Uses and Abuses of Sexuality in Social Interactions: Empirical Evidence from Russia

This article is based on an analysis of 19 in-depth qualitative interviews conducted in four regions of the Russian Federation between 2002 and 2004. Issues related to reliance on the body in human interactions outside the sphere of intimate relationships are explored. It is argued that the lack of adequate means of co-ordination in politics and in professional activities induce references to the body in unsuitable contexts and formats of interaction. Links between the body and two other co-ordination devices, convention and power, are explored. Two cases, namely sexual harassment and machismo, are considered in greater detail.