This work investigates how societal norms and cultural expectations construct the framework through which female sexuality is experienced and performed. Judith Long Laws, a sociologist specializing in gender dynamics, utilizes a social constructionist framework to challenge biological essentialism. She argues that sexual behavior is not an innate drive but a learned script dictated by historical, social, and institutional power structures.

Scholars frequently cite this text as a foundational contribution to the sociological study of gender and sexuality. Readers often note the academic density of the prose, which is intended for an audience familiar with sociological theory and gender studies discourse.