions from an integrative perspective, illustrating why human sexuality and gender must be examined together. The Gender of Sexuality succeeds as a sociological toolbox--equipping readers to investigate the stereotypes and assumptions hidden within everyday social productions of sexualities.--Adina Nack, California Lutheran University

With its broad range of contemporary and historical examples from empirical research, popular culture and news events, The Gender of Sexuality is a superb resource for discussion-oriented courses and is sure to evoke lively class discussions, as well as to encourage students to be self- reflective about their own beliefs, practices and identities regarding gender and sexuality. . . . The authors' final instructions for the readers to 'feel free to construct who you want to be' and to 'become a positive force for sexual health and positive sexual experiences' exemplify the book's optimistic vision of a society with boundless sexual possibilities. In this manner, The Gender of Sexuality is not merely informative but inspiring, a rare find among textbooks.--Sex Roles: A Journal of Research

From the Publisher