Sexualities and Irish Society

Book excerpt: In Ireland, recent social, cultural and political changes combined with globalisation, commercialisation and new technologies have re-shaped how we understand and think about sexuality. There is now a multiplicity of ways in which individuals can experience their sexuality, negotiate their sexual identities and advocate for sexual rights. Meanwhile, sexualities continue to be denied, problematised and subjected to regulation. The ongoing exchanges between real-life sexualities and the social contexts in which they are forged, provides the core focus of this book. Sexualities and Irish Society explores the construction and management of sexualities across a number of different sites, including the family, the legal and education systems, medical and therapeutic settings, and cultural and commercial arenas. Engaging with both theoretical and empirical material, the authors analyse the power relations within which sexualities are constructed, resisted and reconstructed. Written by academics, researchers, advocates and practitioners, this is the first comprehensive academic text on sexualities in Irish society. It showcases the best of recent scholarship from a range of disciplinary perspectives. Sexualities and Irish Society is a valuable resource for undergraduate and postgraduate students in social policy, social care, social work, sociology, women's studies, cultural studies, history, politics and studies of the body. It should also appeal to activists, campaigners and professional practitioners.