Sexuality Down Under: Social and Historical Perspectives

The study of sexuality is both important and controversial. It permeates most aspects of everyday life and is both a hot topic and a taboo subject at the same time. The 'Virgin in a condom' art work that attracted protests wherever it was exhibited features in the book's final essay and many more mundane aspects of sexualtity are also covered: teenage motherhood, sexuality in advertising, sexuality and Pacific peoples, homosexual law reform, the difference between sex and rape, prostitution, the impact of viagra, and lesbian doctors. In many of the essays, people have spoken frankly about their sexual preferences and beliefs, something many still find hard to do even in the more liberal society of today. As a result, readers are given a fascinating insight into many of the issues surrounding sexuality in people's lives. As well there are essays on how the West responded to indigenous Pacific peoples, and New Zealand's 'satanism scare' of the 1990s.