SOCIOL 1Z03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 9: Essentialism, Heterosexuality, Queer Theory

• School: McMaster University
• Department: Sociology
• Course: SOCIOL 1Z03
• Professor: Jessica Braimoh

Document Summary

Sociologists are less concerned with the origins of sexualities than with the ways that they are socially constructed. Sexuality is determined by the biological or psychological make-up of human beings. The primary purpose of sex is for procreation (there are other reasons why people have sex) Sexual identities are fixed and stable, they stay the same over time. Gendered differences tied to sexuality are the result of biology and physiology. People have created ideas about sexuality that are good/appropriate, bad/inappropriate, healthy /unhealthy. There are a variety of sexual identities, and sexual acts. Impact: created a distinct category of people (despite evidence that homosexual behaviour has existed in other societies) Ex, age of marriage, polygamy/bigamy, criminalization of homosexuality. Ideas about how old people have to be to have sex. A broad term that can include our sense of self as being attractive to potential partners, our knowledge of our bodies, our sexual histories and our sexual preference .