Sexuality Studies

Sexuality, in all societies, pervades every aspect of social existence, and has always been an enigmatic theme of research in the social and human sciences. In India, especially, the overwhelming diversity in language, ethnicity, community, caste, and class; the multitudes of value systems; and the unique and dynamic confluence of its history, modernity, and tradition, render the study of sexuality a challenging endeavour mandating interdisciplinarity and multiplicity of analytical frameworks. This volume, a valuable compilation of fresh research in the field, bridges this gap, and provides a nuanced, spectral view of sexual cultures of India.

The essays draw from a wide range of deeply analytical and theoretically potent research. They deal with a host of themes, ranging from colonial sexologists and pulp literature to family courts; development discourses to queer imagery in Hindu nationalistic imagination; laws on perversion and prostitution to romance and the Indian media; and, above all, the established patterns of research on sexuality in India. Together, they explore the interconnected dimensions of history, legality, sexual cultures, power politics, community and values, race, and class, and engage with the cognizance of these dimensions in the prevalent discourse on Indian sexuality. Outlining the contours and main themes of sexuality studies in India, this volume will provide a strong foundation to this immensely important field.

Sanjay Srivastava is Professor of Sociology, Institute of Economic Growth, University of Delhi.