Most of us are programmed into thinking of our sexuality as a wholly natural feature of life. But sexual relations are just one form of social relations. Sexuality has both a history and a sociology -- it is not simply a matter of biological or psychological drives. Drawing on the analysis of Michel Foucault and other key thinkers, this new edition of Sexuality examines the subject in terms of social, moral and political issues, and features new material on AIDS, queer theory and postcolonial perspectives on race.

This book provides an indispensable, comprehensive introduction to the sociology of sexuality, discussing its cultural and socio-historical construction, its relationship with power, and the state's involvement in its rationalization and regulation.