Chapter 10 - Flashcards
1
Q
Sexuality
A
Broad term that refers to sexual identity, sexual practices, sexual attractiveness, and sexual desires.
2
Q
Sexual orientation
A
The direction of a person’s. erotic and romantic attraction to a particular sex.
- Reference point = sex.
- Sexual orientation is thought of in terms of sex.
- Example: someone who is bisexual: is sexually attracted to either of the sexes, women or men.
- Example: someone who is heterosexual: is attracted to the opposite sex.
3
Q
Bisexual
A
A person who is sexually attracted to people of both sexes.
4
Q
Heterosexual
A
A person who is sexually attracted to people of the opposite sex.
5
Q
Homosexual
A
A person who is attracted to people of the same sex.
6
Q
“Homosexual” Word History
A
- Increasingly common to use “gay”, “gay person”, or “lesbian” instead of “homosexual”.
- Because the word “homosexual” has a history of being used in clinical discussions about how gay people are psychologically unhealthy.
- Homosexuality was listed as a mental illness in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM).
- Aversion therapy was used to “cure” homosexuality, including electric shock treatments.
- Homosexuality removed from DSM in 1987.
- Many gay individuals avoid the term “homosexual” because of the reasons above.
7
Q
Pansexual
A
- Traditional definitions of sexual orientation depend on a binary understanding of sex, evident in the words “same” and “opposite” sex.
- Pansexual sexual orientation is outside of the binary view of sex or gender.
- Pansexual: sexual and romantic attraction to people regardless of their gender identity or biological sex.
8
Q
Asexual
A
- Asexual: little to no sexual and romantic attraction, including limited interest in sexual activity.
9
Q
Questioning
A
Questioning means an individual who is unsure of their sexual orientation or gender identity.
10
Q
Allies
A
Allies are heterosexual individuals who support legal and social rights for LGBTQ+ individuals.
11
Q
LGBTQQIP2SAA -> LGBTQ+
A
- Lesbian
- Gay
- Bisexual
- Transgender
- Queer
- Questioning
- Intersex
- Pansexual
- Two-Sprit
- Asexual
- Ally
12
Q
Two Important Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality
A
The social construction of sexuality and queer theory.
13
Q
Sexology
A
- Sexology = the science of sex, emerged in the mid-1800s.
14
Q
Masturbation
A
- Masturbation was categorized as a perversion of “self-abuse”, and it was seen as a gateway toward other perversions of sexual behaviors.
15
Q
Sexology Categorization
A
- Sexology focused on sexual behaviors, it categorized sexual behaviors and identities. Anything outside of heterosexual vaginal penetrative sex was seen as “abnormal” (often called perversions).
- Sexologists categorized people into heterosexual or homosexual, with heterosexuality considered the norm due to its perceived procreative function.
16
Q
Same-Sex Abnormality in Sexology
A
- Same-sex behaviors and desires were typically labeled as abnormal within this framework.
17
Q
Alfred Kinsey’s Contribution
A
- Alfred Kinsey and colleagues challenged these rigid categories, suggesting a continuum of sexuality rather than strict binaries.
- Kinsey’s work helped broaden understanding of sexuality beyond limited categories like heterosexual or homosexual.
18
Q
The sociology of sexuality
A
- In the 1960s, sociologists started to explore what we now call the “sociology of sexuality”.
- Focuses on the social aspects of human sexuality, including the social construction of sexual identities, norms, and behaviors within a society.
19
Q
Homosexual Identity Created in 19th Century
A
- Sexual identities are not universal, but rather were constructed in the 19th century in connection to sexual behaviors that have existed forever.
- Research looked at how a distinct identity termed “homosexual” was created in the late 19th century.
- Behaviors became regulated through laws and surveillance, leading to the creation of the identity of “homosexual” in the late 19th century.
- The late 19th century provided a framework for interpreting behaviors that had always existed.
20
Q
Laws Against Buggery
A
- In England, laws against “buggery” were in place from the 1530s to 1885, targeting non-reproductive sexual acts, including anal sex, bestiality, and oral sex.
- These laws were directed at the behavior itself rather than the individuals involved, although most offenses involved men.
21
Q
Oscar Wilde
A
- Scandals and public trials, such as the trial of author Oscar Wilde, contributed to the creation of the identity of “homosexual” by the end of the 19th century.
22
Q
The social construction of sexuality
A
- Sexual identities are socially constructed and shaped by history, context, and power.
- Sexual identities are not universal, but rather were constructed in the 19th century in connection to sexual behaviors that have existed forever.
- Sociologists call something a social construction when it’s clear that it’s created by society and changes as society changes.
23
Q
Cultural Views on Same-Sex Acts
A
- Attitudes and laws regarding same-sex practices, such as anal sex, have varied considerably over time and across cultures.
- In some cultures, same-sex acts were viewed as rites of passage toward masculinity and male virility.
- Attitudes and meanings towards behaviors are context-specific, changing cross-culturally and over time.
24
Q
Same-Sex Behaviors Historically - Women
A
- Same-sex behaviors among women have historically been relatively ignored and not subject to the same degree of legal scrutiny as men’s behaviors.
- Women accused of same-sex behavior were often labeled as “unchaste”, with their sexuality considered problematic in terms of femininity and morality.
- Didn’t care they were fucking women, cared they were fucking someone before marriage.
- Same-sex relationships among women were generally more tolerated than those among men, with some women living together as “close friends”.
25
Q
Self-articulation
A
The creation of a homosexual identity also created an identity around which people could gather and organize themselves, called “self-articulation”.
26
Q
Boundaries around Sexual Behaviors
A
- Boundaries around sexual behaviors were created by the actions of the state in the 19th century, showing how people in positions of power shape definitions and boundaries.
- Ex. construction of homosexual identity
27
Q
Role of Power in creating definitions and boundaries - Indigenous Peoples
A
- Look at the history of sexual diversity among Indigenous Peoples to understand both the role of power in creating definitions and boundaries, and how knowledge about sexuality can vary historically and culturally.
- European colonizers brought binary views of sex (male/female) and gender (masculine/feminine) to North America.
- European colonizers also brought ideas of normal/abnormal binary. - The idea that heterosexuality is normal, and anything else is abnormal.
- Indigenous sexual practices and identities faced surveillance and punishment under European rule.
- Due to struggles over governance and treaty rights, sexuality received less attention compared to legal issues among Indigenous groups.
- Many Indigenous Peoples want to see sexual diversity in a way that respects their traditional practices, not just Western ideas.
- This perspective may not align with Western categories like “lesbian”, “gay”, and “bisexual”.
28
Q
Micheal Foucalt
A
- Micheal Foucault wrote about how the meaning and knowledge of sexuality vary historically and culturally.
- He argued that there is nothing natural or universal about how certain sexual behaviors are attributed to specific types of people.
29
Q
Sexual Scripts
A
- Sociologists highlight how society influences our personal views and behaviors about sexuality.
- Sexuality is learned over the life course through sexual scripts and interaction with others.
- Sexual scripts are like mental guides we learn throughout life that tell us how to behave sexually.
- Sexual scripts are learned throughout life and guide our sexual behaviors and sexual responses.
- These scripts are shaped by our culture and influence how we act in sexual situations.
- These scripts help us shape and understand our past, present, and future sexual behaviors.
- For example, in North America, a common sexual script for heterosexual partners is that women are seen as controlling pleasure and men are seen as the assertive partner.
- This idea is seen in things like romance novels, which follow these patterns in how they portray relationships and sex.
- These patterns in sexual scripts have remained largely unchanged in romance novels over the past few decades.
30
Q
Queer theory definition
A
Queer theory: an approach to sexuality and gender that rejects the notion of stable categories.
- Instead of seeing sexuality as just one thing, it looks at the many different ways people experience and express it.
- Queer theory acknowledges that there are many diverse identities and experiences when it comes to sexuality, and it rejects the idea that there is only one way to be homosexual or to have a gay identity.
- Queer theory challenges the idea of a single, unified homosexual identity.
Believes that there are many different ways people experience and express their sexuality. - It focuses on analyzing how society organizes desire, identities, and bodies.
- Does not focus on sexual identity, focuses on sexual identities.
- Instead of viewing sexuality as singular, queer theory looks at multiple sexual identities.
- Queer theorists argue that identity is fluid and can take many forms for different people.
- They say that focusing too narrowly on one idea of being gay leaves out a lot of people who are different in terms of things like social class, race, age, and ability.
31
Q
Queer meaning in history
A
- Originally “queer” meant strange, odd, unusual, or abnormal.
- In the 19th century, it became a derogatory term for gay men.
32
Q
Queer theory present meaning
A
- Starting in the 1980s, the term began to be used in a positive way within the LGBTQ+ community to reclaim it from its negative connotations.
- Today, “queer” is used broadly to refer to sexual and gender identities that are not heterosexual or cisgender or gender-binary (man/woman).
33
Q
Queer theory - instability of identity
A
- Queer theory, influenced by Judith Butler, suggests that identities like gender and sexuality are not fixed but unstable.
- Butler argues that societal views of gender are rooted in heterosexuality and are constantly created and reinforced by individuals’ words and actions.
- Non-heterosexual practices are often seen as deviations from the dominant discourse, leading LGBTQ+ individuals to be labeled as deviant and facing alienation, discrimination, and oppression.
- By highlighting the instability of identity, queer theorists aim to challenge the very notion of fixed identity categories.
34
Q
Conflict theory
A
35
Q
Structural functionalism
A
36
Q
Symbolic interactionist
A
37
Q
Feminist
A
38
Q
Postmodernism
A
39
Q
Sexuality on a continuum
A
- Kinsey proposed a shift away from rigid categories of heterosexual and homosexual.
- He suggested that sexuality exists on a continuum rather than as discrete categories.
40
Q
The Kinsey Scale
A
- The Kinsey Scale illustrates this continuum, with exclusively heterosexual and exclusively homosexual at opposite ends.
- There are various categories in between, such as the category “predominantly heterosexual, only incidentally homosexual”, which would suggest someone identifies as heterosexual but has had at least one same-sex sexual experience.
- “Equally heterosexual and homosexual” represents bisexuality, indicating an equal level of attraction to both sexes.
41
Q
Distinguishing between behavior, desire, and identity
A
- Research suggests that many people have desires and experiences that don’t fit neatly into strict categories.
- People’s desires and behaviors do not always correspond with their stated orientation.
- Sexual behaviors may not always align with the categories of sexual orientation that people identify with.
42
Q
Sexual behavior
A
Sexual behavior refers to the activities a person engages in, whether with a partner or alone.
- Sexual behaviors may not always align with the categories of sexual orientation that people identify with.
43
Q
Sexual desire
A
Sexual desire refers to a person’s interest or inclination toward engaging in sexual activities.
44
Q
Dimensions of sexuality
A
Sociologists recognize that sexuality can be understood in various dimensions: identity, behavior, and desires.
- Sexual identity, desires, and behaviors may not always align.
45
Q
Distinguishing between behavior, desire, and identity, evidence
A
- Men are more likely than women to identify as exclusively heterosexual with congruent sexual behaviors.
- However, both men and women may identify as heterosexual while also having same-sex sexual or romantic experiences.
- Studies show that a significant percentage of individuals identifying as exclusively heterosexual had at least one same-sex partner.
- Some individuals may have had same-gender sexual partners despite identifying as straight.
- Similarly, some individuals identifying as gay or lesbian may have had opposite-sex partners.
46
Q
Situational homosexuality
A
- Contextual circumstances, such as in prison or during times of war, can shape sexual practices, leading to what’s known as “situational homosexuality”.
- Situational homosexuality involves engaging in same-sex practices due to situational factors rather than inherent sexual orientation.
- Not because of orientation, but more because of the situation.
- Engaging in same-sex practices in certain contexts doesn’t always lead to a change in sexual orientation.
47
Q
Sexual Intercourse for Canadians aged 15 to 24
A
- Around 60% of Canadians aged 15 to 24 have had sexual intercourse, with penile-vaginal intercourse being the most common definition.
- The percentage varies based on factors like age, ethnicity, religion, and sexual orientation.
48
Q
Age and Sexual Intercourse
A
- Age is a factor that shapes sexual intercourse experience.
- Younger populations tend to have lower rates of sexual intercourse, with the likelihood increasing with age.
