Sex for Life

Laura M. Carpenter is Associate Professor of Sociology at Vanderbilt University and author of Virginity Lost: An Intimate Portrait of First Sexual Experiences.John DeLamater is Conway-Bascom Professor of Sociology at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, co-author of Understanding Human Sexuality, 11th Edition.

• Acknowledgments Introduction 1 Studying Gendered Sexualities over the Life Course 2 Childhood Sexuality 3 Sexuality Development in Adolescence 4 The Life Course Consequences of Childhood Sexual Assault 5. A Meta-Analysis on the Relationship between Parental Divorce Family Structures and Adolescents' Attitudes and Behaviors Regarding Premarital Intercourse 6 Hooking Up and Opting Out 7 The Symbolic Power of Civil Marriage on the Sexual Life Histories of Gay Men 8 U.S. Colonialism, Migration, and Sexualities 9 Starting Over 10 Secrets and Magic Pills 11 Reproductive History as Social Context 12 Sexual Expression over the Life Course 13 Exploring Embodied Aging and Ageism among Old Lesbians and Gay Men 14 Pleasure in Old Age 15 Toward an Interdisciplinary Science of Lifelong Sexualities for the Twenty-First Century Bibliography About the Contributors Index

"This book is equally as useful for scholars of sexuality as it is for a sexualities classroom. The chapters are engaging and accessible while capturing the nuances and intricacies of sexual lives from childhood to old age. Additionally, the chapters are relatively short; Carpenter and DeLamater clearly opted for a greater variety of chapters over depth of analysis. In general this balance is right, though the reader is left wanting more detailed analysis from some chapters. By highlighting the unique insights that a life course perspective can bring to light, the volume makes a compelling argument for integrating this approach into the sociology of sexuality. In so doing, Sex for Life has staked out new territory in the study of sexualities from which exciting new scholarship is sure to come." (American Journal of Sociology) "This book offers great breadth and a far-reaching multi-disciplinary approach to the study of sexuality. There is a very high standard of authorship...[it] is both an excellent starting point for students and researchers, and a useful resource for practitioners." (Ageing and Society) "Sex for Life demonstrates the importance of broader cultural and historical factors to an individuals experiences of sexuality at different life stages. The chapters highlight the range of research methodologies used in this rapidly developing field and provide a wealth of new directions for future theorizing and research." - Cynthia Graham,editor of The Journal of Sex Research "In this important and ground-breaking book, Laura Carpenter and John DeLamater have assembled a stunning collection of articles on human sexuality from a life course perspective. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand sexuality as it unfolds from childhood through late life." - Debra Umberson,author of Death of a Parent: Transition to a New Adult Identity "This volume promises to be an important scholarly resource for the study of human sexualities from a life course perspective.The chapters present critical reviews of existing literature and new findings on a range of substantive topics that showcase how peoples sexuality across life stages and transitions are influenced by broader cultural and historical contexts; the intersections of gender, race, and social class; and prior life events and experiences." - Sue Sprecher,co-editor of Encyclopedia of Human Relationships "This collection demonstrates the importance of understanding how sexuality changes throughout a life course. Likewise, it shows the diversity of factors that influence sexuality both by providing an analysis of seldom studied areas (e.g., childhood sexuality, a difficult subject to study for varied reasons) and by looking into the unique experiences of subgroups within the overall population (e.g., immigrants and those with spinal cord injuries). Such diversity shows how much research remains to be done on sexuality throughout life." (Library Journal)