5 credits
In this course, students explore sexuality through a variety of frameworks, including historical, psychological, sociological, anthropological, biological, public health, and media and cultural studies. Using a variety of theoretical perspectives, including essentialist and constructivist notions of sex, sexuality, and sexual identity, students examine traditional understandings of sexuality, including male and female sexual anatomy, physiology, and response; variations across the lifespan; sexual communication; love and interpersonal attraction; and sexual disorders. They also explore and discuss different expressions of sexual identity, including heterosexuality, homosexuality, and bisexuality as well as different expressions of gender identity from cross-cultural and interdisciplinary viewpoints. Students complete an integrative final paper incorporating research, ideas, and peer feedback from discussions on a topic related to the psychology of sexuality.