This volume retains the original text of "Sexual Conduct" published in 1973
with a small amount of revision and updating. The text is accompanied by a new
preface, two essays reflecting on the conditions of writing the book, edited
interviews on its contribution to the field, and a new epilogue.The first edition of Sexual Conduct, published in 1973, swiftly became a
landmark text in the sociology of sexuality. It went onto profoundly shape the
ideas of several generations of scholars and has become the foundation text of
what is now known as the "social constructionist" approach to sexuality. The
present edition, revised, updated, and containing new introductory and
concluding materials, will introduce a classic text to a new generation of
students and professionals. Traditional views of human sexuality posit models
of man and woman in which biological arrangements are translated into
sociocultural imperatives. This is best summarized in the phrase "anatomy is
destiny." Consequently, the almost exclusive concern has been with the power of
biology and nature in sexual conduct as opposed to understanding the
significance and impact of social life. In Sexual Conduct, Gagnon and Simon
lucidly argue that sexual activities, of all kinds, may be understood as the
outcome of a complex psychosocial process of development.; Using the social script theory, the authors trace the ways in which
sexuality is learned and fitted into particular moments in the lifecycle and in
different modes of behavior. Sexual Conduct is a major attempt to consider
sexuality within a non-biological, social psychological framework. It is a
valuable addition to the study of human sexuality, and will be of interest to
students of sociology, psychology, psychiatry, social work, and medicine.
