Queering Reproduction
This course asks the question, “What is sex?” – from a feminist and queer perspective. We will use ethnography as the tool to look for answers. Turning away from recent preoccupations with sexuality as an identity or an orientation, our focus will be on sex itself – the sexed body and sex acts. The course is about “Sex and…”, where the ‘and’ includes “and race”, “and class”, “and disability”, “and money”, “and violence”….. It is also about “Sex in…”, where the ‘in’ includes ‘in Brazil’, ‘in Cuba’, ‘in Silicon Valley’, ‘in Peru’… (Most case studies are from the Americas, including the U.S., Canada, Latin America and the Caribbean). Our readings and discussions will be framed around four general themes: sexed bodies; sex work; sexual violence; sexual reproduction.