Culture, Society and Sexuality: A Reader 2nd Edition Edited by Richard Parker and Peter Aggleton There has been rapid development within the field of sexuality research in recent years - both conceptually and methodologically. Advance has sometimes occurred in relatively unsystematic ways, however, and academic research often seems distant form the immediate concerns of day-to-day life. The second edition of Culture, Society and Sexuality consolidates the literature on the construction of sexual life and sexual rights […] Topics discussed include : * the historical construction of sexual meanings - desires and practices across different periods of history * the ways in which social theory and research have approached the investigation of things sexual - 'cultural influence' versus 'social constructionism' * the 'gender hierarchy' and the 'sex hierarchy' as central to the construction of a politics not only of gender oppression but also of sexual oppression * the dominance of heterosexuality, and the frequent exclusion or neglect of lesbians within the women's movement * social, cultural, and economic globalization - the ways in which gay identities and communities have helped to shape the contemporary world * violence, sexuality, and gender and public health - sexual pleasure, the control of fertility, and risk for sexually transmitted diseases This volume builds on the importance of insights into the social, cultural, political and economic dimensions of sexuality and relationships, and emerging discourses around sexual and reproductive rights. It provides essential reading for researchers, activists, health workers and service providers, who daily confront practical and policy issues related to sexuality, sexual health and sexual rights. Richard Parker is Professor and Chair of the Department of Sociomedical Sciences and Director of the Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health in the Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, and Director and President of the Brazilian Interdisciplinary AIDS Association (ABIA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Peter Aggleton is Professor in Education at the Institute of Education, University of London, the editor of the journal Culture, Health and Sexuality and senior advisor on HIV and sexuality to a wide range of international organizations and agencies.