ABSTRACT

Probably no area of social life is more commonly thought of in terms of nature and individual psychology than sexuality. When people talk about sexuality, they frequently use terms like "instinct" "biology," "hormones," and so on. It is certainly true that sexuality is an important feature of most individuals' lives and psyches, and it is also true that, when we're in the realm of sexuality, we often feel in the grip of something emotionally volatile and beyond our own control, and hence part of nature or some other force outside of us and outside of manmade, social things. Could it be, though, that the "outside" force that infuses sexuality with such emotional, bodily, and sensual volatility, is society itself?