This seminar explores aspects of the legal regulation of sexuality. The seminar will pursue two main goals. The first goal is to read and discuss the formal "black letter" law found in judicial decisions, statutes and administrative rules. The second, overlapping goal is to introduce and discuss concepts from a variety of disciplines (and from other legal systems) that can be used to understand and interrogate the deeper ideological and political determinants of U.S. sex law. Among the questions on which we will focus throughout the semester are these: How has sexuality (and related notions such as sexuality and gender) been defined, posed and addressed as a problem in and for the U.S. legal system? What role do various conceptions of sexuality play in framing the terms, the argumentative strategies and resolution of legal disputes? What shaping functions do legal constructions of sexuality exert in and on broader political conversations about sex and social justice in the contemporary U.S.?
Section Offerings for 2011-12
There are no offered sections in 2011-12. Please choose a different year.