Study Will Assess Scholarship on Latino Sexuality

Dr. Marysol Asencio

A two-year, $304,000 grant from the Ford Foundation is supporting a new assessment of research on Latino sexuality.

Headed by Dr. Marysol Asencio, associate professor of Human Development and Family Studies and Puerto Rican and Latino Studies, the study will also assemble a 10-member, nationally acclaimed peer board of scholars to identify uncharted research areas and Latino scholars in the field.

"Sexuality is a lens. In the same way that gender, socioeconomic status and race allow us to examine society and social interaction, so does sexuality. We view a number of broader issues through it," says Dr. Asencio, a national expert in issues of Latinos, sexuality, gender, migration and race and ethnicity issues.

"The study of Latino sexualities examines practices, meanings and contexts, not only because they provide information to assist in health-related issues and social concerns such as HIV/AIDS and pregnancy, but for what they tell us about the larger culture and societal organization. Research with Latinos in the broad field of sexuality is still rather limited and many areas are still unexplored. Moreover, there has been a history of pathologizing Latinos and sexualities which needs to be addressed."

The Institute of Puerto Rican and Latino Studies (PRLS) serves as a multipurpose, interdisciplinary research and teaching program with a focus on Puerto Rican, Mexican and other populations of Latin American origin.

"Through the Ford Foundation, we have a wonderful commitment and chance to engage scholars across the nation, assess the field and encourage dialogues and mechanisms to move it forward" she says.

Two major components of the grant will be to publish the research analysis for wider dissemination in the second year of the grant, and a national conference based on this work in October 2007. Broadening the field of experts in the topic of Latino sexualities will be a priority, as well as linking the research to policy and programmatic initiatives, both at UConn and beyond.

"We view this as a mentoring opportunity, to identify junior researchers and pair them with senior experts in the field, as well as cultivate an entirely new generation of students and scholars, in particular Latino students and researchers," says Dr. Asencio.

"The grant is about bringing all of the pieces together," she says. "It's assessing what we already know, and allowing us to look into the future."