School of Social and Political Science

Description

Title: Sexual Citizens: Sex, Power, and Assault on Campus

Abstract:

This talk draws upon Sexual Citizens, by Jennifer S. Hirsch and Shamus Khan. Through intimate portraits of life and sex among today’s college students, it presents an entirely new way to understand sexual assault. Transcending current debates about consent, predators in a “hunting ground,” or the dangers of hooking up, Sexual Citizens reveals the social ecosystem that makes sexual assault a predictable element of life on a college campus. The concepts of sexual projects, sexual citizenship, and sexual geographies, provide a new language for understanding the forces that shape young people’s sexual relationships. The result transforms our understanding of sexual assault and provides a new roadmap for how to address it.