When considering our topic this month it is impossible for me to ignore the influential, French intellectual, philosopher and historian, Michael Foucault. Foucault was my introduction to questioning so many social attitudes and institutions, and his book, "History of Sexuality" is most poignant. Of note is Foucault's idea about the changing attitudes towards sexuality throughout history, the "repressive hypothesis," the relationship between sex and power, the difference between sex & 'sexuality', the sexuality of children, and the multiplicity of discourses on the subject of sex.

I find it enormously interesting to look at the ramifications of our cultural perspective on sexuality, and at how much that perspective is being challenged right now in political conversations or in popular shows such as, Glee. I am interested in the ways this subject effects the nation or body or culture in which we exist. How will current attitudes about sexuality affect my son's identity?

Foucault highlights the fact that "Through the rigorous examination of history we an see that the present situation in any domain is not set in stone and is merely the product of a whole collection of actions and decisions made by many people over a long period of time. Things have not always been as they are now and can be changed even at the most mundane and seemingly insignificant levels so that they eventually become different tomorrow." (excerpted from www.michael-foucault.com/info)