Greta LaFleur, Assistant Professor of American Studies (Yale University)
“If sexology—the science of sex—came into being sometime in the nineteenth century, then how did statesmen, scientists, and everyday people make meaning out of sex before that point? In this talk, Greta LaFleur explores how eighteenth-century natural history—the study of organic life in its environment—actually provided the intellectual foundations for the later development of the scientific study of sex.”
Greta LaFleur is Assistant Professor of American Studies. Her research and teaching focuses on early North American literary and cultural studies, the history of science, the history of race, the history and historiography of sexuality, and queer studies. Her first book, The Natural History of Sexuality in Early America (Johns Hopkins University Press, 2018), brings together the history of sexuality and early environmental studies to explore how sexual behaviors were understood in the eighteenth-century Atlantic world. She is currently at work on a new book project on the relationship of cultural and legal responses to sexual violence to the history of sexuality. She is also the editor (with Kyla Schuller) of a special issue of American Quarterly, organized around the theme of “Origins of Biopolitics in the Americas” (forthcoming Sept. 2019).
- Sexuality, Humoralism, and the Environment April 8, 2019
Kallie Hutchinson Greta LaFleur’s lecture explicitly attempted to trace the relationships between sexuality, human sexual diversity, humoralism, and the environment. In her discussion, Professor LaFleur explained the roles of sexuality in the ... - The Environment of Sexuality April 8, 2019
egrubman Last week’s lecture by Professor Greta LaFleur touched upon the history of sexuality in relation to the environment. While seemingly a bit less related to the lecture series topic at ... - Humoralism and its’ Relevance Today April 8, 2019
William Kirby Professor LeFleur’s lecture on theories of early sexuality fit perfectly into the theme of our past lectures and guest speakers. Beginning with an analysis of her recently published text, The ... - Location Impacting Sexuality April 8, 2019
Adam Zarfos Professor Greta LaFleur’s lecture on the history of sexuality in relation to the environment was really thought-provoking and tied back into many of the previous lectures and discussions we have ... - Climate Theory of Sexuality April 8, 2019
slattia I found Greta LaFleur’s presentation “Toward an Environmental Theory of Early Sexuality” on April 1 quite enlightening. I believe the topics she discussed are very relevant in our modern day ... - Revising Our Perception of Sexuality April 8, 2019
Zaie Nursey Greta LaFleur’s lecture explored the relationship between the environment and sexuality. She explained how sex was understood in the 18th century and how that is related to our environments. She ... - Sexual Politics of Racial Difference April 8, 2019
easogu21 Professor Greta LaFleur’s lecture, “Toward an Environmental Theory of Early Sexuality” was very enlightening because it explores the history of sex and how the meaning of it has changed throughout ... - Categorizing the Fear of Difference April 7, 2019
Audrey Bell One member of the audience asked for elaboration on the archaic suggestion that different types of humans are associated with various plants and animals. This was in reference to Linnaeus’ ... - The Environment and how it Affects Sexuality April 4, 2019
Isabella Scribano Greta LaFleur, an Associate professor of American Studies at Yale University, gave a lecture titled, “Toward an Environmental Theory of Early Sexuality.” Her talk explores how eighteenth- century natural history- ...