Summary

"There are more than twenty-five contributors to the Reader. The sheer pleasure that the contributors provide in the way they bring together brilliantly diverse perspectives to enlarge the limits of one′s understanding is not easy to describe. Particularly stimulating among the collection are the pieces by Jeffrey Weeks and Patrick Johnson. The intellectual satisfaction derived from the study of the erotic self and the human struggle and search for meaning and means of communicating meaning is quare indeed A book to read and return from time to time." --The Book Review"This groundbreaking reader will spark the development of new courses in communication and sexuality. Students and teachers wanting to fully understand the constitutive and performative nature of communication will find few other books that meet their needs better than this one." --R. Jeffrey Ringer, St. Cloud University "Sexualities and Communication in Everyday Life provides readers with a useful typology for comprehending the various shifts in thinking about sexual identities and communication that have occurred across time while it also provides a deft synthesis of the major issues and themes. The text puts an excellent breadth of essays--some newly acquired for this book, some previously published and germinal--easily into students′ and teachers′ hands." --Lesa Lockford, Bowling Green State University Sexualities and Communication in Everyday Life: A Reader is a groundbreaking anthology on the role of communication in the construction and performance of sexualities in interpersonal contexts and in public discourses. Editors Karen E. Lovaas and Mercilee M. Jenkins bring together an interdisciplinary collection which include excerpts from foundational works, recent journal articles, and original pieces written specifically for this text. Key Features: This collection (1) assists students in understanding the intersections of sexuality with other identity constructions; (2) introduces the concepts and implications of queer theory; (3) challenges students to move beyond stereotypical, dichotomous views of homosexual and heterosexual identities and communication styles; and, (4) facilitates students′ awareness of and ability to recognize heteronormativity. While most of the readings are written by communication researchers, there are many by scholars from various disciplines including sociology, English, psychology, gender studies, and anthropology. These works also exemplify a variety of research methods, with an emphasis on qualitative research including critical, ethnographic, and performance. An introductory chapter providing a thorough review of literature to date on communication and sexualities is followed by sections on interpersonal contexts and public discourses. There is a logical flow from the foundational materials, to the examinations of sexuality in one′s everyday vocabulary, interactions, and relationships, to wider social discourses, to interventions, praxis, and future visions. In addition, discussion questions follow each reading to spark personal reflection and application.