Written in an accessible and clear manner, Sexualities in Context presents focused overviews and explorations of some of the most timely issues in the social construction of sex. This brief text is suitable for courses with coverage of gender and sexuality in sociology, psychology, women's and gender studies, and human development. The only book of its kind to address sexualities from a social perspective, Plante's analysis of the context of sexuality, sexual behaviors, and identities is both intelligent and readable. With contemporary topics, such as 'hooking up,' sexual fantasies, and bisexualities, along with examples of how to apply critical thinking, students are empowered to think outside their comfort zones and encouraged to explore the topic of sex in a new context. Employing useful pedagogical features like end-of-chapter questions and suggested projects, this is the ideal text to help students see that sex is not only personal but social and political as well.
Rebecca F. Plante is an Associate Professor of Sociology at Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. She's been teaching about and studying sexuality and gender issues for over 20 years. Her books include Doing Gender Diversity: Readings in Theory and Real-World Experience (with Lis M. Maurer, Westview, 2010); Sexualities in Context: A Social Perspective (Westview, 2006); and Sexualities: Identities, Behaviors, and Society (with Michael S. Kimmel, Oxford, 2004), among others.
Currently she serves as the Book Review Editor of the Journal of Sex Research and is on the Editorial Board of the journal Sexualities. With extensive training and certification as a sexuality educator and HIV/AIDS program evaluator, she has also educated in diverse communities and held a post-doctoral fellowship in the Department of Behavioral Science, University of Kentucky. "Latex & Vinyl," a radio call-in show at the University of New Hampshire, featured Plante (as "Dr. Victoria Monk") answering questions about everything from best sexual positions to having better orgasms.
