Sexualities (HIH3619)

30 credits

The history of sexuality is a vibrant field that includes not only the study of changing sexual practices and their meanings, categorisations, and regulation, but also of ways of thinking about bodies, sex and gender. It is also not just about sexual behaviour: it implicates wider issues from religion and politics to medicine, science and technology. The concept of ‘sexuality’ has not always existed, but was a medical construction of human behaviour that emerged towards the end of the nineteenth century: so how was human sexual behaviour conceptualised before this? This module seeks to explore such questions, examining and comparing the various different contexts, situations and behaviours that have been associated with sex in times past.
No prior knowledge, skills or experience is required; it is suitable for all students at this level.