5: Deviant & Normal Sexuality Flashcards
Sexual Citizenship in Canada 1900
Homosexuality was considered deviant, indicative of mental pathology
Sexual Citizenship in Canada 1950s
Seen as a mental disorder, challenged the notion of pathology; ‘sexual pluralism’
1969 Sexual Citizenship
consensual sex between two men under 21 was decriminalized** (PET - no place for the state in bedrooms of the nation)
- “Don’t ask don’t tell” passed around the military
The Stonewall Riots in New York, 1969: Police raid of a gay bar led to days of riots & protesting. In the same year, same-sex activities were decriminalized “There’s no place for the state in the bedroom of the nation”. Three years later, DSM removed homosexuality as a disorder.
Historical Construction of Sexuality: Aristocrats
> Aristocratic males could have marital sex for making male heirs, as well as sexual relationships with other women, slaves, foreigners, and aristocratic adolescent boys for pleasure.
- However, aristocratic men were expected to demonstrate sexual self-control, in part by having sexual relationships only with partners of different social status; sexual activity between two aristocratic men (i.e., two “equals”) was considered unacceptable and subjected to measures of social control such as through law
Historical Construction of Sexuality: Indigenous
Controls imposed upon Indigenous sexualities were “a key part of breaking up landholdings, ‘detribalizing’, and/or translating native territoriality and governance into the terms of [white settler] liberalism and legal geography
- For white settlers, sex was for reproduction, and pleasure & sexuality were frowned upon
- Women’s sexuality had to be controlled to maintain purity and assure paternity
- Union between white men and indigenous women was common because of scarcity of white women and Indigenous’ skills in trapping & language
- Binaries of sex, gender and sexuality were imposed on Indigenous cultures as part of a coercive assimilation
- As Métis grew, became discouraged & Indigenous became “hypersexualized” and “out of control”
Exotic Dancing Ongoing debates
dancers are victims of exploitation, or the decision is a choice, or that they exercise their agency through individual negotiations
Exotic Dancing
Structures of power exist individually (dancers are to embody what the customers want, dancers make fantasy based on “counterfeit intimacy”).
> Because of the way gender is socially constructed, male dancers feel more like “admired stars” while female dancers may feel more objectified
The organizational level of power is the rules governing customer-dancer behaviour
> May think the company exerts control over dancers, but they may use it to their advantage for making more money and for safety through boundaries
Both exist within the larger context of institutional power: competing interests among stakeholders, the structure of capitalism, and, for females, cultural ideals of female beauty
> Goal of owners is to increase revenue, dancers’ goal is to maximze their personal income which can be conflicting
Subjective Perspective
- Social construction processes and deviance dance
- Critical Theorist’s Perspective
- Symbolic Interactionism
- Power-Reflexive Theorizing
Structural Functionalist Theorizing
Talcott Parsons: Family provides a number of functions for society
1. care for children
2. socialization of children
3. social cohesion = social stability
> Sexual activity that is limited to marital relationships is most functional for society
> Sexual “deviance” are those who do not conform to societal standards (norms) and therefore threaten societal stability (potential anomie)
The Construction of a Social Problem: Prostitution
Morality → Public Health → Victimization → Worker rights
Oppression Paradigm
Sex workers are considered incapable of being agents of power or choice (subject to inconvenient findings: their voices are discounted as being indicative of their inability to notice their own oppression). Makes generalizations.
Should be replaced by a Polymorphous Paradigm: Recognizes the varied working conditions and experiences of different groups in varying arenas of sex work. It is important to recognize the difference between those who are victims and those who make the autonomous choice
Prostitution as a Moral Problem
Sinful
- It drives men away from their wives
- It’s the use of a body for purposes other than serving God
The Social Gospel Movement: We need to cleanse the community; only then can people living there find God
Criminal
1892- Canada’s Criminal Code: “Offenses Against Morality”
Infanticide, Sodomy, Incest, Indecency, Seduction, Corruption of Children, Prostitution, Providing or Procuring an Abortion
Prostitution: Morality → Public Health
The Gold Rush (1896-1899) Moving toward tolerance of the sex-trade
- Prostitution ‘necessary evil’
- Acknowledged gender imbalance in the Yukon
- Practical solution for men’s natural lust
- Tolerance would protect women from ‘sex hungry throngs’
1898: Dawson city public health law introduced
- All prostitutes had to be checked monthly for syphilis
1918: Alberta, Ontario, Saskatchewan
- Those charged with prostitution could be tested for STDs
- Government regulation of “educational” literature (like for STDs)
Prostitution: Public Health → Victimization
- Sex trade is linked to human trafficking
- Average age of entry into the sex trade was 13-15 in 2001
- Most male and female sex workers were victims of abuse in childhood
- Most have experienced violence in their work
- Criminality of trade makes work extremely dangerous
They are heavily stigmatized, marginalized and experience lower levels of health-care access
Brothel: Mustang Ranch and Its Women - Alexa Albert
- Requested permission to speak to its sex-trade workers, did not get approved until she got her medical agree
- Work came at a time where sex trade was illegal and victimized
- Brothels got them away from pimps but were still under male management, giving a % to the owner
- Cautions against the dangers still brought in brothels
