Human sexuality is often thought of as a realm of experience outside of or "unmarked" by society. In contrast, this course introduces students to the myriad ways that sexual desire and sexual activity are structured by social relations, and to how sexuality, sexual practices, and sexual identities vary in time and space. Social scientific theories of sexuality are considered, and historical accounts of sexual practices are reviewed. Other topics include the emergence and elaboration of forms of sexual desire (“sexualities” or categories of sexual orientation/preference), sexual subcultures and communities; relationships between sexual identity and sexual behavior; sexual hierarchies; sexual ethics; the political manipulation of sexuality; the institutional nature of heterosexuality; and how sexuality as a social institution intersects with hierarchies of race, class, and gender.