The rise of essentialism and the medicalization of sexuality

During the last decade of the 20th century, biological explanations of social behavior have been steadily growing in popularity, slowly replacing previously dominant sociocultural explanations. This trend is clearly visible in the field of sex research. The first part of the paper provides an overview of the theoretical foundations of the two confronted paradigms, evolutionary essentialism and social constructionism. Although the current dominance of essentialism is the outcome of various factors, social and scientific, a major role in its rise to prominence was played by mass media demand for simplistic, pop-scientific statements. In the second part of the paper, three currently propulsive areas in sexology are presented as case studies: (a) etiology of homosexuality, (b) gender identity of intersex children, and (c) re-conceptualization of sexual disorders. Two conclusions are offered: 1) the demise of the 'nurture monopoly' was necessary for the further development of sexology; and 2) the present trend toward a 'nature monopoly' represents a new and serious danger--as shown by the emerging medicalization of sexuality.