BEYOND EMPOWERMENT - HETEROSEXUALITIES AND THE PREVENTION OF AIDS

AIDS-related research on sexuality has demonstrated both the importanc e of investigation of the meanings of sexual categories, practices, an d relationships, and the fact that such meanings may vary-among cultur es, historical periods, and even among individuals within the same soc ial setting. This paper considers AIDS-related research on sexuality a s itself an important instance of the social construction of meaning. It is argued that the concept of empowerment, when understood as the p ower to use condoms, can in fact contribute to the reproduction of bot h gender hierarchies and dominant conceptions of sexuality in consumer society. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.