ABSTRACT
Social and cultural understandings of sex, gender, and sexuality are felt as deeply personal characteristics of identity, yet they are subject to change as societies and cultures change. Discussions about sex, gender, and sexuality are central to the way we think and feel about our individual bodies and how we relate to others. Gendered norms guide our day-to-day activities, experiences, interactions, and opportunities. This chapter explores the complex contemporary landscape of genders and sexualities, highlighting key social moments in recent years that have shone a light on the intersecting racialised and classed dynamics of gendered oppression. This chapter introduces key feminist sociological understandings of gender and sexualities, covering the significance of the body, feminist movements, the study of men and masculinities, queer theory, and intersectionality.
