Sexuality, the Self, and Society

Reviewed by MaKenzie Johnson, Senior Lecturer, University of Wisconsin - Superior on 2/22/23

Comprehensiveness rating: 5 see less

This book covers an extensive amount of information on sexuality and its development in ourselves and culturally. The chapters are laid out in a way that makes sense as a reader, and also has smaller subheadings to help readers find information. I also appreciated the hyperlinks throughout the text that gave additional resources. I appreciated the authors comment in the About the Book section which states this book "...is meant to be accessible, relevant, and inclusive. It also will not remain static meaning that the author will continue to update periodically and those who adopt may do so as they see fit."

Content Accuracy rating: 5

I did not see any areas of concern for accuracy.

Relevance/Longevity rating: 5

This text has up to date information, which is essential in this topic, as research is catching up to the many years in our society where gender and sexuality was considered binary and static. I appreciated the many places in this text that addressed the history of sexuality. It was mentioned throughout the book and gave introductory information on important events, research, people, and places in history.

Clarity rating: 4

This book is for students and faculty who have basic background and knowledge in this content area. There are several introductory chapters and paragraphs that lay out some basic terminology, but I could see the content being overwhelming for a student who hasn't had any gender or sexuality classes previously. I do believe that it is written as an introductory book and could be used as that with some additional introductory information.

Consistency rating: 5

The book is consistent with layout and language. Each chapter is laid out clearly and has the same format throughout.

Modularity rating: 5

The text was easy to follow along. I especially appreciated the hyperlinked table of contents that broke down each chapter into smaller sections. This text could easily be used in full or for more specific content, certain chapters can be assigned to students for a broader knowledge on a certain topic.

Organization/Structure/Flow rating: 5

I really appreciated the organization at the end of each chapter which include; glossary, discussion questions, multiple choice quiz, further exploration, and references. This was very helpful for finding further information and check for understanding on new topics for students. I could also see students using these references as additional exploration areas if they are interested in the topic.

Interface rating: 5

I see no issues with interface in this text.

Grammatical Errors rating: 5

I see no grammatical issues with this text.

Cultural Relevance rating: 5

This text has a high level of cultural sensitivity and encompasses all facets of diversity. This information is sprinkled throughout the text and isn't just put into one chapter, like many current social sciences texts I have used.

Comments

I am very excited to have found this OER and hope to utilize it in our Introduction to Professional Counseling course.