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The Cultural Construction of Sexuality
Illustrates the argument that sexuality is not a 'thing in itself' but a concept that can only be understood with reference to economic, political and social factors.
320 pages, Paperback
First published March 16, 1987
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
October 28, 2025
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3.5 Stars
- I love anthologies, and I love reading about sex (who doesn't?). So, I was exciting to pick this up and read the various essays within it.
- This book explores how sexuality is shaped by culture, power, and social context. I enjoyed reading the various sexual norms across different societies. Some which have resemblance to the West, others are very foreign to us. Or our time I should say.
‘Cross-cultural comparison may serve to reassure us that everything is normal – somewhere in the world – or that sexuality is, must be, culturally constructed. But what do such statements mean?’
‘In Europe, the loss of the traditional peer-group regulation of courting seems to have been one of a cluster of forces leading to increased illegitimacy rates, along with urbanisation and proletarianism, and the growth of class formation.’
‘Sexual identity and sexual desire are not fixed and unchanging. We create boundaries and identities for ourselves to contain what might otherwise threaten to engulf or dissolve into formlessness.’
‘In his later writings, Foucault maintained that Christianity had not invented its own code of sexual behaviour, but rather that Christianity had accepted an already existing code, reinforced it, and given it a much larger and more widespread strength than it had before.’
‘He suggests that sexuality has become the medium through which people seek to define their personalities, and above all the means by which people seek to be conscious of themselves.’
‘Peristiany (1965) suggests that honour and shame are crucial elements in small-scale societies where face-to-face relations are dominant.’
‘One of the most striking parallels between Hindu India and Victorian England was the belief that production of semen is highly weakening to males.’
3.5 Stars
- I love anthologies, and I love reading about sex (who doesn't?). So, I was exciting to pick this up and read the various essays within it.
- This book explores how sexuality is shaped by culture, power, and social context. I enjoyed reading the various sexual norms across different societies. Some which have resemblance to the West, others are very foreign to us. Or our time I should say.
‘Cross-cultural comparison may serve to reassure us that everything is normal – somewhere in the world – or that sexuality is, must be, culturally constructed. But what do such statements mean?’
‘In Europe, the loss of the traditional peer-group regulation of courting seems to have been one of a cluster of forces leading to increased illegitimacy rates, along with urbanisation and proletarianism, and the growth of class formation.’
‘Sexual identity and sexual desire are not fixed and unchanging. We create boundaries and identities for ourselves to contain what might otherwise threaten to engulf or dissolve into formlessness.’
‘In his later writings, Foucault maintained that Christianity had not invented its own code of sexual behaviour, but rather that Christianity had accepted an already existing code, reinforced it, and given it a much larger and more widespread strength than it had before.’
‘He suggests that sexuality has become the medium through which people seek to define their personalities, and above all the means by which people seek to be conscious of themselves.’
‘Peristiany (1965) suggests that honour and shame are crucial elements in small-scale societies where face-to-face relations are dominant.’
‘One of the most striking parallels between Hindu India and Victorian England was the belief that production of semen is highly weakening to males.’
Displaying 1 of 1 review