Summer Courses

The course “Sex and Power. Trends, Identities and Erotic-Sexual and Power Patterns in 21st-Century Societies” is conceived as a space for sociological analysis and reflection on sexuality, identities, emotional bonds, and power structures in contemporary societies. From a rigorous academic perspective, the course aims to examine how sexual patterns and inequalities associated with sex and gender have historically played a central role in shaping the social, cultural, and institutional order.

In recent decades, transformations in ways of life, family models, and intimate relationships have placed sexuality at the center of major social and political debates. The growing visibility of sexual diversity, changes in relational patterns, and the emergence of new cultural tensions in the social arena make it necessary to develop interpretative frameworks that help us understand these processes from both structural and dynamic perspectives. In this sense, the course seeks to provide data and analytical tools to interpret current trends in the erotic-affective-sexual sphere and their connection to broader dynamics of social change.

One of the main objectives of the program is to deepen the study of sex as a dimension permeated by relations of power, domination, and symbolic control. Far from being an exclusively private sphere, sexuality is linked to social hierarchies, mechanisms of cultural regulation, and normative trends and discourses that influence individual and collective experiences. The course addresses these issues by considering both their historical roots (such as patriarchal structures) and their most contemporary manifestations.

Likewise, the course pays special attention to recent transformations in emotional and relational bonds. The questioning of traditional models of love, the diversification of forms of coexistence, trends toward secularization, and the redefinition of sexual norms are relevant phenomena for understanding the evolution of values and social patterns in the 21st century. These dynamics are analyzed within the framework of new advanced societies characterized by processes of individualization, digitalization, and accelerated cultural change.

Another fundamental objective is to incorporate a life-course and generational perspective, considering sexuality in relation to life cycles, reproductive functions, bodily autonomy, and identity constructions. Particularly in the case of young people, sexual experiences develop in contexts shaped by new forms of socialization and digital interaction, requiring updated analysis from the social sciences.

Finally, the course aims to foster a high-level academic and institutional debate, bringing together specialists in sociology, gender studies, and social analysis, along with representatives from the public sector. Through lectures and discussions, it seeks to contribute to a broader understanding of ongoing transformations in sexuality and power, as well as the social and democratic challenges these issues pose in contemporary societies.