The history of human societies has been marked by various shifts in attitudes toward sexuality and gender roles, including normative expectations regarding heterosexuality and monogamy.
In ancient Greece and Rome, same-sex relationships were widely accepted and celebrated, but this changed as Christianity became dominant. In medieval Europe, women's bodies were objectified and seen as property to be controlled by men, while homosexuality was punishable by death. During the colonial era, Euro-American cultures imposed their own values on non-Western societies, such as banning polygyny and harems. These patterns have continued into contemporary times, where many countries still criminalize LGBTQ+ identities and practices. Historical sociology offers an analytic framework for understanding these changes over time, focusing on how power dynamics shape sexual regimes. This article will explore how historical sociology can inform imaginings of queer futures by tracing past developments and considering how they might affect future possibilities for sexual liberation.
Historical sociologists study social change through its cultural, economic, political, and institutional contexts. They examine how institutions like marriage, religion, and education impacted people's perceptions and experiences of sex, leading to different social norms across time and space. By analyzing past regimes, we can see what factors made them successful or unsuccessful, and how they could be adapted or revised for modern purposes.
Anthropologist David Graeber argues that agriculture created a shift from small-scale communal living to patriarchal family structures, which led to a "moral panic" about monogamy being undermined. Similarly, historian Michel Foucault suggested that Western medicine pathologized same-sex desire in order to control it through surveillance and discipline. Historical sociology also examines how dominant groups maintain power through exclusionary norms, such as classifying some bodies as deviant or inferior. Queer theorist Judith Butler writes that this has implications for future imaginings, because it perpetuates inequality and limits our ability to envision new ways of relating intimately with one another.
Historical sociology is not without controversy. Some scholars argue that it reifies binary gender roles and ignores intersectionality, while others criticize its Eurocentrism and focus on the West. Nevertheless, there are important insights to be gained from studying queer history, especially if we consider how these patterns have been enforced by various institutions over time.
Scholar Lauren Berlant notes that sexuality is often constructed around fantasies of "intimacy," which involve power dynamics between partners. This has led to oppressive relationships based on domination, jealousy, and possessiveness, as well as violence against those who resist these ideals. By tracing past sexual regimes, we can identify these patterns and imagine alternative futures where all people are free to express their desires safely and fully.
Historical sociology provides valuable insights into the development of modern sexual regimes and their consequences for queer identities today. It shows us how power structures shape attitudes toward sex, leading to both repression and liberation. As we imagine possible futures beyond heteronormative monogamy, we must grapple with how different systems of power have shaped our present reality. Historical sociology helps us do so by analyzing past norms and considering how they might be adapted or replaced in more equitable ways.
How does historical sociology of sexuality trace the emergence and decline of particular sexual regimes, and what implications does that tracing have for imagining queer futures?
Historical sociologists of sexuality attempt to explain how specific regimes of desire have come into existence and what has led them to fade away. This entails examining the social, cultural, political, economic, and ideological factors that have shaped these regimes throughout time, as well as exploring the various actors involved in their creation and destruction.