Sexuality is an important topic in sociology and concerns everyone. For this reason, there are a huge number of sources (legal, peer-reviewed and mainstream media) that cover topics of sexuality that are of importance. The term sexuality refers to a number of different elements of an individual. It can cover sexual orientation (homosexuality, bisexuality or heterosexuality) which are often debated due to religious and legal reasons. Additionally, there are many discussions about other elements of sexuality such as asexuality, transgenderism and sexual attraction. Sexuality and views on sexuality should be viewed as part of the culture in which they are found, as many attitudes towards sex and gender are dependent on the wider culture.
Peer-Reviewed Sources
Petersen & Hyde (2010) completed an analysis of evolutionary psychology, cognitive social learning theory, social structural theory and gender similarities hypothesis to test 834 individuals to uncover gender differences in sexuality. Gender equality was shown to reduce differences in sexuality between the genders, with significant differences being found in attitudes towards masturbation, casual sex and pornography use. This study is informative because it illustrates gender differences and uses a large sample size, and covers many of the main topics of sexuality.
Tolman & McClelland (2011) covered many of the same topics but focused on adolescent development. This is a review paper that covers three important topics – sexual behavior, sexual selfhood and sexual socialization. The research suggests that there needs to be less of a distinction between positive and risky sexualities and that a combination of these behaviors should be considered normative. It reviews several pieces of research on the topic and is therefore strong evidence for this claim. It also illustrates the importance of sexuality may be different to certain age groups.
Brickell (2012) researched how the internet is affecting sexuality as an important enabler of sexual relations. The article found that sexuality on the internet is as multi-faceted in real life, comparing many instances of internet sexuality with older Foucauldian and Althusserian sexuality theories. This is important as it illustrates how sexuality is changing in the modern society and how the internet has not necessarily changed personal sexual relationships.
Cronin & King (2010) explored how modern society and the newer traditions of diversity and intersectionality can improve understanding of older lesbian, gay and bisexual (LGB) adults. The theory is that increased diversity in society as well as the experience that comes with age helps LGB adults be more comfortable with their sexuality. This fits into the wider research on LGB individuals.
Richardson (1998) explored how sexuality can be linked to citizenship, which is important for understanding some of the bills, laws and current news items. The argument here is that claims to citizenship status are closely linked to sexual identity and there are still elements of male privilege found in the West. This fits into the category of political sexuality as well as covering aspects of homosexuality and feminism.
Bills/Laws
S. 815 (2013) is an important bill entitled Employment Non-Discrimination Act of 2013. The purpose of this bill is to prohibit employers from discriminating against employees based on their actual or perceived sexual orientation or gender identity. This is an important move because it allows people more freedom to express their sexuality in every element of their life. It fits into the more specific topic of discrimination against those with non-binary or non-heterosexual sexualities.
The Civil Practice and Procedure Act Chapter 62 (2012) defines the rules around adoption in the State of Florida. It is interesting because all of the laws for adoption are negated if the adopter is a homosexual and they are not eligible to adopt. This shows