Bio: (1948-) American sociologist. Steven Seidman received his PhD in sociology from the University of Virginia and works as a professor of sociology at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany. Seidman's main focus is on the topics of sexuality, queer studies, and social theory. In The Postmodern Turn  (1994), he argues that queer theory rejects any single unifying identity, but, rather, sees individuals as having multiple unstable and always shifting identities. Seidman thinks that queer theory is on its way to becoming less focused on only queer topics and to representing a more general postmodern social theory. He explains this shift in this way: “from explaining the modern homosexual to questions of the operation of the hetero/homosexual binary, from an exclusive preoccupation with homosexuality to a focus on heterosexuality as a social and political organizing principle, and from a politics of minority interest to a politics of knowledge and difference” (Saidman, 1996, p. 9).

In Romantic Longings (1991), Seidman presents a distinctive analysis of the historical origins and contemporary meaning of American intimate culture. Drawing on diverse sources—including sex surveys, advice manuals, autobiographies, and novels—he traces a shift from Victorian spiritual ideals toward modern efforts to eroticize love. Emphasizing that current understandings of intimacy are rooted in twentieth-century social and historical changes, he identifies the emergence of a post–World War II culture of eroticism in which sexuality is understood both as a domain of emotional closeness and as a source of pleasure and self-expression.

In The Social Construction of Sexuality (2003), Seidman examines the political and social effects of privileging certain sexual practices and identities while marginalizing others. He explores the mechanisms of social control and the role of institutions in shaping dominant beliefs, norms, and moral standards surrounding sexuality.

In Psychoanalysis and Contemporary American Men: Gender Identity in a Time of Uncertainty (2018), co-authored with Alan Frank, Seidman integrates historical, sociological, and psychoanalytic perspectives to develop a nuanced, multidimensional understanding of American men today. Challenging reductive stereotypes, the authors argue that men, like women, are complex and layered subjects. In the context of the #MeToo movement, they express concern that while the movement’s aims are vital, it has coincided with the resurgence of negative stereotypes about men at a moment when male gender identities are being actively renegotiated. Adopting a critical, non-heteronormative perspective, Seidman and Frank address contemporary transformations in gender relations and question dominant public narratives that depict men as narrowly phallic—controlling, emotionally distant, sexist, and homophobic. As a counterpoint, they propose an alternative view of men as “guardians,” motivated by a desire to be useful, to act ethically, and to lead meaningful lives grounded in care and responsibility toward partners, children, and society more broadly.

Main works

Liberalism and the Origins of European Social Theory (1983);

Jürgen Habermas on Society & Politics (1989);

Culture and Society: Contemporary Debates (1990);

Romantic Longings: Love in America, 1830–1980 (1991);

Postmodernism and Social Theory (1992);

Embattled Eros: Sexual Politics and Ethics in Contemporary America (1992);

The Postmodern Turn (1994);

Social Postmodernism (1995);

Queer Theory/Sociology (1996);

Difference Troubles: Queering Social Theory and Sexual Politics (1997);

The New Social Theory: Contemporary Debates (2001);

Handbook of Lesbian and Gay Studies (2002);

Beyond the Closet: The Transformation of Gay and Lesbian Life (2002);

The Social Construction of Sexuality (2003);

Contested Knowledge: Social Theory in the Postmodern Era (2004);

Handbook of the New Sexuality Studies (2006);

Introducing the New Sexuality Studies (2011);

Psychoanalysis and Contemporary American Men: Gender Identity in a Time of Uncertainty (2018).