Sexuality of sociology final paper

SOC 400 / WGSS 396: Sociology of Sexuality Final Exam

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Exam Questions

Choose ONE of the prompts in EACH of the FIVE parts below. *Note: In all questions, the term “sex” refers to sexual behavior, not to biological sex.

Part 1 (Choose A or B)
A. What is sex? Provide your own definition that applies to everyone, regardless of gender, sexuality, or body type, and acknowledges only consensual sex. What is sexuality? Define it and give at least two examples. What is the best way to measure or categorize sexuality and why? To what extent do sex and sexuality overlap? Describe a case in which sex and sexuality are inconsistent. B. How are sex and sexuality controlled differently for different people? Consider at least three of the following variables in your response: age, gender, sexual identity, race/ethnicity, region/geographic location, social class, health status, and/or relationship status or preference. What are the consequences of sex and sexuality being differentially controlled? How has social control over sex and sexuality shifted over time? What sociological explanations are there for these shifts?

Part 2 (Choose A or B)
A. You read about moral, medical, legal, political, and market controls on sex. Pick two of these and describe how they apply to sex work (e.g., prostitution and/or pornography). To what extent have the social controls on sex work changed over time? How do gender and sexuality affect how each of these controls is differentially applied? What approach do you think the government should take toward sex work (e.g., legalization, decriminalization, regulation, or criminalization) and why? B. You read about moral, medical, legal, political, and market controls on sex. Pick two of these and describe how they apply to STI prevention strategies. Is it possible to create responsible disease prevention strategies without being alarmist about the risks of sexual behavior, why or why not? What might a sex-positive perspective on STIs and sexual health look like? How could it be implemented through educational and/or public health settings? On a broader scale, what would a culture of sex positivity look like, and how might this culture influence aspects other than sexual health?

SOC 400 / WGSS 396: Sociology of Sexuality Final Exam

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Part 3 (Choose A or B)
A. Sexual consent is an urgent matter on culture campuses. What is sexual consent and how have definitions of it changed over time? Explain the difference between verbal refusal (no means no) and affirmative consent (yes means yes) in terms of sexual violence prevention education. Assume you are developing a sexual violence prevention curriculum that aims to: (1) promote a culture of consent, (2) prevent sexual violence, (3) reduce ambiguity in sexual scenarios, and (4) invoke a sex-positive framework that encourages people to respect boundaries and limits. Which definition of consent would be most effective in achieving these goals? What changes would you implement at KU to better educate students about your preferred definition of consent and improve sexual violence prevention education? What challenges might you run into and how would you overcome them? B. Think of a narrow and specific topic on sex or sexuality that you would want to research. Write a research proposal to funding agency that addresses all of the the following elements: (1) why is the topic an important and urgent issue of study; (2) what specific research questions would you address; (3) what prior research has been done on the topic and what do you hope to add; (4) what methods would you use to research the topic; (5) what specific population would you research and how would you convince people to participate in your study; (6) what ethical concerns might your study raise and how would you address them; (7) why should the agency fund you and how can you justify the expense of the study; (8) what would you expect to find from your study and how might it change our sociological understandings of sex and/or sexuality?

Part 4 (Choose A or B)
A. What role have bisexual and transgender people played in the LGBTQ movement? In what ways have they been included and central to the movement? In what ways have they been excluded from the movement? Why might this be? Give specific examples in your answer. Why is representation of all identities under the LGBTQIA2+ umbrella important? Choose one other identity group under this umbrella. Explain how they have been underrepresented and offer some suggestions on what the movement and/or society could do to be more inclusive of the group. B. Choose two different organizations mentioned in We Are Everywhere or LGBTQ Social Movements. Describe the contributions of each to the LGBTQ movement. Explain how one or more of the social contexts or controls we’ve discussed affected the work of each organization. In what ways has each organization changed society’s views on sex or sexuality? What challenges has each organization faced in trying to achieve its goals?
SOC 400 / WGSS 396: Sociology of Sexuality Final Exam

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Part 5 (Choose A or B)
A. How and why has the focus of the LGBTQ movement changed over time? Choose three of the following time periods to compare: pre-1968, 1968-1973, 1973-1979, 1980-1994, 1994-2015. What were the key issues or goals of the movement during each period? What social contexts and/or controls affected how the movement changed over time? What issues do you think will (or should) emerge as central movement goals over the next decade? Based on lessons from the past, what strategies should activists use to be most effective in achieving these goals? B. What is the difference between assimilationist/reformist and liberationist/radical approaches? Describe the key differences between the two approaches and explain why LGBTQ activists disagreed about which approach to use. Give at least two specific examples of how each approach has been used by LGBTQ activists or organizations and assess how effective the approach was in each case. Moving forward, which approach do you think will be most effective for the LGBTQ movement and why?