McMaster University, Department of Sociology, SOCIOL 3U03

SOCIOLOGY OF SEXUALITIES
Winter 2022

Instructor: Tina Fetner

Email: [email protected]
Lecture: Mondays 2:30-4:20pm Office: KTH-628
Tutorial: Wednesdays 2:30-3:20 Office Hours: Mondays 4:30-5:30pm
Room: BSB-B103 TA: Deanna Persico
TA email: [email protected]

Course Description
Sexuality may seem to be a personal, private, intimate topic reserved for diaries and
best friends. However, in this course, we will see that sexuality is really a social
phenomenon, encompassing a broad range of emotions, actions, identities and
communities. We use sexualities to define ourselves and the world we live in, to draw
boundaries between types of people, and to mark borders between wrong and right. In
this course, we will explore the social aspects of sexuality and consider how sexual
experiences are shaped by, and interpreted through, historically specific social contexts.

Using the tools of sociology, we will analyze gender and sexual behaviors, identities and
communities. We will examine the social organization of sexuality and how sexuality
contributes to social organization. We will consider various types of social control over
sexual behavior, as well as responses to that control. We will enter into the hidden
worlds of sexual expression and exchange, and we will keep our eyes as much on the
taboos themselves as on the actions they censure.

Course Objectives
By the end of the course students should be able to:

 discuss and evaluate sociological theories relating to sex and sexuality

 understand empirical approaches to examining sexuality, including behaviour,
identity, desire, and community
 communicate concepts related to the sociology of sexualities clearly and
effectively
 evaluate evidence and logic for claims relating to the sociology of sexualities
 understand complex relationships of sexuality and inequality

Required Materials and Texts

 Kathleen J. Fitzgerald and Kandice Grossman. 2018. Sociology of Sexualities,
2nd edition. Sage Publishing.

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While you can purchase this textbook at the McMaster Campus Store, please be
aware that an electronic version of this book is available for a 180-day rental for
USD $50 on the publisher’s website:
https://us.sagepub.com/en-us/nam/sociology-of-sexualities/book267539.
Other options may also be available. Note that this course uses the 2nd edition.
 Additional readings will be posted on Avenue to Learn.

Class Format
Whenever possible, this course will meet in person for a weekly lecture on Mondays
from 2:30pm-4:20pm, and a required weekly tutorial on Wednesdays from 2:30pm-
3:20pm (beginning in Week 2). When an in-person meeting is not possible, a lecture will
be posted to Avenue to Learn.

When class meets in person, lectures will be recorded via Echo360 and posted to
Avenue to Learn; however, as technical difficulties sometimes occur, I cannot guarantee
that a recording will always be available. Students are responsible for all course
material, even when a recording is unavailable.

Your professor and teaching assistant will also be available by email at

[email protected]. We are very happy to talk about the course material, answer
questions, or discuss something related to the course that interests you.

Course Evaluation – Overview

1. Response to the reading #1: 15% Due: Feb 6, 11:59pm
2. Response to the reading #2: 15% Due: Mar 13, 11:59pm
3. In-class exam: 40% Apr 4, 2:30-4pm
4. Final paper: 30% Due: Apr 17, 11:59pm

Weekly Course Schedule and Required Readings

Week 1 Introductions
Jan 17 No readings assigned.

Topic: What is social about sexuality? Plus, introductions and information about this
course.

Week 2 The social structure of sexuality

Jan 24 Rubin, Gayle S. 1984. “Thinking Sex: Notes for a Radical Theory of the Politics of
Sexuality.” Pp. 143-178 in Carole S. Vance, ed. Pleasure and Danger. Boston, MA:
Routledge. Available on Avenue.
Topic: How is sexuality (i.e., sexual identity, behaviour, and desire) socially
organized? What are the social forces that shape patterns of sexuality?

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Week 3 Social construction of sexuality

Jan 31 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 1: "The Social Construction of Sexuality"
Shamus Khan. 2015. "Not Born This Way." Published on Aeon.co (July 23). Available
on Avenue.
Topic: What do we mean by "social construction of sexuality" and how does that relate
to sexual identity, behaviour and desire?
Response to the above reading (#1) due Sunday, Feb 6 at 11:59pm.

Week 4 The science (and social science) of sexuality

Feb 7 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 2: "The Science of Sexuality"
Topic: How does what we know about sexuality evolve over time? How is it shaped by
historical and social contexts?

Week 5 Gender and sexuality

Feb 14 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 3: "Gender and Sexuality"
Topic: What are sex and gender? In what ways are gender and sexuality mutually
constitutive social institutions?

READING WEEK - no class

Week 6 Sexualities, space and place

Feb 28 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 4: "Social Class, Space, Place, and Sexuality"
Topic: How does sexuality organize the physical world around us?

Week 7 Sexuality and inequality

Mar 7 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 5: "Sexuality, Inequality, and Privilege"
Topic: How does sexuality operate as a vector of inequality?
Response to the above reading (#2) due Sunday, Mar 13 at 11:59pm.

Week 8 Sexuality, reproduction, and social control

Mar 14 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 10: "Sexuality and Reproduction" following sections
only: Introduction; Compulsory Reproduction; Birth Control; Sexual and Reproductive
Rights and Choice; Conclusion. (Pages 240-243 and 257-268 in the physical book.)

Robin Jarvis Brownlie. 2005. "Intimate Surveillance: Indian Affairs, Colonization, and
the Regulation of Aboriginal Women’s Sexuality." Ch 7 in Katie Pickles and Myra
Rutherdale, eds. Contact Zones: Aboriginal and Settler Women in Canada's Colonial
Past. Vancouver: UBC Press. Available on Avenue.

Topic: How has sexuality been used to impose social control on marginalized
peoples? How does sexuality intersect with other forms of inequality, such as race,
gender, and class to create inequalities of victimization and violence?

Week 9 Sexual cultures

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Mar 21 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 8: "Sexuality, Schools and the Workplace," following
sections only: Introduction; Schools, Sexuality, and Social Control. (Pages 180-200 in
the physical book.)
Nicole Andrejek. 2021. “Girls’ Night Out: The Role of Women-Centered Friendship
Groups in University Hookup Culture.” Sociological Forum 36(3): 758-775. Available
on Avenue to Learn.

Topic: What are sexual cultures? What social forces produce them? How do we
engage with various sexual cultures?

Week 10 LGBTQ activism and sexuality-based mobilization

Mar 28 Sociology of Sexualities, Chapter 6: "LGBTQ and Sexuality-Based Mobilization and
Activism"

Topic: How have historical shifts in lesbian and gay communities been produced by
LGBTQ social movements? What role did anti-LGBTQ social movements play in
sexuality-based mobilization?

Week 11 In-class exam

Apr 4

Week 12 What’s the big idea?

Apr 11 Today, we will review the main themes of the course, reviewing the big ideas of the
sociology of sexualities. We will also catch up on any remaining topics, and have
discussion of any course related topics that students would like to raise. There is a lot
of work in the sociology of sexualities that we haven’t covered, and I’m happy to talk
about other issues, too.
Book reviews due Sunday, April 17 at 11:59pm via Avenue to Learn.

This course does not have a final exam.

Course Policies
Email requirements
Please consider email equivalent to any other form of written communication. Students
who write to their professors and teaching assistants are expected to follow rules of
spelling, grammar and punctuation. In addition, please include a proper greeting, such
as "Hello, Dr. Fetner," and a closing that includes your full name, such as "Sincerely,
Jane Lee." For some items, it is also helpful to have your student number.

Email failing to meet these standards may be returned unanswered. Email containing
questions that can be answered by referring to this syllabus or to Avenue to Learn may
not be answered. All email communication must come from your mcmaster.ca email
account.

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Submission of Assignments
Assignments should be submitted via the appropriate Avenue to Learn assignment
folder. Any technical difficulties should be reported to [email protected]

Late Assignments
For late assignments, please submit the assignment in Avenue to Learn. A late
assignment will be marked down by five percentage points for each day it is late,
including weekends and holidays, up to a maximum of five days, after which it will no
longer be accepted. If you want to talk to us about the cause of your delay, or if you find
you are blocked from submitting, please do not hesitate to email your teaching assistant
at [email protected].

Review of Marks
Your instructor and teaching assistant will be diligent in marking all assignments fairly
and accurately. Nonetheless, occasionally students disagree with the marks they
receive. When this occurs, we will be happy to review the mark of any assignment or
exam, if the procedure outlined below is followed. Please note that when a mark is
reviewed, the new mark may be lower than the original.

To request a review of a mark, first give yourself a cooling-down period of 24 hours

before submitting your request. Write a brief (<1-page) memo describing in detail the
nature of the perceived marking error. Submit this memo to me via email as
[email protected]. You may submit requests for review no later than two weeks
after assignments/exams are graded.

Absences, Missed Work, Illness

In the event of missed work for medical or other reasons, students should review and
follow the Academic Regulation in the Undergraduate Calendar “Requests for Relief for
Missed Academic Term Work”.

Avenue to Learn
In this course we will be using Avenue to Learn. Students should be aware that, when
they access the electronic components of this course, private information such as first
and last names, user names for the McMaster e-mail accounts, and program affiliation
may become apparent to all other students in the same course. The available
information is dependent on the technology used. Continuation in this course will be
deemed consent to this disclosure. If you have any questions or concerns about such
disclosure please discuss this with the course instructor.

Turnitin.com
In this course we will be using a web-based service (Turnitin.com) to reveal authenticity
and ownership of student submitted work. Students will be expected to submit their
work electronically either directly to Turnitin.com or via Avenue to Learn (A2L)
plagiarism detection (a service supported by Turnitin.com) so it can be checked for

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academic dishonesty. Students who do not wish to submit their work through A2L
and/or Turnitin.com must still submit an electronic and/or hardcopy to the instructor. No
penalty will be assigned to a student who does not submit work to Turnitin.com or A2L.
All submitted work is subject to normal verification that standards of academic integrity
have been upheld (e.g., on-line search, other software, etc.). For more information
please refer to the Turnitin.com Policy.

University Policies
Academic Integrity Statement
You are expected to exhibit honesty and use ethical behaviour in all aspects of the
learning process. Academic credentials you earn are rooted in principles of honesty and
academic integrity.

Academic dishonesty is to knowingly act or fail to act in a way that results or could result
in unearned academic credit or advantage. This behaviour can result in serious
consequences, e.g. the grade of zero on an assignment, loss of credit with a notation on
the transcript (notation reads: “Grade of F assigned for academic dishonesty”), and/or
suspension or expulsion from the university.

It is your responsibility to understand what constitutes academic dishonesty. For

information on the various types of academic dishonesty please refer to the Academic
Integrity Policy.

The following illustrates only three forms of academic dishonesty

 Plagiarism, e.g. the submission of work that is not one’s own or for which other
credit has been obtained.
 Improper collaboration in group work.
 Copying or using unauthorized aids in tests and examinations.

Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities

Students with disabilities who require academic accommodation must contact Student
Accessibility Services (SAS) at 905-525-9140 ext. 28652 or [email protected] to make
arrangements with a Program Coordinator. For further information, consult McMaster
University’s Academic Accommodation of Students with Disabilities policy.

Academic Accommodation for Religious, Indigenous or Spiritual

Observances (RISO)
Students requiring academic accommodation based on religious, indigenous or spiritual
observances should follow the procedures set out in the RISO policy. Students requiring
a RISO accommodation should submit their request to their Faculty Office normally
within 10 working days of the beginning of term in which they anticipate a need for
accommodation or to the Registrar's Office prior to their examinations. Students should

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also contact their instructors as soon as possible to make alternative arrangements for
classes, assignments, and tests.

Conduct Expectations
As a McMaster student, you have the right to experience, and the responsibility to
demonstrate, respectful and dignified interactions within all of our living, learning and
working communities. These expectations are described in the Code of Student Rights
& Responsibilities (the “Code”). All students share the responsibility of maintaining a
positive environment for the academic and personal growth of all McMaster community
members, whether in person or online.

It is essential that students be mindful of their interactions online, as the Code remains
in effect in virtual learning environments. The Code applies to any interactions that
adversely affect, disrupt, or interfere with reasonable participation in University
activities. Student disruptions or behaviours that interfere with university functions on
online platforms (e.g. use of Avenue 2 Learn, WebEx or Zoom for delivery), will be
taken very seriously and will be investigated. Outcomes may include restriction or
removal of the involved students’ access to these platforms.

Copyright and Recording

Students are advised that lectures, demonstrations, performances, and any other
course material provided by an instructor include copyright protected works. The
Copyright Act and copyright law protect every original literary, dramatic, musical and
artistic work, including lectures by University instructors

The recording of lectures, tutorials, or other methods of instruction may occur during a
course. Recording may be done by either the instructor for the purpose of authorized
distribution, or by a student for the purpose of personal study. Students should be
aware that their voice and/or image may be recorded by others during the class. Please
speak with the instructor if this is a concern for you.

Faculty of Social Sciences E-mail Communication Policy

Effective September 1, 2010, it is the policy of the Faculty of Social Sciences that all e-
mail communication sent from students to instructors (including TAs), and from students
to staff, must originate from the student’s own McMaster University e-mail account. This
policy protects confidentiality and confirms the identity of the student. It is the student’s
responsibility to ensure that communication is sent to the university from a McMaster
account. If an instructor becomes aware that a communication has come from an
alternate address, the instructor may not reply at his or her discretion.

Course Modification
The instructor and university reserve the right to modify elements of the course during
the term. The university may change the dates and deadlines for any or all courses in
extreme circumstances. If either type of modification becomes necessary, reasonable

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notice and communication with the students will be given with explanation and the
opportunity to comment on changes. It is the responsibility of the student to check
his/her McMaster email and course websites weekly during the term and to note any
changes.

Extreme Circumstances
The University reserves the right to change the dates and deadlines for any or all
courses in extreme circumstances (e.g., severe weather, labour disruptions, etc.).
Changes will be communicated through regular McMaster communication channels,
such as McMaster Daily News, A2L and/or McMaster email.

Grades
Grades will be based on the McMaster University grading scale:

MARK GRADE
90-100 A+
85-89 A
80-84 A-
77-79 B+
73-76 B
70-72 B-
67-69 C+
63-66 C
60-62 C-
57-59 D+
53-56 D
50-52 D-
0-49 F