title: Global transformations and intimate relations in the 21st century: social science research on sexuality and the emergence of sexual health and sexual rights frameworks.
abstract: This article tracks the conjunction between the social, cultural, political, and economic changes taking place on a global level and the shift in sexuality research from primarily biomedical and behavioral concerns to those of rights and social justice. Particular attention is paid to how transnational public health and human rights discourses, and social movements concerned with gender inequality and the oppression of sexual minorities, have influenced the field of sexuality research. This influence is especially clear in the emergence of the concepts of sexual health and sexual rights, which have enabled researchers to draw clear connections between highly localized phenomena and transnational systems. The importance of rights-based approaches, in particular, has supported an explicit politicization of research and the engagement of researchers in social justice causes. To illustrate the interests and approach of contemporary sexuality research, the article includes a review of recent literature on sex trafficking and same-sex marriage. These cases are used to outline the negative and positive use of rights-the former a means to control harm and the latter a means to advance freedoms. Addressing the tension between these two strategies is a core challenge for the field of sexuality research.
authors.affiliation: Center for Gender, Sexuality and Health, Department of Sociomedical Sciences, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University, USA. rgp11@columbia.edu
authors.forename: Richard
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Parker
authors.forename: Diane
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: di Mauro
authors.forename: Beth
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Filiano
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Garcia
authors.forename: Miguel
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Muñoz-Laboy
authors.forename: Robert
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Sember
mesh_terms: D003466:Cultural Characteristics; D005260:Female; D014943:Global Health; D006291:Health Policy / Q000639:trends; D006801:Humans; D007398:Interpersonal Relations; D008297:Male; D026684:Personal Autonomy; D011477:Sex Work; D012747:Sexual Partners; D019529:Sexuality; D012922:Social Change; D012931:Social Environment; D012942:Social Sciences / Q000639:trends