A pioneering study which has become an established classic in its field, Sex, Politics and Society provides a lucid and comprehensive analysis of the transformations of British sexual life from 1800 to the present. These changes are firmly located in the wider context of social change, from industrialization and the experience of Empire through the establishment of the welfare state to the rise of new social movements, such as feminism and gay liberation, and new forms of social conservatism.


Now fully revised and updated, and with a new chapter bringing the story right up to date, this new edition considers:




the transformation of the sexual world through globalization and the internet
the changing impact of the AIDS pandemic over the last thirty years
the influence of new currents in social and cultural theory on the study of sexuality
the gradual depoliticization and mainstreaming of sexuality within historical study


Combining rich empirical detail with innovative theoretical insights, Sex, Politics and Society remains at the cutting edge of the subject and this third edition will inspire and provoke a whole new generation of readers in history, sociology, social policy, and the study of sexuality.