History Of Sexuality Flashcards
A history of reproduction is “___” a history of sexuality
Why?
Not
Most erotic interactions don’t lead to procreation
Many forms of non-heterosexual sex
Asexuality has emerged as a sexual identity
Intimacy does not capture sexual practices
Cybersex has emerged as a practice
The history of sexuality is in “_______ ______”
It tells us about the “_______” and its concerns
Each culture/society/historical movement has its “_____ & _____” restrictions
Constant flux
Present
Who & how
What does the history of sexuality tell us?
Tells us…
How we should live
How we should enjoy or deny our bodies
About the present and its concerns
About our changing preoccupations
True or false. Each culture/society/historical moment has “who and how” restrictions in terms of sexuality
True
What is the colonial approach?
Assumed cultures to be “less civilized” or “primitive”
Studies “primitive” cultures to understand the West’s history
Ethnocentric & racist theories/practices of the West’s
Sexuality studies have NOT escaped the effects of these debates
What is the anthropological approach?
Asked different questions
Looked at our own history by looking at other existing societies = understand problems
Tried to understand each society in its own terms
Sympathetic understanding of the diversity of sexual patterns & cultures w/ western societies
Provides a critical standard for our own norms & values
BUT… reaffirmed the ”natural”, exoticism and essentialism
What is the contemporary approach- 1970s onward?
What are the 4 “NEW QUESTIONS”?
Questioned the “naturalness” and “inevitability” of inherited sexual categories/assumptions
Opens the whole field of sexuality to critical assessment
= NEW QUESTION: what has shaped the history of the idea of sexuality?
= NEW QUESTION: how is sexuality shaped by economic, social and political structures?
= NEW QUESTION: why do we think sexuality is so important?
= NEW QUESTION: what is the relationship b/w sex and power?
What is the social construction of sexuality?
Social systems, structures and patterns
How sexual patterns have changed over time
REJECTION of essentialist approach - sexuality is shaped by social forces
Sexuality only becomes meaningful through social forms and social organization
Does the social construction of sexuality involve bodies and biology?
Yes
Bodies and biology shaped erotic possibilities of the body vary from society to society
Biology is a set of possibilities ONLY given meaning in social relationships
Conditions and limits what is possible, BUT the patterns of sexual life/gender identity are not dictated by biology
What are the 3 key assumptions of the social construction of sexuality?
- Sex and society are NOT separate domains w/ society controlling the ”biological urges” of sex
- There are many different sexual forms, beliefs, identities, ideologies, behaviours and sexual cultures
- Cannot understand sexual history through lens of pressure/release or repression/liberation
Why is it important to recognize the risk of a Western viewpoint?
Become other cultures may be different
What is the problem with evolutionary diversions and what do evolutionists believe about sexuality? (5)
Q: how does this explain men/women as different? Why only 2 sexes?
- New prestige of genetics research
- Can agree that gene is basic unit of hierarchy
- Evolutionists argue genes exist to explain all social phenomena
- Fundamental unit is not society/individual = but the gene
- Human sexual behaviour/identities are biological adaptations for survival
If the evolutionist perspective on sexuality was true…
What debate would this resolve?
The nature/nurture debate
Evolutionary theories provide clarity, support status quo, and common sense about the”___________ of ________ ________”
Naturalness of sexual divisions
What are the 3 basic biological modes of argument that Weeks wants to challenge…?
- Arguments by analogy
- Tyranny of averages
- The ‘black hole’ hypothesis
What is the “argument by analogy” mode of argument?
By observing animals in the wild – notably in
recent arguments, penguins – we can crack the code of our civilisation - Weeks
Animals are driven to reproduce= NOT for pleasure
Male animals want to share as much sperm (DNA) as possible to increase chance of reproduction
We see male dominance in animals
^ This is essential, natural, and biologically driven
Humans compared to the animal kingdom:
1. We have social bias
(affects what we see)
2. We aren’t completely alike to animals
(consciousness, language etc..)
What is the “tyranny of averages” mode of argument?
Explanations based on averages provide another seductive but dangerous approach - Weeks
Based on research (surveys) on average men like to have sex MORE than women
Male homosexuals MAY be more promiscuous than female homosexuals
Women MAY be more caring and nurturing than men
This is mostly based on an ‘average’ not completely accurate
What is the ‘black hole hypothesis’ modes of argument?
The assumption that if there are mysterious efects, there must be something unknown but determinate
out there which can explain them
If ALL else fails to explain human phenomena = then its a biological cause
Biology provides the default explanation it is called on to fill a gap which social explanations have been unable to fill
Will arise eventually over time… although not for all
(new research through years)
What are the social historical explanations?
These explanations are MORE *fluid and flexible”
Different ways of being men and women
Sexuality is *given meaning in social situations”
True or false. Social explanations has no limits, it is deterministic
False
It does have limits
Social explanations ARE NOT deterministic
True or false. Sexuality, gender and sex are NOT determined biologically or socially
True
What are the challenges made to sociological essentialism?
Sexuality is NOT completely shaped by *deterministic social imperatives”
Society is NOT a unified whole w/ coherent & consistent rules
Society does NOT determine sexuality
What does social constructionism contain? (2)
Sexuality is constructed through complex social relations w/ different views of what is appropriate sexual behaviour
Organized sets of meanings (discourse) of sexuality are anchored in a network of social activities
What are sexuality scripts?
Unclear, contradictory, followed imperfectly or improvised
We learn and construct these scripts and they depend on the person (body, voice tone etc…)
Ex) as an actor learns scripts
True or false. There are contradictory messages about masculinity and femininity
Yes
We divide people into men and women (binary)
True or false. In terms of sexuality the binaries we divide men and women into are based on biological differences not power
False
These are power differences and they’re supported by these binary’s
What are the ‘inherited norms’ embedded in systems/structures accord men more power to define women/femininity
Heteronormalitivity
Are these inherited norms and men and women accepted in society?
No these are contested and resisted
They’re encoded in certain relationships that receive privilege
Sex, gender and sexuality are not “__________ ______” they are small acts performed again and again
Underlying truths
Although Weeks believes sexuality is shaped by social forces, does he completely deny the importance of biology?
No
Direct quotes from his textbook:
“I do not wish to deny the importance of biology. The physiology and morphology of the body provide the preconditions for human sexuality. Biology conditions and limits what is possible.”
BUT…
“The patterns of sexual life or gender identity are not
dictated by biology. We cannot reduce human behaviour to the mysterious workings of the DNA, the eternal gene or ‘the dance of the chromosomes’”
HE PREFERS TO SEE IN BIOLOGY…
“A set of potentialities, which are transformed and given meaning only in social relationships. Human consciousness and human history are very complex phenomena, not simply refections of Nature.”
We traditionally look at the world through our concepts of “_____” sexuality, even when we are not looking at “_____” sexuality as such, we are looking at the world within its framework of reference
What is this concept called according to Connell?
Male
‘Gender order’
- structured by and through shifting patterns of masculinity
- ‘Masculinity’ and ‘femininity’ are relational
terms, given meaning only through the existence of the other
= gives heterosexually privileged
men have an evolutionary propulsion towards spreading their seed to ensure diversity and reproductive success, and hence towards promiscuity
While women have an equal interest in reserving energy,
an instinct for conservation, and hence a leaning towards monogamy
How do these explain the fundamental differences between men and women?
Greater competition between men than between women
Greater male tendency towards polygamy and jealousy
Whereas women are ‘more malleable’ and amenable
Greater sexual will and arousal potential in men than in women
