PERSPECTIVES ON HUMAN SEXUALITY Norms related to sex. (A norm is a range of acceptable behavior in a particular situation.

) There are three different types of norms. 1. Folkways are mild norms, punished by sarcasm, social rejection, and etceteras. 2. Mores ("MO-rays") are very severely sanctioned by death or exile. 3. Laws are written norms, which overlap the other two categories. However, rather than being enforced by the community as a whole, they are enforced by specific groups. Another contrast to the other two categories is that laws can change most quickly. Religious and philosophic values in U.S. mainly originated from Judeo-Christian values which vary greatly. Values communicated by media. What popular cultural standards related to sexuality are promoted by the media? What are not? Religious Influences Judaism (Jewish calendar almost 6000 years) I. "Be fruitful and multiply" A. Man's immortality (heavenly or secular) linked to sons sired (family name) B. If son not sired via wife, husband could take a handmaiden (mistress, concubine) to get a son. II. "Be fruitful" led to aversion of sexual acts that did not lead to procreation. A. Masturbation B. Oral/anal sex C. Coitus interruptus D. Birth control III. Freud's interpretation of "original sin" Eve tempted by devil, and she tempts Adam. Leads to negative interpretation of nakedness (examples of Old Testament warning about incest).

IV. Premarital sex not prohibited by Old Testament under certain conditions: A. Act is unpremeditated. Relate to current use of birth control (wallet condom/teen pregnancy examples). B. Force is not used. C. Money or third party not involved (no pimping or prostitution). V. Female virginity emphasized Then they were not aware of ovum or gestation period, but they were aware man's seed (ejaculation). Virgins analogous to untilled soil. If not sure of paternity, man's immortality threatened. VI. Positive, natural outlook toward marital sex. Marital sex viewed as "blessed by God" and given for man to enjoy. Women seen as men's sexual property, but Judaism sees them as equals in comradeship, homemaking, parenthood. VII. Double standard of sexual morality indicated that husbands can have intercourse with other women (to have son) to guarantee their immortality, but if wife has intercourse with others (even before marriage) casts doubts on whose immortality is being assured. Christianity (about 2000 years) I. Dualistic philosophy contrasts the "spirit" with the "flesh." So the spirit can get to heaven, must practice self-denial and get rid of earthly pleasures wealth, comfort, sexual pleasures. Poverty given up quickly to spread the word, but even marital celibacy maintained for some time. Thus led to sex being viewed as a necessary "evil" only for procreation. As paraphrased from the Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus): "If they cannot control themselves, let them marry, for it is better to marry than to burn" (Hell vs. passion interpretations). II. Women viewed as incarnation of sex, therefore the incarnation of sin, leading to women's lowered status. III. Sexual repression continued via Puritans. Although marital sex was practiced for other than reproduction, there still was a negative view of sex outside of marriage (example of Scarlet Letter). Bundling practiced in lower classes negative view of public physical affection. IV. Queen Victoria (100-150 years ago) hid anything that hinted of sex (examples of "limb," "breaking wind," "doing it," dust ruffles). This led to negative cultural values about openly discussing sexual matters, but this is changing (examples of bras on TV, condoms, and this class).

Sexual (R)evolution did not start with Playboy or Penthouse. I. Secularization Separation of church and state and rise of scientific thought reduced power of the church. II. Industrialization and Urbanization First there was movement of people to industrialized areas (cities) and later to the suburbs. Mobility leads to anonymity and increased independence (college example). III. Cures for STDs Penicillin developed for syphilis and gonorrhea in 1940s. STD fears returned in 1980s with AIDS and resistant strains of other STDs. IV. More efficient methods of birth control developed, and abortion was legalized in 1973. V. Two political views had a great effect A. Anarchism led to "free love." "If society did not enroach on the sovereignty of the individual, and the individual did not enroach on the sovereignty of others, the mutual adjustment of two people would take place without outside interference." B. Feminism (Women's Liberation) led to changes in voting, employment and the sexual double standard (even though the struggle still continues). Movement led to women's independence in saying "yes" or "no" to sexual activity along with assuming responsibility for the decision. There needs to be a balance between rights and responsibilities. Conclusion Sex mores take hundreds to thousands of years to develop, involving slow changes over generations. In contrast, the relatively quick changes with abortion sanctions involved law only, with much of the population still split one the mores (morality) of the issue. Incest Taboo All cultures, with exceptions in ancient Egyptian and Hawaiian royalty, have incest taboos. Incest is universally related to avoiding intercourse with one's child, sibling and parent, but it varies culturally outside of the immediate family. There are four theories to explain the universality of the incest taboo. I. Recessive genes Recessive genes can carry positive or negative traits, but inbreeding increases the chances that recessive genes combine to cause the trait. II. Sexual conflict ("Just as good as ma" example) III. Role conflict ("I'm My Own Grandpa" song example)

IV. Mutual assistance theory Common offspring solidify alliances and insure survival (cavemen and pre-WWI royalty examples). It led to levirate and sororate systems and is related to Onanism. Unnatural Sex We tend to disapprove of certain practices according to subjective criteria. I. Procreation (Judeo-Christian) criterion It is unnatural, if it cannot lead to pregnancy, like: A. Masturbation B. Oral/anal sex (related to homosexual acts) C. Coitus interruptus and birth control methods D. Sex with prepubertal children II. Life-long bond criterion It is natural if it is a consenting act within married heterosexual couples. However, currently marriage and heterosexual criteria are changing. Still excludes non-committed relationships, adultery or premarital and non-consenting acts. III. Pleasure criterion Everything is natural as long as it is enjoyed by all involved. Excludes rape and coercion (kids too). IV. Nothing criterion Every act is "natural," since these acts can occur in nature. Kinsey believes that, by definition, unnatural acts cannot occur in nature. In discussing sexuality, we need to be sure that we all mean the same thing. None of us would want to do things we classify as "unnatural," but we need to make sure we share the same criteria in defining what is "unnatural".