HETEROSEXUAL INSTRUMENTALISM - PAST AND FUTURE-DIRECTIONS

Two distinct strands of feminist thought have emerged in the past 20 years in explaining the behaviors of rape, sexual harassment, incest, prostitution and the presentation of these found in pornography. One group of theorists construes these behaviors and pornography as violent and terroristic outcomes of male dominance, while a second group views them simply as forms of heterosexuality. Utilizing, primarily, the theoretical insights of the latter group, this article offers a conceptual definition of heterosexuality - as an eroticized, hegemonic ideology of male dominance. The literature on the above behaviors and pornography is reviewed to determine if there is support for such a conceptualization. Finding support, suggestions are made for future research and the need for a unified feminist theory of sexuality.