Sexology

Sexology is typically understood as the study of human sexuality. The field is primarily associated with natural scientific methodologies—biomedical and clinical psychological frameworks. The field has a history of over 100 years and has been chiefly concerned with the etiology (cause) and treatment of “sexual disorders.” This has been problematized for taking heterosexuality and cisgender status for granted as “normal” and, correspondingly, conceptualizing gender and sexual diversity as pathological or deviant. This entry provides a brief history of the field of sexology, touches on adjacent areas of study, and highlights the work of key contributors. Next, the relationship with early research and clinical interventions for trans people is discussed. The entry concludes with an overview of contemporary developments in sexology. Extensive conceptual critiques of sexology ...