HeteroSexual Politics

Sexuality and sexual politics have been much debated over the last 20 years and feminists, in particular, have been responsible for politicising the debate, pointing out how something which is usually regarded as private and personal is, in fact, a public and political issue. This text illustrates the diversity and excitement of debates about sexuality in women’s studies and feminism today, and points to new paths for feminist analysis, thinking and action. In particular, heterosexuality can no longer be taken for granted and must, along with other forms of sexuality, be explicitly addressed. The volume is divided into three sections: “Analysing (Hetero)sexuality” is concerned with exploring some of the complexities of the material aspects of sexual relations between men and women; “Media Discourses of Sexuality” contains analyses derived from women’s magazines, television and newspapers; and “Practising Sexual Politics” focuses on the reflexive awareness of sexual politics in the framing of methodological issues in research.