HSED 594 - History and Ethics of Human Sexuality

3 Credit(s)

This survey course traces sexual mores and concepts as expressed in the writings and art of various cultures and religions over time. Particular focus will be on the sexuality of the early civilizations of the Middle East, the beginnings of monotheism in Judaism, and the spread of Christianity across Europe and North America. These themes will be traced in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries here in the United States. Emphasis will be on identifying conflicting and changing sexual values concerning marriage, premarital and extra-marital sexuality, masturbation, fertility, contraception, gender roles, and homo-bi-heterosexuality over time. The birthing and history of the field of sexology and sexuality education will be placed in the broader historical events of the 20th and 21st centuries. Ethical codes of conduct for professionals in sexology will be compared to other codes of conduct.