SECTION III: MEANING AND FUNCTION

The third section of this volume builds on the perspective that sex­uality is socially constructed and that meanings are negotiated and rene­gotiated. Sexuality is elicited, expressed, maintained, or suppressed by vir­tue of societal context. Furthermore, the meaning and function of sexuality vary according to this context. In chapter 9, Crawford explores the ways in which humor operates as a political and social mechanism to construct these meanings, and in chapter 10, Travis, Meginnis, and Bardari examine the body as an arena where a variety of social struggles are played out. The authors argue that if women do not have control of their bodies, they cannot own their sexuality, or have an unfettered identity. In chapter 11, Laura Brown reviews the conflicting and conflicted ways in which society constructs lesbians as simultaneously dangerous and powerful as well as impotent. She illustrates how what is shameful, what is acceptable, and how one represents one’s own sexuality all are derived from the general social discourse. Goals of and barriers to a sexual assertiveness in women are then discussed by Patricia Morokoff in chapter 12. Morokoff points out that cultural definitions of sexuality that foil assertiveness among women have broad-ranging implications for women’s roles in society, their health, and their satisfaction in relationships.