Sexual Cultures Overview

Principles

Definition

Sexual cultures is the academic concept and research field focused on the social, historical, and cultural dimensions of human sexuality. It investigates the diverse norms, practices, identities, institutions, and power relations that constitute and shape sexual experiences and understandings within specific contexts across time and place.

Ontological type

Theoretical frameworks

Institutions and power

Historical formations

Key developments

Key Figures

Constructivist Sexuality Turn era

Michel Foucault [1], associated with Collège de France [3] and Universidad Nacional de Colombia [4], helped inaugurate the constructivist analysis of sexuality in this era. In The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: An Introduction [7], he reframes sexuality as a discourse produced by power/knowledge and institutions, challenging biological determinism and laying groundwork for cross-cultural, narrative-driven inquiry. John H. Gagnon [2], affiliated with Princeton University [5] and State University of New York [6], stands as a leading sociological voice in this period. His works Sexual Conduct: The Social Sources of Human Sexuality [8], Homosexuality: The Formulation of a Sociological Perspective [9], and Femininity in the Lesbian Community [10] framed sexuality as socially constructed—emphasizing social sources, sociological perspectives on homosexuality, and gendered experiences in lesbian communities—and helped anchor a theory-driven, cross-cultural approach during the Constructivist Sexuality Turn.

Queer Materialism and Governance era

Judith Butler [1] is a central figure in Queer Materialism and Governance, with activity across Johns Hopkins University [3] and the University of California, Berkeley [4], in this era. Her key contribution in this era is Gender Trouble: Feminism and the Subversion of Identity [7], which reframes gender as performative and unsettles fixed identities, shaping how institutions analyze sexuality, embodiment, and regulation. Gregory M. Herek [2] is another pivotal voice, with appointments at University of California, Davis [5] and City University of New York [6], whose work moves from prejudice to stigma in this era. His major contributions derive from The Psychology of Sexual Prejudice [8], Beyond "Homophobia": Thinking about sexual prejudice and stigma in the twenty-first century [9], and "Some of My Best Friends" Intergroup Contact, Concealable Stigma, and Heterosexuals' Attitudes Toward Gay Men and Lesbians [10], collectively advancing understanding of attitudes, stigma, and intergroup dynamics as engines of policy and health outcomes.

Global Digital Queer Politics era

José Esteban Muñoz [1] is positioned here with affiliations at New York University [3] and the Universitat de Barcelona [4] within the Global Digital Queer Politics era. In Cruising utopia: the then and there of queer futurity [7], Muñoz reframes queer futurity as a counter-narrative that unsettles assimilationist scripts and foregrounds marginalized sexualities, a contribution that underpins contemporary analyses of global digital queer cultures in this era. Paula England [2] is linked to Stanford University [5] and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai [6], reflecting influential academic centers in this era. Her work, including 'Is <b>Hooking</b> Up Bad for Young Women?' [9] and 'Accounting for Women’s Orgasm and Sexual Enjoyment in College Hookups and Relationships' [8], analyzes gendered sexual scripts and women's sexual agency in youth hookup culture, providing empirical insights that shaped understandings of sexuality, education, and public health within this era.