CH 1- Perspectives on Sexuality PDF

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Chapter 1 "Perspectives on Sexuality" in Our Sexuality by Crooks, Baur, and Widman 14th edition....

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Chapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality

Chapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality Sexual Intelligence: 

Sexual Intelligence has four parts: self-understanding about sexuality, interpersonal sexual skills, accurate scientific knowledge, and consideration of the cultural and political contexts surrounding skills. o Self-understanding about sexuality: learning more about yourself as a sexual being, what are your personal attitudes, beliefs, behaviors, and values. o Interpersonal sexual skills: the ability to talk openly about sexuality and sexual health, to be assertive about your sexual limits and desires, and to be responsive to the sexual limits and desires of any sexual partners that you may have. o Accurate scientific knowledge: research-based knowledge that allows us to learn about what happens to our bodies during sexual arousal and how to enhance pleasure, how to best protect ourselves from sexually transmitted infections, and what factors create satisfying long-term relationships. o Consideration of the cultural and political contexts: cultural norms (including within our friend groups, families, communities, and broader society) which influence our desires, shape our sexual attitudes, and impact our sexual behavior. Political and economic factors also determine some of the choices we may or may not be allowed to make regarding sexuality.

A Psychosocial Orientation: 

Psychosocial: a combination of psychological and social factors. o Psychological factors: emotions, attitudes, and motivations. o Social factors: process by which we learn our social groups expectations and norms. o Biological factors: the roles of hormones, genetics, and the nervous system.

Diversity in Human Sexuality: Individuals of many ethnic groups live in the United States resulting in a wide range of sexual values and behaviors here. Educational level and socioeconomic status are also crucial in influencing sexual attitudes and behaviors.  Sexual attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs about sexuality and gender often vary widely within the same religious groups.  Fundamentalists— whether, Christian, Muslim, Jewish, or other religious groups— are far more are far more restrictive of sexual behavior and roles for men and women than their more-liberal counterparts.

A Note about Inclusive Terminology: pg. 6 Research on gender identity and sexual orientation has expanded resulting in the terminology evolving over time.

Our Cultural Legacy: Sex for Procreation and Rigid Gender Roles In the Western world, there are two broad themes that have shaped societal expectations surrounding the purpose of sexual behavior and expectations for male and female sexuality: the belief that procreation is the only legitimate reason for sexual expression and the value of rigid distinctions between traditional male and female gender roles.

Chapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality

Sex for Procreation: pg. 7-8 

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Roman Catholic doctrine and some pro-life organizations continue to hold the belief that the only moral sexual expression occurs within marriage primarily for purposes of procreation while also strengthening the marriage bond. o The American Life League, a Catholic pro-life education organization, maintains that people should not use contraception because birth control can lead to the idea that sex doesn’t have to do with procreation and has made sex a recreational activity. Sexual behaviors with no possibility of procreation like masturbation, oral sex, anal, and sex between same-sex partners has been viewed as immoral, sinful, perverted, or illegal. o Oral and anal sex remained illegal in 10 states until 2003, when the Supreme Court determined that the constitutional right to privacy protects private sexual contact between consenting adults. Foreplay: non-intercourse sexual activities, usually activities before intercourse.

Male and Female Gender Roles in Sexuality: pg. 8-10   

The gender-role legacy is based on far more than the physiological differences between males and females; many people don’t fit neatly into a male or female gender experience. Rigid genderrole conditioning can limit any person’s potential and can harm their sexuality. In most cultures, women face more restrictions on, and experience greater sanctions against, their sexuality when compared to men. In the U.S. women are judged more harshly than men for engaging in casual sex or for having multiple partners. Slut Shaming: humiliating, intimidating, or degrading a person (typically woman) because of their sexual behavior. o Women tend to slut shame to express contempt for another woman, or they do so to exempt themselves from being targeted.

Sexuality in the Western World: A Historical Perspective Judaic and Christian Traditions: pg. 10-11 

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In Hebraic culture, the book of Proverbs lists the duties of a good wife: she must instruct servants, care for her family, keep household accounts, and obey her husband. Procreation (especially of males) was essential due to the history of persecution to Hebrews’, sex within marriage was believed to be a reproductive necessity. An appreciation of sexuality displayed was displayed in Judaic tradition but was overshadowed by the teachings of Christianity. o This is since many exotic cults had been imported from Greece, Persia, and other parts of the Roman Empire to provide sexual entertainment and amusement, causing early Christians to separate themselves and associate sex with sin. Paul of Tarsus, a follower of Christianity, had a crucial influence on the early church, many of his writings were incorporated into the Christian Bible, in the New Testament. He believed that all things of flesh were bad, and only things of spirit were good. Celibacy: historically defined as the state of being unmarried, now currently defined as abstention from sexual behaviors.

Sex as Sinful: pg. 11-12

Chapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality

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Augustine the bishop declared that lust was the original sin of Adam and Eve and wrote that intercourse could only rightly take place within marriage for the purpose of procreation. o Augustine also believed that female subordination was intrinsic of God’s creation, leading to the idea that intercourse in a position other than that with the man on top was “unnatural”. Theologian Thomas Aquinas further refined the belief that sex was sinful. He insisted that human sexual organs were designed for procreation and anything besides that—same-sex acts, oral sex, or anal sex—was agonist’s God’s will, essentially a “crime against nature”. o Local priests relied on handbooks called Penitential (catalogs of sins with corresponding penances) to guide them in responding to confessions.

Eve Versus Mary: pg. 12  

In the Middle Ages two contradictory images of women appeared that impacted female sexuality and a women’s place in society, the Virgin Mary and Eve as an evil temptress. Mary was presented as a gracious, compassionate protector while Eve portrayed as the temptress in the Garden of Eden and had an increased emphasis on Eve’s sin which led to heightened antagonism toward women.

A Sex-Positive Shift: pg. 12 

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The view that nonreproductive sex as sinful was modified by Protestant reformers in the 16th century. Martin Luther and John Calvin recognized the value of sex within a marriage, and that sex within marriage was permissible if it stemmed “from a desire for children, or to avoid fornication, or to lighten and ease the cares and sadness’s of household affairs, or to endear each other”. Women gained increased respect, for a short period of time, such as, Mary Wollstonecraft of England, was acknowledged for their intelligence, wit, and vivacity.

The Victorian Era: pg. 13 The Victorian era was named after British Queen Victoria, brought on highly defined roles among the sexes. Women’s sexuality was polarized between the image of Madonna (“Madonna —whore”) and Eve. Upper-and middle-class women were valued for their delicacy and ladylike manners—causing them to be restrained by restrictive devices as corsets, hoops, and bustles. Women’s duties were centered on fulfilling their families’ spiritual needs and providing a comfortable home for their husbands to retreat to after working all day.  Victorians encouraged self-restraint in all aspects of their lives, however this proved ironic since prostitution flourished during the Victorian era.  The gender-role of separation between husbands and wives created sexual and emotional distance in many Victorian marriages. Men could smoke, drink, joke, and find sexual companionship with the women who turned to prostitution out of economic necessity while the wives were constrained by the expectations of modesty and sexual repression. Sexuality Diversity: Slavery’s Assault on Sexuality and Gender Roles: pg. 13-15  Stereotypes of black sexuality provided a justification for the institution of slavery and White power; Europeans reacted to African customs with fear and even disgust. o They dehumanize black people as animalistic, oversexed “heathens”, White slave owners used this as rationale for exploitation and domination.  The symbol for Black womanhood was the Jezebel—a seductress with an insatiable sexual appetite. White men used these prejudices to exempt their sexual abuse and exploitation of Black 

Chapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality

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women. Enslaved women did not have proper clothing to cover their bodies “properly” and their work in both the fields and house required them to raise their dresses above their knees, this was considered “immoral”. Slaves had no right to their bodies. During slave sales they were stripped naked so that potential buyers could examine them, including their genitals. Slave owners often forced sex onto the women to produce more slaves. “Mammy” was the counterbalance to Jezebel and represented the slave owners’ successful civilizing of Black women, including their sexuality; they were portrayed as loyal, obedient, and asexual. She cleaned, cooked, and cared for White children, often even nursing infants. The male counterpart to Jezebel was that of a highly sexual and potentially violent Black man. Whites exploited Black men’s ability to work and to produce offspring, stereotyped to have a larger-than-White-sized-penis; slave owners depended economically on their male slaves. o The fabricated threat that White women are seduced by Black men were beaten, whipped, castrated, and lynched as a result; lynching was used to maintain social order.

The Beginning of the 20th Century: pg.15-16 Sigmund Freud’s belief that sexuality was innate in women as well as in men helped expand Victorian concepts about sexuality.  Physician Havelock Ellis in his book On Life and Sex and in Studies in the Psychology of Sex regarded any sexual practice—including masturbation and homosexuality— are healthy if no one was harmed.  The women’s suffrage movement began in the late 19th century with the goal of giving women the right to vote, grew out of several related developments, such as the abolition of slavery and the demand that women be permitted to attend universities and hold property.  U.S. involvement in World War I created an environment for increased equality and flexibility of gender roles as women left the traditional homemaker role and took up jobs for the first time.  Henry Ford’s automobiles of the 1920s provided increased independence and privacy for young people’s sexual explorations.  “Flappers” —young, urban, single, middle-class women— rejected the ideals of Victorian restraint for short slinky dresses and exuberant, close-contact dancing of the Roaring Twenties. Women usually avoided premarital intercourse to prevent pregnancy and jeopardizing their reputations. o In the Great Depression, the 1930s, hardships led to new las mandating the right of women to have access to contraceptive information and devices. Before the development of penicillin in the 1940s, there was no effective treatment for life-threatening sexually transmitted infections. After World War II: pg. 16-18  After WWII women returned the workplace to the men and devoted themselves to their homes, children, and husbands. Psychology at the time described working women as neurotic and suffered “penis envy”. The fashion industry “refeminized” women by emphasizing the bustline and small waist and featured full skirts.  Alfred Kinsey data pertained to the prevalence of women’s sexual interest and response were shocking to professionals and the public; newfound data on the occurrence of same-sex behavior, masturbation, and novel acts in the bedroom contributed to growing acceptance.  In the 1950s television emphasized suburban social conformity with married couples sleeping in separate beds, as well as Playboy which emphasized sex as recreational. 

Chapter 1: Perspectives on Sexuality

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The oral contraceptive pill was introduced in the 1960s, later the intrauterine device, morningafter pills, and spermicides gave women newfound security in pursuing sexual pleasure with a reduced fear of pregnancy. In 1965 the Supreme Court ruled the use of contraceptives by married couples legal and by 1972 the use of contraceptives by unmarried individuals was made legal. In the 1960s and 1970s attitudes towards homosexuality changed, more people began LGBT people began to openly declare their identities and argued that personal matters should not affect their rights. In 1973 the American Psychiatric Association removed sexuality from its diagnostic categories of mental disorders. Early 1980s brought the first AIDS diagnosis; this “gay-plague “increased the visibility of LGBT individuals and amplified both negative and positive public sentiments. In the 1990s due to activism, television began to incorporate LGBT characters into programming; the LGBT representation on TV was mainly portrayed by White, gay men. Obergefell v. Hodges: ruled in favor of marriage equality in 2015

The Media and Sexuality: In the 1450s books began to be mechanically printed instead of handwritten, black-and-white silent movies entered the audience in 1865, in 1896 The Kiss portraying first couple kissing in cinematic history. The first black-and-white television sets arrived in 1940s and by 1972 colored television sets surpassed the black-and-white sets. In the 1980s home computers arrived and commercial internet became available, technology has expanded since then.

Traditional Media: pg. 18-21 Television: pg. 18-2o  Television influenced sexual attitudes and behaviors since lots of people spent time watching it. America’s time spent watching TV has decreased about an hour per day.  The level of sexual explicitness in languages, jokes, and behavior has greatly increased with sexual content being in about 82% of TV programs.  The Federal Communications Commission imposed standards on public network television but not on cable stations. TV programs were able to inform the audience. Music Videos: pg. 20  Since 1981, televised music videos have bridged television programs and the music industry. Studies have found that adolescents who listen to music with degrading sexual lyrics were twice as likely to have had sexual intercourse and engaged in a greater variety of sexual activities compared to those who had less exposure to songs with degrading lyrics. Advertising: pg. 20-21  Advertising can either be present in media, like TV ads, or stand alone, like billboards. Sexual appeal can be a powerful marketing tool. Advertising relies on the false promises that love or sex or both will come with acquisition of a certain product. Magazines: pg. 21  Some research has shown that more frequent reading of mainstream magazines among college students is associated more with consistent use of contraceptives and with greater sexual health knowledge and safe-sex behaviors and can provide positive support for sexual exploration.

New Media and Sexuality: pg. 21-23

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People in disparate social groups—different age groups, races, religions ethnic groups, and economic groups— can communicate more easily than ever before. Distance and social barriers have significantly decreased. Sex education materials provided through digital and social media can provide quick access to useful information. The internet has also been used as a dating service.

Sexuality: Where the Personal Is Political In the 21st century there are controversies about social policies, laws, and ethics in almost every area related to human sexuality—many of which are decided by voters, the executive branch of the government, state and federal courts, the U.S. Supreme Court, and school boards....