Ch. 1: Sexuality in other Cultures

Question 1

Ethnocentrism

Answer 1

judging other cultures to appear superior

Question 2

How do Inis Beag and Mangaia communities vary culturally when it comes to sex?

Answer 2

Inis Beag- very conservative and don’t believe in french kissing

Mangaia- very sex-positive and have teens practice sex with older partners

Question 3

Aside from culture, what else shapes sexual variations?

Answer 3

social class and ethnicity also shape sexuality

Question 4

What are the universal taboos that exist globally?

Answer 4

incest & the regulation of sex

Question 5

How is gender viewed in the U.S versus other cultures?

Answer 5

U.S: men & woman (binary)

other cultures: 3-4 genders & “intertwined” genders

Question 6

cultivation theory

Answer 6

exposure to mass media warps sexuality from the reality of what people typically do

Ex: porn warps the idea of what sex typically is like

Question 7

framing theory

Answer 7

media defines what is important based on what they cover

ex: using words like f*g instead of LGBTQ+ frames sex between same-sex partners as incorrect and unimportant

Question 8

social cognitive theory

Answer 8

media provides role models that we imitate

ex: kim kardasian is a role model to young girls on what a “desirable” woman looks like which pushes them to imitate her body with bbls

Question 9

reinforcing spiral theory

Answer 9

social identities influence our selection of media which reinforces sexual ideologies

ex: hetero individual select hetero porn which reinforces their sexuality

Question 10

differential susceptibility model

Answer 10

some people are more vulnerable to media effects than others

ex: someone who is LGBTQ+ who lives in a “traditional” household may be more vulnerable to the effects of hetero media on their sexuality (what they feel safe doing)

Question 11

What were the different conclusions about sexuality that the Greeks, Christians and Muslims made about 100 years ago?

Answer 11

Greeks: humans used to be half male and female, double male, or double female but were split in half by the gods. Heterosexuality & homosexuality come about as humans search for their other half.

Christians: “wet dreams” are the result of have sex with a spirit called an incubi. Those who had these dreams were guilty of sodomy and witchcraft.

Muslims: sexual intercourse is one of the best pleasure in life and reflects the teachings of the koran

Question 12

Sexual behavior

Answer 12

Behavior that produces arousal and increases the chance of orgasm

Question 13

Who are two important early sex researchers?

Answer 13

Sigmund Freud & Henry Havelock Ellis

Question 14

What did Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939) contribute to the scientific understanding of sexuality?

Answer 14

• collected info on sexuality (medical & anthropological findings, case histories)
• urged society to accept sexuality outside of man & woman
• believed mand & woman are both sexual beings

Question 15

What did Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902) contribute to the scientific understanding of sexuality?

Answer 15

• examined “pathological” sexuality
• collected over 200 case histories of pathological individuals
• coined concepts of sadism, masochism & pedophilia
• coined terms: heterosexuality & homosexuality

Question 16

What did Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935) contribute to the scientific understanding of sexuality?

Answer 16

• founded first sex research institute
• administered first large-scale sex survey (10,000 people and 130 Qs)
• wrote first journal devoted to the study of sex
• provided marriage counseling, legal reform, and advice on contraception & sex issues
• especially interested in homosexuality
• coined the term transvestite

Question 17

What did Alfred Kinsey and his collegues (1940s) contribute to the scientific understanding of sexuality?

Answer 17

• massive surveys of human sexual behavior in the U.S

- investigated sexual disorders and physiology of sexual response

Question 18

What did Margaret Mead and Bronislaw Malinowski contribute to the scientific understanding of sexuality?

Answer 18

-collected data on sexual behavior in other cultures

Question 19

What did Freud contribute to the scientific understanding of sexuality?

Answer 19

-used Victorian sex data to develop his psychoanalytic theory connecting sexual tensions to conflict

Question 20

Masturbation

Answer 20

self-stimulation of the genitals to produce sexual arousal

Question 21

Overview the history of sex in China

Answer 21

• positive attitude towards human sexuality
• rich erotic literature
• sex manuals
• but in 1400s repressive sex attitudes became dominant
• sexual liberation began in 1980s and continues today in large cities

Question 22

What are some sexual practices among humans that also exist in other animals?

Answer 22

• masturbation
• same-gender sexual behavior
• flirting (aka sexual signaling)

Question 23

How is human sexual behavior unique from other species?

Answer 23

• environmental influences are important in shaping sexual behavior (isolation can disrupt sexual behavior in monkeys)
• female sexual behavior is not strongly controlled by hormones (we don’t go through “heat”)

Question 24

What are some nonsexual uses of sexual behavior seen in animals?

Answer 24

• showcasing dominance by “mounting” after a fight
• showing aggression by displaying erect penis
• rape (aggression)
• to gain money (prostituting)

Question 25

sexual health

Answer 25

a state of physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality (not just an absence of disease, dysfunction, or other)

Question 26

sexual rights

Answer 26

right regarding sexuality, both negative and positive, like the right to reproductive self-determination, sexual self-expression, and freedom from sexual abuse and violence.