Jeffrey Weeks (1945–) is arguably the most influential British writer on sexuality. His work offers a detailed historical account of how sexuality has been shaped and regulated by society. He sees sexuality not so much as rooted in the body, but as a social construct that is ideologically determined.
Inspired by the work of British sociologist Mary McIntosh, he argues that industrialisation and urbanisation consolidated gender divisions and increased the stigma of male same-sex relations. Weeks examines how Victorian society used the new “sciences” of psychology and sexology (the study of sexuality) to enforce its views.
The social construction of sexuality
Weeks argued that sexuality is as much about beliefs and ideologies as about the physical body.
Three key beliefs and ideologies which construct sexuality are:
- Sexology invents the categories “homosexual” and “heterosexual.”
- Marriage is promoted as necessary for a healthy and stable society.
- The Law regulates sexuality by deciding who can do what.
Sexology (the study of sexuality), marriage and the law construct homosexuality as abnormal, while heterosexuality is constructed as normal.
Sexuality as Social Control
Male homosexuality was viewed as a perversion and, increasingly, as a social problem, leading to tighter legal and social control. The 1885 Criminal Law Amendment Act, for example, broadened and redefined the legal definition of homosexual acts. This construction of homosexuality as abnormal, along with essentialist ideas of femininity and masculinity, served to support the belief that heterosexuality was normal and the only legitimate form of sexual behaviour.
For example, Oscar Wilde was tried and convicted in the late 19th century of “gross indecency” with other men. The trials of the Irish writer helped construct homosexuality as a social problem.
Weeks observed that studies of sexuality that claimed to be scientific were often undertaken by wealthy amateurs to pass sentences on homosexuals. The growing interest in classifying sexuality assumed that women were naturally sexually passive and men were naturally sexually active, without having any evidence for such assumptions. Anything contrary to these “essentialist” views (that sexuality reflects biology) was often considered abnormal. The new sciences thus firmly upheld existing patriarchal ideas.
Marriage and sexuality
Weeks observed an increasing tendency to view the institution of marriage as essential to maintaining a stable, “healthy” society. There was also, therefore, a concern to regulate men’s “natural” lustfulness by steering them towards marriage.
At the same time, marriage was promoted as the norm, and essentialist ideas about who might be homosexual had fully criminalised previously accepted behaviour. For the first time in history, the law identified a new type of people: “homosexuals”. The category “heterosexuality” was invented soon after. Many of the studies on sexuality were influenced by the teachings of the Christian Church.
Sexuality and Social Control
It is possible, Weeks suggests, to see this defining of sexuality as both a social construction and a form of social control. The law can decide who is allowed to marry, adopt children, have sex, and at what age. Religion can instruct society that any sex that does not lead to procreation is sinful.
Cultural ideals about who should have sex, and who should not, can have a significant negative impact. For example, there has been a notable rise in sexually transmitted diseases among the over-50s in the UK, partly because the idea that sex between older people is, among other things, distasteful has led to fewer older people seeking medical advice.
Jeffrey Weeks: Background
The social historian Jeffrey Weeks was born in Rhondda, Wales, UK, in 1945. His work has been influenced by his early participation as a gay rights activist in the Gay Liberation Front (GLF). Weeks was a founding member and editor of the journal Gay Left, and his work continues to be informed by ideas from lesbian and gay politics, socialism, and feminism. He has published over 20 books and numerous articles on sexuality and intimate life and is currently a research professor at the Weeks Centre for Social and Policy Research at South Bank University in London, England. In 2012, he was awarded an OBE for his services to social science.
The Social Construction of Sexuality: Key Dates:
- 1885 The Criminal Law Amendment Act was passed in the UK, recriminalising male homosexuality and strengthening the laws against prostitution.
- 1968 An essay by British sociologist Mary McIntosh, “The Homosexual Role”, helps promote the view that sexuality is socially not biologically determined.
- 1976 The History of Sexuality: Volume I, by French philosopher Michel Foucault, examines the role of “experts” in the classification of sexuality.
- 2002 Same-sex couples are legally entitled to adopt in the UK.
- 2014 Same-sex marriage is legalized in the UK.
Jeffrey Weeks: Find out More
Key Texts by Jeffrey Weeks:
- 1977 Coming Out: Homosexual Politics in Britain
- 1989 Sex, Politics, and Society
- 2001 Same Sex Intimacies: Families of Choice and Other Life Experiments
Relevance to A-level sociology
Jeffrey Weeks’ work is most relevant to the sociology of culture and identity. It highlights how key social institutions have worked to marginalise gay identities and repress the free expression of sexuality, simply by normalising heterosexuality.
His work is also relevant to families and households, his work is a useful addition to criticisms of marriage as an institution, adding to Feminist ideas that not only has this institution oppressed women historically, but also anyone who isn’t heterosexual.