Posthuman conceptualisations of young people’s sexualities

Abstract

Posthumanism holds a direct focus on materiality and centralises the role of nonhuman, agents in the understanding of phenomena. The aim of this paper is to locate the understanding of young people's sexualities within posthuman perspectives. Specifically, the paper refers mainly to Karen Barad’s work to conceptualise the understanding of young people's sexual selves. The presence of numerous sexuality discourses that surround their lives is acknowledged as a starting point in the understanding of their sexual relations. The recognition that matter and discursive formations in language are intertwined has led to a conceptual shift that is influencing conceptualisations of young people’s sexualities, and how research on young people's sexual selves is framed and conducted. The paper argues that the posthuman turn provides a productive framework for understanding the multi-faceted complexities surrounding the sexualities of young people.