Professor Anne Bolin in the Department of Sociology and Anthropology is co-editor of the new three-volume International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality "with over 500 entries that define sexuality from a broad biocultural perspective and show the diversity of human sexual behavior."
Wiley-Blackwell has announced the forthcoming publication of the International Encyclopedia of Human Sexuality.
Sexuality as an academic, legal, medical and social subject has become increasingly visible over the past 30 years as attested to by the dramatic increase in the number of courses, scholarly and applied peer-reviewed publications and other resources on the topic. It has also been an ongoing source of anthropological study since the nineteenth century.
However, recent anthropological interest in sexuality has been heightened as a consequence of globalization, the AIDS pandemic, national and international concerns over issues such as sex education, same sex marriage, and sex work, among others.
In response to these widespread concerns and an attendant critical need for understanding human sexuality in a broad context, Wiley-Blackwell invited Patricia Whelehan and Anne Bolin to produce an international inter-disciplinary encyclopedia of sex.
Bolin, of the Department of Sociology and Anthropology at Elon University, is co-editor in chief with Whelehan, of SUNY Potsdam. Their comprehensive A-Z reference work contains over 500 entries that define sexuality from a broad biocultural perspective showcasing the diversity of human sexual behavior and belief systems. The first encyclopedia to focus on cultural diversity as a specific theme, it contains entries ranging from short definitions of scientific, clinical, cultural, and colloquial terms to extended explorations of major concepts. It will be available print and on-line in May 2015.
Aunchalee E. L. Palmquist of Elon’s Department of Sociology and Anthropology contributed an article titled “Breastfeeding and Intimacy.”