THE POLITICS OF PLEASURE

Introduction

For different reasons, both children’s sexualities and women’s sexualities have been denied and erased in scientific and popular discourses, with the sexualities and sexual pleasures that are best understood being those of adult men. In this module, we will first consider the often taboo topic of children’s sexuality. We will then turn to women’s sexuality with a focus on the clitoris and female orgasm as these have been both discussed and omitted from discussions in sexual education and science. In order to fill some of the gaps left by sex ed and their absence from public discourse, we will situate the clitoris and female orgasm in political and socio-cultural contexts.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this module, you should be able to:

• Describe debates within the history of childhood and concerning children’s sexuality.
• Identify some of the ways in which the clitoris and the female orgasm have been discussed by scientists and feminists
• Define what is meant by epistemologies of ignorance
• Interpret some of the differences between narratives of sexual pleasure for men and women in contemporary society