Contemporary Issues 22: Human Sexuality
Winter 1996

Professor: Lola Romanucci-Ross

TA: Ana Dević
TA: Cage Hall


Course Description:

A survey of the nature and cultural aspects of human sexuality with emphasis on problems and issues of contemporary concern. Lectures and readings will focus on sexuality in the individual and the acquisition of "values" surrounding sexuality in assuming social roles within the larger organizational structures of society. Focus will be on the relevance of these issues to life in our contemporary USA.

Lectures range over a spectrum of expertises such as anthropology, the media and cinematography, psychology, psychobiology, psychiatry, sociology, medical science, the legal aspects of sexual behavior, epidemiology, and the phenomenology of sexual "being". Continuity will be provided by the professor, who will precede each lecture with an overview and critique of the material covered to date, and stress the interrelatedness of lectures.

Text:

Masters & Johnson. Human Sexuality. (5th ed.) Boston: Little, Brown & Company.

Requirements:

There will be on midterm examination and one quiz. Section attendance is required. There will be a paper (approximately 9-12 pages) on any topic on human sexuality of your interest. Please give a brief abstract to one of the Teaching Assistants before proceeding with research and writing.


Lecture Series

Tuesday, January 9 Prof. Lola Ross and Discussion Leaders: Introduction to the Course.
Nancy Wahlig, "Gender Relating".
Readings: "Sex Research: An Overview", pp. 24-41
Chapter 11: "Gender Roles"
Thursday, January 11 Dr. Reina Juarez, "Sex, Intimacy, and Sexual Fantasy".
Readings: "Intimacy and Communication Skills", pp. 328-351
Tuesday, January 16 Philip Young, M.D., "Your Body, Your Self, Part I".
Readings: "Part I: Biological Perspectives" /TD>
Thursday, January 18 Philip Young, M.D., "Your Body, Your Self, Part II".
Tuesday, January 23 Joseph Kennedy, M.D., "Your Body, Your Self, Part III".
Readings: "Part IV: Sexual Health Perspectives"
Thursday, January 25 Dr. Gary Birchler, "Sexual Dysfunction".
Tuesday, January 30 Dr. Linda Young, "Women and Sexual Decision-Making".
Thursday, February 01 Dr. Lupe Samaniego-Kraus, "Sex on Campus".
Tuesday, February 06 Detective John Ratcliffe and Guests, "Prostitution".
Readings: "Prostitution" pp. 468-471
Thursday, February 08 "The Transvestite".
Readings: "Sexual Variations" pp. 448-449, 451-452, 454
Tuesday, February 13 Dr. Marguerite Jackson, Ms. Seidner, "AIDS".
Readings: "HIV Infection and AIDS" pp. 538-576
Thursday, February 15 MIDTERM
Tuesday, February 20 Panel, "Homosexuality".
Readings: "Homosexuality" sections throughout text
Thursday, February 22 Zak Topor, "Safer Sex".
Readings: "Fads and Fashions" pp. 455, 458-459, 463, 466
Tuesday, February 27 Zak Topor, "Sexual Encounters of a Third Kind".
PAPER DUE
Thursday, February 29 Nancy Wahlig, "Rape".
Readings: "Coercive Sex" Chapter 18
Tuesday, March 05 Micheline Jenkins, Cynthia Thornton, and Billy Taylor, "A Choice Controversy: Abortion".
Readings: "Abortion" sections throughout text
Thursday, March 07 Prof. Alain Cohen, "Sex and the Movies". video: excerpt from "Natural Born Killers"
Tuesday, March 12 Prof. Lola Ross, "Cultural Constructions of Human Sexuality".
Readings: text pp. 8-18
Thursday, March 14 Nancy Fenton, "Loving and Being Loved".
Readings: "Loving and Being Loved" pp. 306-325
Also, QUIZ


Speakers


Created: 14 October 1997.
Last updated: 02 October 2006.