Genders, Sexualities and Cities: A Review of South African Literatures

Abstract

Well-developed bodies of literature—of course with major lacunae as well as strengths—exist in relation to two areas of research and thought relevant to the emergence of better cities in the tortured territory and society of South Africa. The more personal scale deals with genders and sexualities and is energetic, young, globally linked and relatively open. At city scale, extensive literatures are voluminous though sometimes tied to global urban conceptual traditions, although there are many creative and original contributions too. From the perspective of intersections between the person and the city, what is lacking is more substantial work which brings questions common in genders and sexualities literatures to city scale enquiry, and some of the techniques of city enquiry into genders and sexualities research more broadly. There exists, however, a variety of types of work which consciously (sometimes otherwise) brings gender and sexuality studies to the city, and, in turn, brings city studies to exploration of genders and sexualities. The modest purpose of this intervention is to survey such literatures and to generate new questions for conceptualisation, research and writing. The intention is to aid new entrants to the field of genders, sexualities and cities to add creatively and substantially to scholarship.