Rethinking Sexual Identity
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.65828/d66b8364Keywords:
Sexuality, sexual identity, heterosexuality, Foucault, Spinelli, homosexuality, inter-relatedness, phenomenology, agency, sexual orientation, social constructionism, biological determinism.Abstract
This paper appraises current existential thinking on sexual identity and its implications for therapeutic practice. It offers a constructionist reading of sexual identity arguing that our sexuality is not essential, invariant or biologically determined whilst also suggesting that existing accounts have paid insufficient attention to the context in which this aspect of our interrelatedness and desire to be with others finds expression. It explores the ways in which dominant discourses have problematised lesbian and gay sexuality as that which requires explanation thereby serving to construct heterosexuality as an 'unmarked' category.
Complete access to the full archive of articles is available with SEA membership. Existing members: please log in with your membership password to view full text. Non-members can buy a single article or issue by registering an account on this website, then selecting a padlocked full text button to purchase.
References
Cohn, H.W. (1997). Existential Thought and Therapeutic Practice. London: Sage.
Davies, D. (2007). Not in front of the students. Therapy Today. February 2007. Vol 18, No. 1.
du Plock, (1997). Sexual misconceptions: A critique of gay affirmative therapy and some thoughts on an existential-phenomenological theory of sexual orientation. Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 8.2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.65828/5hs08k56
Foucault, M. (1978). The History of Sexuality, Volume 1: and Introduction. Harmondsworth, Penguin.
Frankenberg, R . (1993). White Women, Race Matters: The Social Construction of Whiteness. London: Routledge.
Fuss, D. (1990). Essentially Speaking, Feminism, Nature and Difference. London, Routledge.
http://www.sexualidentityinstitute.org/faq.php - downloaded 02/03/07
McNay, L. (1992). Foucault and Feminism. Cambridge, Polity Press.
Milton, M. (1997). Is existential psychotherapy a lesbian and gay affirmative psychotherapy? Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis, 8.2. DOI: https://doi.org/10.65828/r36c3n60
Milton, M. (2005). Political and ideological issues. In van-Deurzen, E. and Arnold-Baker, C. (eds). Existential Perspectives on Human Issues. London: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-21624-2
Smith-Pickard, P. and Swynnerton, R. (2005). The Body and Sexuality. In van-Deurzen, E. and Arnold-Baker, C. (eds). Existential Perspectives on Human Issues. London: Palgrave Macmillan. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-230-21624-2_6
Spinelli, E. (1997). Some hurried notes expressing ideas that someone might someday utilise as signposts towards a sketch of an existential-phenomenological theory of human sexuality. Journal of the Society for Existential Analysis. 8.1. DOI: https://doi.org/10.65828/835tmq78
Vance, C. (1987). Social construction theory: problems in the history of sexuality. In Homosexuality, Which Homosexuality? London: GMP.
