The term 'sexual dissidence' was put into circulation by Gayle Rubin in her seminal essay 'Thinking Sex' and became a crucial tool for conceptualising initially the MA in Sexual Dissidence at Sussex and now our newly-established research centre.
Sexual dissidence is a broad term that comprises the rich analysis of all non-heteronormative sexualities (lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer, transsexual, and transgender) both through the ways in which they are constructed and shaped by culture and the ways in which they resist normativities and function as important interventions for radical social change. Research at the Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence & Cultural Change at Sussex explores sexual dissidence as a diverse site of signification and subjective identification, acknowledging that the social milieus that produce and are shaped by sexual dissidences are just as plural and not confined within national or regional borders alone. The Centre situates itself intellectually at the nexus of a wide variety of interdisciplinary work in the humanities and social sciences. Our work engages past and contemporary understandings of sexual subjectivity, ranging from the early modern period to the present day, while addressing historical differences; our work also examines dissident sexualities in comparative and postcolonial contexts, while being attentive to cultural and linguistic differences and recognising struggles for erotic autonomy as viable praxes of decolonisation. The texts with which we work to frame our teaching and research include literary texts, film, media, cybertexts, clinical and legal texts, and visual and non-print works.
Building on the pioneering work begun by Professors Alan Sinfield and Jonathan Dollimore at Sussex in the 1980s and 1990s, the Centre continues to produce innovative interdisciplinary scholarship on the study of sexual dissidence that is internationally recognised. Our overall goals are the exchange of ideas and the deepening of research in all areas of sexual dissidence study. The Centre attracts postgraduate students of high calibre from all parts of the United Kingdom and from around the globe, and their work contributes to the Centre's intellectual culture. Centre faculty bring a broad range of interdisciplinary expertise and scholarly perspectives to bear on the study of sexual dissidence--these include literary studies, early modern studies, postcolonial queer theory, South African writing, queer romanticism, the theory and practice of creative writing, psychoanalysis, social and cultural history, feminist and gender studies, cultural materialism, cultural studies, film, visual culture, and media studies. The Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence & Cultural Change provides an exciting research environment for faculty and postgraduate students from across these fields.
The Centre is not a separate Department, but is rather a way of framing work that takes place in and across a variety of disciplines within the University. Its work is enhanced by the University's reputation as a major research university with an overall commitment to interdisciplinary enquiry, and by its Brighton location, one of Britain's major cities for lesbian, gay, bi, transgender, and queer history, politics, and culture.
For more information on the Centre for the Study of Sexual Dissidence, please contact the Centre Director - Dr William Spurlin: w.j.spurlin@sussex.ac.uk, +(0)1273 873950.