The true role of biology in determining sexual orientation is an oft-debated issue in both the popular media and scientific communities, and evaluating the literature on the topic can be daunting. "Nature's Choice: What Science Reveals About the Biological Origins of Sexual Orientation" offers both a comprehensive review of the scientific literature and a fresh perspective on this complex and politically charged subject. Respected researcher, speaker, and author Dr. Cheryl L. Weill offers readers of all backgrounds an enlightening analysis of findings from over twenty years of research on the factor of biology in the determination of sexual orientation. "Nature's Choice: What Science Reveals About the Biological Origins of Sexual Orientation" brilliantly distills complicated studies and research findings dealing with brain anatomy, genetics, sex-typical behavior in children, auditory, startle reflex, and many other areas. Spanning a wide range of important topics including human sexual development and the effects of hormones, Ellis and Ames' Gestational Neurohormonal Theory, the ins, outs, and implications of how scientific research is funded, and a model of the role of testosterone in determining human sexuality, "Nature's Choice" is an exciting book to educate and inspire readers from scientific and non-scientific backgrounds equally. For a complete Instructor's Manual and other supplementary materials see: www.natures-choice.info

The subject of homosexuality, and especially male homosexuality, has received a great deal of publicity in England and America. The furor began with Kinsey's famous reports on sexual behavior, which brought out the fact that a far higher proportion of the population than was commonly supposed deviated from accepted standards of normality and morality. Taking courage from the apparent safety of large numbers, the sexually unorthodox and their sympathizers began to challenge the criteria of normality, and to question whether sexual habits that were widespread and so deeply entrenched could justifiably be written off as immoral. D.J. West's "Homosexuality" dissects the myths and paranoia surrounding this topic by examining the nature and roots of homosexuality.The politico-legal controversy has tended to overshadow the more fundamental psychological questions concerning the nature and causes of homosexuality. In this field, no striking discoveries have resulted from the increased public interest. Nevertheless, a body of factual data has accumulated, and a number of theories are available. The author's main purpose is to summarize as clearly as possible what is known, to draw what practical conclusions may be possible, and to point out where we are still groping and ignorant.This book deals mainly with male homosexuality because in men the condition causes more clear cut social problems and has been studied more intensely by psychiatrists. Unfortunately, though strongly held opinions abound, hard facts about homosexuality and its possible causes are difficult to obtain. Even now, serious medical and sociological investigations in this subject are scandalously few considering the importance of the questions in human terms. This resistance becomes acutely apparent when a social until a large section of the public is prepared to face the facts squarely and rationally and to support adequate research, our knowledge will remain rudimentary. This book clears away the debris of myth and misunderstanding in a vital area of social concern.

The past decade has seen dramatic growth in every area of the prison enterprise. Yet knowledge of the inner life of the prison remains limited. This book redresses this research gap by providing insight into various aspects of the daily life of prison staff. The book provides a serious exploration of their work and, in doing so, draws attention to the variety, value, and complexity of work within prisons. Understanding Prison Staff provides information on relevant research studies, key debates, and on operational and procedural matters. It includes reflective material which academic staff can adopt for core or specialist modules which focus on prison management, prison officer training, and the occupational cultures of prison staff.

This volume is based on a symposium, "Cognitive and Psychosocial Dysfunctions Associated with Sex Chromosome Abnormalities," presented at the 1986 Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. It contains reports from individual research groups and a psychological study.

The Palgrave Handbook of the Psychology of Sexuality and Gender combines cutting edge research to provide a thorough overview of all the normative - and many of the less common - sexualities, genders and relationship forms alongside psychological and intersectional areas relating to sexuality and gender.

Sexuality in Adolescence considers the latest theory and research on adolescent development, focusing on sexuality as a vital aspect of normal, healthy maturation. Biological changes are discussed within a social context, and the latest research is presented on key issues of our time, including changes in teenage sexual behaviours and beliefs, sexual risk-taking, body dissatisfaction, sex education, teen pregnancy and abortion. Susan Moore and Doreen Rosenthal explore the roles of parents, peers, the media, social institutions and youth culture in adolescent sexual adjustment. This volume covers topical issues ranging from the role of the internet in adolescent romance to the pros and cons of abstinence education versus harm minimization. Issues, such as whether there are male-female differences in desire, sexuality, motives for sex, and beliefs about romance are examined, along with the question of whether a sexual double standard still exists. Maladaptive aspects of sexual development, including sexual risk-taking, disease, unplanned pregnancy, and sexual coercion are also covered. This fully revised and updated second edition also addresses the crucial issues of: sexual minority adolescents the social determinants of adolescent sexuality sexual health as opposed to sexual illness. This book aims to promote sexual well-being, and argues for the importance of the adolescent period as a time for engendering healthy sexual attitudes and practices. It will be valuable reading for students in the social and behavioural sciences interested in adolescent development and the topic of sexuality, and for professionals working with young people.

Sexuality in Adolescence considers the latest theory and research on adolescent development, focusing on sexuality as a vital aspect of normal, healthy maturation. Biological changes are discussed within a social context, and the latest research is presented on key issues of our time, including changes in teenage sexual behaviours and beliefs, sexual risk-taking, body dissatisfaction, sex education, teen pregnancy and abortion. Susan Moore and Doreen Rosenthal explore the roles of parents, peers, the media, social institutions and youth culture in adolescent sexual adjustment. This volume covers topical issues ranging from the role of the internet in adolescent romance to the pros and cons of abstinence education versus harm minimization. Issues, such as whether there are male-female differences in desire, sexuality, motives for sex, and beliefs about romance are examined, along with the question of whether a sexual double standard still exists. Maladaptive aspects of sexual development, including sexual risk-taking, disease, unplanned pregnancy, and sexual coercion are also covered. This fully revised and updated second edition also addresses the crucial issues of: sexual minority adolescents the social determinants of adolescent sexuality sexual health as opposed to sexual illness. This book aims to promote sexual well-being, and argues for the importance of the adolescent period as a time for engendering healthy sexual attitudes and practices. It will be valuable reading for students in the social and behavioural sciences interested in adolescent development and the topic of sexuality, and for professionals working with young people.

In Sexuality in the Confessional: A Sacrament Profaned, Stephen Haliczer places the current debate on sex, celibacy, and the Catholic Church in a historical context by drawing upon a wealth of actual case studies and trial evidence to document how, from 1530 to 1819, sexual transgression attended the heightened significance of the Sacrament of Penance. Attempting to reassert its moral and social control over the faithful, the Counter-Reformation Church underscored the importance of communion and confession. Priests were asked to be both exemplars of celibacy and "doctors of souls", and the Spanish Inquisition was there to punish transgressors. Haliczer relates the stories of these priests as well as their penitents, using the evidence left by Inquisition trials to vividly depict sexual misconduct during and after confession, and the punishments wayward priests were forced to undergo. In the process, he sheds new light on the Church of the period, the repressed lives of priests, and the lives of their congregations; coming to a conclusion as startling as it is timely. Both Inquisition and the Church, he finds, must shoulder much of the blame for eroticizing the confessional. The increased scrutiny of clerical celibacy and the disciplinary and consolatory function of the Sacrament, created and intensified sexual tensions, anxiety, and guilt for both priests and penitents, sexually charging the confessional and laying the groundwork for the Sacrament to be profaned. Based on an exhaustive investigation of Inquisition cases involving soliciting confessors as well as numerous confessors' manuals and other works, Sexuality in the Confessional makes a significant contribution to the history ofsexuality, women's history, and the sociology of religion.

Man has great difficulty accepting who he is. In Psychoanalytic Reflections on Love and Sexuality, author Gerd H. Fenchel traces how we have defined ourselves historically and in the present culture through the lenses of religion, poetry, art, and clinical psychoanalysis.

In a personal, nontechnical, and informal style, eminent researcher Ira L. Reiss discusses the many situations he has encountered during the past fifty years while researching sexuality and developing useful and innovative explanations of its different aspects. Most of the problems that were present during those years are still confronting those who work on human sexuality. Reiss discusses his experiences in sexual science in areas such as premarital sex, the sexual revolution, Masters and Johnson's therapy, feminism and sexuality, crises in sexual organizations, responses to HIV/AIDS, child and adolescent sexuality, radical social constructionism, biology versus sexual science, international trends, and the movement toward a Ph.D. in sexual science. The insights and solutions Reiss proposes are of great importance to all those who are interested in the sexual issues that affect people today.

In a personal, nontechnical, and informal style, eminent researcher Ira L. Reiss discusses the many situations he has encountered during the past fifty years while researching sexuality and developing useful and innovative explanations of its different aspects. Most of the problems that were present during those years are still confronting those who work on human sexuality. Reiss discusses his experiences in sexual science in areas such as premarital sex, the sexual revolution, Masters and Johnson's therapy, feminism and sexuality, crises in sexual organizations, responses to HIV/AIDS, child and adolescent sexuality, radical social constructionism, biology versus sexual science, international trends, and the movement toward a Ph.D. in sexual science. The insights and solutions Reiss proposes are of great importance to all those who are interested in the sexual issues that affect people today.

Derek Duncan's timely study is the first book in English to examine constructions of male homosexuality in Italian literature. In admirably clear and elegant prose, Duncan analyzes texts ranging from the 1890s through the 1990s. He brings canonical authors like D'Annunzio and Pasolini together with under-appreciated writers like Comisso, and also looks at less conventionally literary genres. Duncan takes on the thorny theoretical issues surrounding questions of gay identity and also provides a sound historical context for his discussion of how Italian narrative sheds light on Italian homosexuality and on the broader issues attending contemporary sexuality, including complicating factors such as race. While the early texts considered were produced at a historical moment when 'homosexuality' as a culturally meaningful entity had yet to crystallize, recent autobiographies show the authors reflecting explicitly on questions of gay identity and what it means to be a homosexual male in present-day Italy. In charting the emergence of the homosexual in twentieth-century Italy, however, Duncan's focus is less on questions of identity than on the meaning attributed to sex between men in the broader cultural context. His book is a significant contribution to Italian literary criticism and to gender, gay, and cultural studies.

Love, marriage, and sex with robots? Not in a million years? "Maybe a whole lot sooner!"

A leading expert in artificial intelligence, David Levy argues that the entities we once deemed cold and mechanical will soon become the objects of real companionship and human desire. He shows how automata have evolved and how human interactions with technology have changed over the years. Levy explores many aspects of human relationships--the reasons we fall in love, why we form emotional attachments to animals and virtual pets, and why these same attachments could extend to love for robots. Levy also examines how society's ideas about what constitutes normal sex have changed--and will continue to change--as sexual technology becomes increasingly sophisticated.

Shocking, eye-opening, provocative, and utterly convincing, "Love and Sex with Robots" is compelling reading for anyone with an open mind.

The two volumes of this work make available many years of labor and scholarly work on the fundamental concepts of Indian thought which have determined the attitude of Indian civilization in regard to the relation of the sexes for more than two thousand years.

The current diversity in psychoanalytic theories of hysteria has confused our understanding of the concept. Matrix of Hysteria offers a new perspective, which draws on previous theories to present a clear and cohesive view of the theoretical and clinical aspects of hysteria. Drawing on extensive experience in analytic work, supervision and teaching, Nitza Yarom employs clinical vignettes to offer the reader an illuminating account of this subject. The book is divided into two sections, covering clinical and theoretical issues and including discussion of subjects such as: *Oedipus, Sexuality and Gender *An Intrapsychic Perspective on the Matrix *The Language of the Intersubjective Body *Hysteria and the Analytic Setting *Trauma and Hysteria Psychoanalysts and psychoanalytic psychotherapists in training and practice will welcome this original insight into the subject of hysteria.

Woman's Relationship with Herself explores the relationship women have with themselves and demonstrates how this relationship is often dominated by debilitating practices of self-surveillance. Employing Foucault's notion of panoptical power, Helen O'Grady illuminates the link between this kind of self-surveillance and the broader mechanisms of social control, arguing that these negative practices prevent women from enjoying a satisfying, affirming relationship with themselves. Cultural factors that render women vulnerable to dissatisfying self-relations are identified and analysed and, drawing on the insights of Foucault, feminism and narrative therapy, the possibilities for developing a more empowering relationship with the self are examined. This innovative contribution to feminist debates about gender and the self will be of interest to students and researchers in social psychology, feminist psychology, mental health studies and gender studies, and to practitioners in psychological therapies and counselling psychology.

This book is a valuable resource that combines autobiographical sources, personal interviews, and questions for reflection to explore issues relevant to everyone's sexual orientation and gender status, be they heterosexual, gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or intersexual. Its readily accessible format assists individuals, study groups, civic groups, spiritual groups, or congregations create an open forum for the discussion of sexuality. It is helpful for personal journaling and sharing with relatives and friends, and is also very useful as a college text, therapy supplement, and as a catalyst for group discussions regarding gay, lesbian, and bisexual issues; gay rights; the coming-out process; and gay marriage.

This book explores changing concepts of marriage and gender relationships and attitudes toward sex in a rural Chinese community over the past five decades. The book is based on a study of an industrialized peasant village in Guangdong Province from 1994 to 1996 and subsequent visits from 2000 to 2002. According to the authors, the rural economic reforms of the 1980s in southern China have challenged and reinforced the deep structure of Chinese familism and this has lead to tensions between tradition and modernity. The first section of the book explores how attitudes toward marriage and courtship have changed over the past fifty years through personal accounts of three different marriages from different generations. In Part II, the transition from a traditional to a modern society is discussed from the perspective of several women from different generations. The third section focuses on sexual relationships and the growing sex trade in the village. Part IV includes updates to the original survey and takes a look at village politics.

The author, a leading figure in contemporary psychoanalytic theory, deplores the absence of sexuality and the erotic from current psychoanalytic theory and practice. Instead, he demonstrates how human sexuality forms an 'erotic chain'. The work of analysis, he argues, consists in following the dynamic movements of the erotic process, by ascertainin

Porn is a complex symbol of our current world, and a shining example of the 'Shadow' of the Western culture. While many books essentially show its negative sides, the risks of addiction, the danger of damaging the relationship between sexes, and so on, this work focuses on porn as a phenomenon of our times, exploring its several colours, and trying to capture its inner logic and essence. Despite its pervasive ubiquity in the internet and in the lives of many, porn is apparently the ultimate taboo in the consulting room: in fact, very rarely does a patient mention something detailed about his or her use of porn. In parallel with its growing presence, the last forty years have witnessed a significant growth of publications about porn. The present work aims at deepening some aspects of internet porn from the perspective of Analytical Psychology, seeing it as symbol of the complexity of the human psyche, emerged in a specific moment of the history of consciousness.

Few crimes provoke such outrage and upset as the sex offence, making the subject - including the problems it poses to our society and criminal justice system - a natural one for sociologist Tony Parker, whose work consistently shed light into dark corners of human behaviour. The Twisting Lane, first published in 1969, presents the testimonies of eight men aged between 20 and 70 who had been convicted - most of them repeatedly - for eight different types of offence, from assault or rape of adults or minors, to indecent exposure and 'living on immoral earnings'. Each man offers, in his own words, his personal story and self-perception. 'A remarkable achievement... almost every paragraph is poignant and revealing.' New Statesman

From the 1850's until the 1880's, British Colonial administrators established wide-ranging legislation aimed at slowing the spread of venereal disease and the loss of soldier-power it brought about. The legislation, known as the Contagious Diseases (CD) ordinances and regulations, identified female prostitutes as the principal source of infection and required them to register officially and undergo regular examinations designed to detect venereal disease.
While most agree that the CD ordinances were put in place primarily to protect the health of British soldiers, a closer examination reveals that the laws were not just about the control of VD but also "a conscious instrument of colonial dominance".

'Human identity, sexual identity, primary and secondary identification, object choice, narcissism - all of these lie on a continuum with homosexuality, transsexualism, transvestism, heterosexuality and asexuality. Concepts on sexuality and gender are outlined anew in an interplay of theoretical and clinical networks, with the aim of increasing t

Studies on Feminity is the second volume in a unique series edited by the author for the Committee on Women and Psychoanalysis of the International Psychoanalytical Association. Providing a forum for exploration and discussion of diverse issues relating to gender constructs, sexuality, and sexual identity, the series brings together an int