ABSTRACT
This chapter considers what sex is. What makes an act sexual? Does it require more than one person? Or any persons at all? Why does it matter? The chapter begins by revealing the limitations of most attempts to develop a single, universal definition of sex. It then offers a model for how people, at an individual level, might come to experience certain acts as sexual, depending on the interpersonal and social context. Finally, it advances the argument that although there is no essentialized, unifying definition of sexual activity, the ways in which a society conceives sexual activity have important implications for individual well-being and social justice.
