Contemporary perspectives on Female Sexuality

Film- Spike Lee: She’s Gotta Have It

Please take a few minutes to think about both your spontaneous answers to the following questions, and the answers you might give in light of last week's lecture and the readings, prior to viewing this film.

Please take note of the ways in which these questions are dealt with (or not) or answered (or not) in the film.
What kind of thoughts do the following expressions trigger in your mind?

Re.: Female sexuality
Female sexuality (definition); female sexuality and norms of acceptability and deviance
Female sexuality and solidarity amongst women
Female sexuality and friendship between women Black (or generally non-white, minority) female sexuality vs. (?) white female sexuality (and norms of acceptability and deviance)
Violence and female sexuality Exotification Objectification Discrimination (gender/racial/sexual etc. ...) and female sexuality Oppression and female sexuality
Colonization and female sexuality

Re.: Sexual freedom

Sexual freedom (definition; and norms of acceptability and deviance)
Sexual freedom and love Sexual freedom and the possibility of ‘steady’ relationships
Violence and sexual freedom

Re.: Self-image (in the context of a discussion of sexuality)

Sexual freedom and self-image
Sexual discrimination (homophobia, racist sexual discrimination or sexual racism, etc...) and self-image
Sexual violence and self-image

Re.: Self-definition (in the context of a discussion of sexuality):

What is the supposed ‘proper’ locus of that part of sexuality that is taken to shape or define a person's identity:
-when does sexuality take place (or when * is * sexuality);
how does sexuality take place (or how * is * sexuality);
where does sexuality take place (or where * is * sexuality)?
What are the defining elements of one's sexuality?
What moments, actions, circumstances define one's sexuality?
Freedom of self-definition and sexuality in Western culture (broadly defined).
Politics of sexuality/politics of gender/politics of race/politics of class/etc. ... any links? All separate?
What is the hegemonic discourse about sexuality?
What is the hegemonic discourse about female (heterosexual and lesbian) sexuality?
What is the hegemonic discourse about male sexuality (heterosexual and homosexual)?