This section is not a Writing Requirement section for the 24,000 word writing requirement.

Dr. William Marsiglio
Office: Turlington Hall 3108-A

Office Hours: Tuesday   3:00-4:00 p.m.
Thursday  4:00-6:00 p.m.
And by appointment

Phone:  392-0251, x233
Home Page: http://web.clas.ufl.edu/users/marsig
Email:  marsig@soc.ufl.edu

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course examines theoretical and conceptual issues, empirical research, and social policies germane to human sexuality.  The primary focus is on sexuality within the United States.  Students should be aware that while this course may prompt them to think about their own sexuality more systematically, the course is not designed to be a “personal growth” experience.  Instead, I expect students to think about sexuality analytically and to develop a sociological and social psychological understanding of the diverse issues covered in this course.  These topics include:  sexual identity and orientation; sexuality throughout the life course, including childhood, adolescent, middle-years, and later years of life; primary relationships and sexual desire/behavior; the impact of changing gender relations on facets of sexuality; sexual communication and STD transmission; coercive sexuality and incest; the relationship between capitalism and sex; and the relationship between sexuality and the socio-political process.  Discussion of selected topics is grounded in macro sociological and micro social psychological theories.  Students should have taken previous courses in sociology or have a strong background in social psychology.

Students should understand that this is an upper division undergraduate as well as a graduate level course.  My lectures and most of the readings I have chosen will require students to think abstractly and critically about the relevant issues.  If you are looking for a “fluff” course on sex, you should look elsewhere.

Major Objectives:

1. Familiarize students with a sociological approach to sexuality,
2. Expose students to recent scholarly literature covering a wide range of sexuality topics,
3. Provide students with the theoretical and substantive insights necessary to think systematically and raise compelling research questions related to a variety of sexuality issues, primarily in a U.S. context,
4. Sensitize students to the sociopolitical context within which knowledge about sexuality is produced,
5. Introduce students to various perspectives on sexuality that may prompt them to have a better understanding of their own and others’ sexuality
6. Provide students with opportunities to work in small groups and discuss their ideas about sexuality issues.
7. REQUIRED TEXTS 

Townsend, John (1998).  What women want–what men want: Why the sexes still see love & commitment so differently.  New York: Oxford University Press.

(This book can be purchased at Goerings Book Store (Books & Bagels),
1717 NW 1st Ave (behind the Purple Porpoise), 372-3703, goerings@fdt.net.

A collection of readings including journal articles and book chapters can be purchased from Custom Copies and Textbooks, 309 N. W. 13th St. (across from Krispy Kreme–docunut shop), phone 375-2707.

A set of lecture outlines and handouts can also be purchased at Custom Copies and Textbooks.

OTHER REQUIRED MATERIALS

I have prepared a series of PowerPoint slides that I will use in class and I am asking students to download all of these slides and bring the set of slides with them to class every day.  We will be using another set of handouts that include in-class project assignments and discussion questions.  Students should print all of these documents out and bring them to class every day.  I will NOT bring extra copies of these documents to class, so please make sure you assume peronal responsibility for this task. Thanks!

Download entire on-line version of slides:  human.sexualities.slides.notemplate.PDF

Download entire set of handouts:  human.sexualities.handouts.PDF

These files require Adobe Acrobat Reader which can be downloaded: here

If you do not want to download the files, you can purchase all of these materials from Custom Copies and Textbooks.

RELEVANT WEB SITE LINKS:

Alan Guttmacher Institute http://www.agi-usa.org/
Sexuality Information and Education Council of the United States http://www.siecus.org/
The Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/
The Sex Education Coalition http://www.indiana.edu/~kinsey/
Center for AIDS Prevention Studies UC San Franciso http://www.caps.ucsf.edu/
Planned Parenthood http://www.plannedparenthood.org/
National Gay and Lesbian Task Force http://www.ngltf.org/main.html

COURSE REQUIREMENTS AND GRADING
(Based on a 1,000 point scale) 

I. Undergraduates

I. Graduate Students

EXAMS, PAPERS, AND GRADING POLICIES

All exams are the property of this course.  Students are not permitted to take an exam out of the classroom or office nor may they write down exam questions–failure to comply will result in an “E” since non-compliance is, in effect, cheating.  Cheating or copying during an exam also results in an “E.”

I expect all students to take the exams during the scheduled class periods.  I do no give make-up exams except under the rarest of circumstances.  You MUST NOTIFY ME IN ADVANCE that there is a very serious problem and I will decide if you are allowed to take the make-up.  If you are not allowed to take the make-up, and you do not take the scheduled exam, you are given a grade of zero for the exam.  If I do administer a make-up exam, I reserve the right not to give the same exam the class had, to give a more challenging exam than the in-class exam, or to give an essay exam.  Do not take this class if you anticipate that you might miss an exam for any reason. Students who take the make-up exam are NOT elligible for whatever curve I may apply to the regularly scheduled exam.

A late penalty will be assigned to papers handed in after the announced due date.  The penalty is 10 points per day (Saturday and Sunday count as 5 points apiece).  So, if the paper is due on a Thursday and you don’t get around to handing it to me until the following Monday, you will be penalized 10 points for Friday and another 10 points for Saturday and Sunday combined).  Thus, if you would have earned, say, 180 points out of a possible 200 (90%=A), your final paper score would be 160 due to the penalty (80%=B).  A good rule of thumb is to plan to hand the paper in a week in advance and then spend the last week making minor changes to it if necessary.

Your final grade is based solely on your performance on the exams, papers, and attendance days.  However, I may, on rare occasions, award a student up to 10 additional points if he/she has done an EXCEPTIONAL job in class discussions (offering insightful comments and asking thought provoking questions on a regular basis–simply talking a lot does not suffice).  There is absolutely NO extra credit for this course.  Please do not ask to do any.

In-Class Projects and Reading Summaries/Attendance (worth 100 points)

See description in Course Requirement section above.
Paper Assignment #1: Due February 7th (worth 150 points)

Complete one of the following assignments in a sociological and creative fashion:

1. Images of sexuality permeate our society, sexualizing our environment.  Keep a diary of the sexual images and messages you see and hear in a 24 or 48 hour period.  Then identify a few key themes that enable you to write an essay that interprets them sociologically.
2. Television is one of the most pervasive forms of media affecting our views of sexuality.  What ideas and images about sexuality do your favorite programs convey?
3. Shock jocks such as Howard Stern are popular radio and TV personalities whose programs are filled with sexual references and innuendos.  What messages do they suggest about sexuality?  Men?  Women?  Homosexuality?

You should explicitly incorporate sociological theories/perspectives and concepts (research findings may even be appropriate in some cases) into your answer.  I will evaluate your answer on its sociological content, analytic rigor, organization, creativity, and writing style.  I will weigh very heavily your ability to apply a sociological perspective (e.g., symbolic interactionism, social exchange, scripting) to the question you choose.  Do NOT use more than one direct quotation (paraphrase and footnote if you refer to others’ work).  You can write this essay in the first person.It should be typed, double-spaced and between two and half to three pages in length (1 inch margins).  HAND IN TWO COPIES (I’LL KEEP ONE).  Use a separate cover sheet and put the following information in the middle of the page using the format outlined below:
Students must complete this assignment in order to pass the course.  See previous section for my policy on late papers.

Things to Note:

1. Make sure you include a cover page with the information listed below.  Center this information on the page as the following template illustrates.

2. Do NOT use plastic or any other kind of cover.

3. Papers must be typed using 12 inch font and 1 inch top and bottom margins. Make sure the print is clearly legible (I have to do a lot of reading).

4. Attach a separate page to the end of your paper and assign a letter grade (e.g., A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E) to your effort for each of the four criteria I describe below. In other words, I want you to evaluate your own work.

I will assess your journal paper on the following criteria (use this as a check list):

1. Degree and quality of analytic effort (MOST IMPORTANT)

• how insightful is your SOCIOLOGICAL analysis, ie., does it go beyond a superficial treatment of the subject and get at underlying themes and patterns
• do you present your ideas in a logical fashion
• does your analysis integrate key concepts in meaningful ways
• have you used concepts and theoretical perspectives accurately?

2. Organizational structure and writing style

• is your paper easy to read, are your sentences clear
• is your paper well organized with topic sentences and logical transitions between paragraphs
• is there a sense of continuity from the beginning to the end
• have you included a strong opening and conclusion?

3. Creativity of thought and presentation

• do you keep my interest and motivate me to read the next sentence, paragraph, and page
• do you include thought provoking passages or questions that demonstrate original thinking?

4. Quality of  professional presentation

• • have you double and triple checked your paper to eliminate typos and misspellings
  • is your paper printed with neat and clear ink (no faded type please)
  • have you followed my directions for preparing your paper
  • have you submitted your paper on or before the due date?

Paper Assignment #2 (OPTION A, worth 200 points): Due March 28thYou should select an article of interest to you from a scholarly journal and review it.  The article NEEDS to have been published sometime between 2000 and today.  You may select either a research piece or theoretical article.

Your review should include a brief summary of the article (do NOT quote directly from the article) as well as an assessment of its strengths and weaknesses.  Your summary should mention what major questions and issues are being addressed, what types of sample is being used if it’s a research article, and major conclusions.  Your critique should identify the strengths and weaknesses of the article: what is good about it, what needs to be done next, how is the study potentially biased, has the author overlooked some key issues, etc.  I will evaluate your review on its clarity, organization, analytic rigor, creativity, and writing style. MAKE SURE YOU ASSESS AS WELL AS SUMMARIZE THIS ARTICLE. Your grade will suffer if you don’t follow these guidelines.

You should show me the article, or at least tell me the title, before you go forward with this assignment.  You might want to start with one of the following journals: Family Planning Perspectives, Journal of Sex Research, Archives of Sexual Behavior (U.F. discontinued this journal so no 1990s articles are available, but you could order something from interlibrary loan), Journal of Marriage and Family, and Sexualities: Studies in Culture and Soceity.  You have to choose an article that we are NOT covering in this course.

When you hand in your review, attach a copy of the complete article–including the reference section (I will keep this copy).  Your review should be typed, double-spaced and two pages in length (1 inch margins).  Staple it SEPARATELY from the article.  HAND IN TWO COPIES (I’LL KEEP ONE).  Use a separate cover sheet and put the following information in the middle of the page using the format outlined below:

Paper/project Assignment #2 (OPTION B, worth 220 points): Due April 4th

Option B will require much more work than Option A.  Students doing this project will meet with me as a group to will learn about qualitative interviewing and prepare for the project.  This meeting will probably occur early in the morning to accommodate students’ schedules.  Students will also need to do multiple drafts of their semi-structured interview guides.

In this interview-based project, students should identify an important research question that is clearly relevant to our class discussions and readings.  For example:

• To what extent, and why, do individuals associate different levels of intimacy with different forms of sexual activity
• In what ways have older persons’ (say 60 and over) perceptions and experiences with their sexuality changed over time
• In what ways do individuals’  sexual self concept influence their global sense of self
• How do people cope with the transition out of a ongoing committed sexual partnership to a life style of being single and uncommitted?

Students should think of a question that is of interest to them and one which they will feel comfortable asking others about.   This question must deal with participants’ real life expriences, not simply their beliefs and attitudes.  It MUST also draw upon one of the theoretical perspectives we’ve talked about in class.After receiving WRITTEN APPROVAL for their question from me (BY MARCH 12TH), students will need to develop a brief list of questions (7-10) and related probes that will be used to conduct personal face-to-face interviews with three people (Interview guide due MARCH 19TH).  These interviews must be tape recorded using micro cassette tapes (do NOT record participants’ names).  Students must meet the initial March 12th proposal deadline in order to have a chance of receiving approval for this project.

Students will then develop an analytic essay that attempts to answer their question.  Students will need to identify useful quotes from their respondents and incorporate them into their analysis to illustrate their points.  Several techniques can be used in this regard.  First, a short phrase might be lifted from the interview to convey a point in the respondent’s own words.  This phrase might make use of a metaphor or a unique way of capturing an idea.  Second, students might quote a full sentence or two which clearly illustrates an important theme.  Third, students might on occasion quote a respondent at length if the quote is rich with information and ties together several points.  These extensive quotes, if they are used at all, should be used sparingly.  Whatever combination of quotes are used, they should represent only about 15-20% of the entire text of a student’s essay.  I will distribute more detail suggestions for how you should write this paper and I will hold a brief group session with those students who plan to pursue this option.

I will evaluate your essay by using basically the same criteria I described in connection with your other paper assignment (please review those criteria).  In addition, I will pay attention to:

• students’ ability to incorporate quoted material into their analysis in a meaningful and stylistic fashion
• the quality of the questions you asked

You should:

• • Download and read the following set of docouments that pertain to conducting qualitative interviews: conducting.qual.interviews.PDF
  • Complete a paper that is AT LEAST 6 but no more than 7 double-spaced typed pages in length.
  • Complete memos for each interview as instructed in the downloaded handouts
  • Single space and indent direct quotes if they are more than 40 words in length.
  • Include fictitious names for respondents.
  • Submit audio-tapes, one for each interview, with your paper (micro type cassettes).  Make sure that you rewind the tapes so that I do not have to search for the beginning of each one.
  • Include your paper and tapes in a large envelope and place your name on the tapes and envelope. Attach the original sheet of paper with your questions and my written approval.  I will NOT grade your paper without this signed note.
  • Attach a separate page to the end of your paper and assign a letter grade (e.g., A, A-, B+, B, B-, C+, C, C-, D+, D, D-, E) to your effort for each of the four criteria I describe below. In other words, I want you to evaluate your own work.

COURSE OUTLINE AND READING ASSIGNMENTS

I have organized the readings according to a 16 week semester (note that we do not have class during the 9th week of the semester because of Spring Break–sorry).  You should plan to read the material before or during the week we are covering it.  In some instances we may not spend an entire week on the material and in some cases we may spend a little more than a week on a specific topic.  With the exception of the Townsend book, all of the readings for this course can be located in the bound collection of readings obtained from Custom Copies.
WK 1. (Jan 8) DEFINING HUMAN SEXUALITY AND EROTIC REALITY 

Marsiglio, William, Scanzoni, J. H., & Broad, K. L. (2000).  Sexual behavior patterns.  In E. F. Borgatta & R. J. V. Montgomery (Eds.), Encylopedia of sociology (2nd edition) (pp. 2549-2564).  New York: Macmillan Reference, USA.
Wk 2. (Jan 15)  THE HISTORICAL AND RESEARCH CONTEXT FOR STUDYING SEX

Kelly, Gary F. (1994).  Chapter 1, Historical, research, and cross-cultural perspectives on sexuality and research perspectives on sexuality.  Sexuality Today: The Human Perspective (pp. 2-37).  Guilford, Conn.: Dushkin Publishing Group.
WK 3. (Jan 22)  SOCIAL SCIENCE AND THEORETICAL APPROACHES TO SEXUALITY AND EROTIC REALITY

Laumann, Edward, Gagnon, John, Michael, Robert, Michaels, Stuart (1994).  Chapter 1, Theoretical background. In The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States (pp. 3-34). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.

Longmore, Monica A. (1998). Symbolic interactionism and the study of sexuality.  The Journal of Sex Research 35: 44-57.

Sprecher, Susan (1998).  Social exchange theories and sexuality.  The Journal of Sex Research 35: 32-44.
WK 4. (Jan 29)   SEX AND POPULAR CULTURE

Strong, Bryan & DeVault, Christine. (1997). Chapter 1, Perspectives on human sexuality. In Human Sexuality: Diversity in Contemporary America (pp. 8-35). Mountain View, CA: Mayfield Publishing Company.  (Questions from this reading will be used for first paper assignment).

Carroll, Janell & Wolpe Paul. (1996). Special Focus 4, Sexual Images. In Sexuality and Gender in Society (pp. 683-716). New York: HarperCollins College Publishers.
WK 5. (Feb 5)   THE POLITICS OF SEXUALITY

***** FIRST PAPER DUE FEBRUARY 10TH ***** 

Schwartz, Pepper & Rutter, Virginia (1998). The Politics of Sexuality. In P. Schwartz & V. Rutter (authors), The Gender of Sexuality (pp. 160-192). Thousand Oaks, CA: Pine Forge Press.

Carroll, Janell & Wolpe Paul. (1996). Special Focus 3, Prostitution. In Sexuality and Gender in Society (pp. 660-681). New York: HarperCollins College Publishers.
WK 6. (Feb 12)   HOMOSEXUALITY AND BISEXUALITY
Simon, William (2000).  Sexual orientation.   In E. F. Borgatta & R. J. V. Montgomery (Eds.), Encylopedia of sociology (2nd edition) (pp. 2564-2575).  New York: Macmillan Reference, USA.

Laumann, Edward, Gagnon, John, Michael, Robert, Michaels, Stuart (1994).  Chapter 8, Homosexuality. In The Social Organization of Sexuality: Sexual Practices in the United States (pp. 283-320). Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
WK 7. (Feb 19)  SEXUALITY SOCIALIZATION AND THE SIGNIFICANCE OF GENDER

***** MIDTERM EXAM FEBRUARY 21st *****

Carroll, Janell & Wolpe Paul. (1996). Chapter 4, Childhood and adolescent sexuality.  In Sexuality and Gender in Society (pp. 121-160). New York: HarperCollins College Publishers.
WK 8. (Feb 26)  ADOLESCENT SEXUALITY AND SEX EDUCATION

Remez, Lisa. (2000).  Oral sex among adolescents: Is it sex or is it abstinence?  Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 298-304.

Darroch, Jacqueline, E., Landry, David J., & Singh, Susheela. (2000).  Changing emphases in sexuality education in U.S. public secondary schools, 1988-1999.  Family Planning Perspectives, 32, 204-211, 265.

WK 9  (Mar 2-9)   SPRING BREAK (HAVE FUN AND STUDY SOME TOO)
WK 10 (Mar 12) SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS 

Townsend, John (1998).  What women want–what men want: Why the sexes still see love & commitment so differently.  New York: Oxford University Press. Chapters 1-7 (pp. 1-164).
WK 11 (Mar 19)  SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS 

Townsend, John (1998).  What women want–what men want: Why the sexes still see love & commitment so differently.  New York: Oxford University Press. Chapters 8- Conclusion (pp. 165-250).

Peplau, Letitia (1991). Lesbian and gay relationships. In Gonsiorek, John & Weinrich, James (Eds.), Homosexuality: Research Implications for Public Policy (pp. 177-196). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
WK 12 (Mar 26)  SEX AND RELATIONSHIPS

Christopher, F. Scott & Sprecher, Susan. (2000).  Sexuality in marriage, dating, and other relationships: A decade review.  Journal of Marriage and the Family, 62, 999-1017.

***** SECOND PAPER DUE MARCH 28TH***** 

WK 13 (Apr 2)  COERCIVE SEXUALITY

Araji, Sharon K. (2000).  Sexual violence and exploitation.  In E. F. Borgatta & R. J. V. Montgomery (Eds.), Encylopedia of sociology (2nd edition) (pp. 2576-2584).  New York: Macmillan Reference, USA.

Boswell, A. & Spade, Joan. (1996). Fraternities and collegiate rape culture: Why are some fraternities more dangerous places for women? Gender & Society, 10, 133-147.
WK 14 (Apr 9)   SEXUAL COMMUNICATION AND SEXUALLY TRANSMITTED DISEASES 

Greenberg, Jerrold S., Bruess, Clint E., & Haffner, Debra W. (2000).  Sexual communication.  In Greenberg, Bruess, & Haffner (authors), Exploring the dimensions of human sexuality (pp. 70-95). Boston: Jones and Bartlett Publishers.

Schwartz, Pepper & Gillmore, Mary Rogers. (2000).  Sexually Transmitted Diseases.  In E. F. Borgatta & R. J. V. Montgomery (Eds.), Encylopedia of sociology (2nd edition) (pp. 2585-2596).  New York: Macmillan Reference, USA.
WK 15 (Apr 16)  SEXUALITY AMONG OLDER PERSONS

Marsiglio, William and Richard Greer. (1994).  A gender analysis of older men’s sexuality: Social, psychological, and biological dimensions.” In Edward Thompson (Ed.), Older Men’s Lives (pp. 122-140). Newbury Park, CA: Sage.
WK 16 (Apr 23)  SUMMARY (NO READINGS AND NO CLASS ON APRIL 25)

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