Midterm 1 Flashcards
What was the view towards sex in the victorian era
- western world views on sex was influenced by religious doctrines (sex was censored)
- concerned that high levels of sexual activity would lead to tax overload and diminished resources, but contraceptives = illegal
shadow banning
- algorithms set in place to remove/block sexual content and their creators
- also have removed content bringing awareness
- disproportionally affects marginalized groups
SGD portrayal on TV
- still lacks diversity
- sexualization poses greatest risk fo black females
- marginalized group shown in negative light or very stereotypical
- segregated representation
- black men given roles during sex without intimacy and with violence
fantasy model of sex
- media portraying sexual acts without safer-sex behaviours and no consequences (“heat of the moment)
ethnocentrism
judging other cultures solely by the values and standards of one’s own culture –> affects our understanding of human sexuality
What 2 persistent female stereotypes did the story of Eve reveal?
- women give in too easily to temptation
- they are sources of temptation for men
- christianity also gave rise to the dichotomy of women either being madonnas (pure like mary), or whores (like eve)
Jewish views on sex
- contradictory bc good (God’s creation) but many sexual acts were punishable
- polygamy permitted early on but now monogamous
- primary purpose of sex is to re-establish marital bonds
- sex is allowed without possibility of conception, contraception allowed –> babies = good bc propagate ppl
- sex is woman’s right and men’s duty to provide pleasure
- divorce allowed
- masturbation, and sexual acts btwn men are forbidden
Christian views on sex
- early church leaders condemned sexuality
- augustine thought missionary was the only acceptable position
- Bible itself not anti-feminist, but interpretation by church makes it seem strongly opposed to women’s equality
- abortion and contraception not allowed in catholic religion, nor is same sex acts as it is a waste of seed and a form of lust
- sole purpose of sex is procreation
Islam views on sex
- treatment of woman varies depending on the Qur’anic interpretation and political motivations of the time
- when Muhammad was alive, women treated more equally and celibacy not promoted like other religions of the time (but sex still within marriage)
- sex for pleasure promoted (so birth control allowed)
- masturbation forbidden as well as sexual behaviour between men
Hindu views on sex
- no unified set of beliefs, so varying views
- sex is necessary part of life as long as it occurs within religious duty and context (includes masturbation)
- marriage includes procreation and pleasure, divorce only allowed under civil code, not religious
- same-sex orientation as natural/biological condition, but should be avoided if possible
- third gender known as hijra
Freud’s psychosexual stages of development
- oral (0-2) –> mouth –> fixation might lead to dependence or aggression
- anal (2-4) –> anus –> fixation might lead to strong focus on cleanliness and orderliness, OR carelessness and lack of self-control
- phallic (4-6) –> Oedpius complex and castration anxiety in boys and electra complex in girls; inability to resolve these complex will cause problems w gender-role identification and adult relationships
- latency (6-puberty) –> libidinal energy dormant/waiting to reemerge in final stage
- genital –> physical psychosexual changes reawaken repressed needs and sexual feelings redirected to sexual gratification
Classical Conditioning
- Pavlov
- has been used to understand the development of some forms of compulsive sexual behaviours and fetishes and used to develop treatments for unwanted sexual behaviours
- used to explain sexual orientation
Operant Conditioning
- Skinner
- sex is primary reinforcer and behaviour that can be shaped by rewards and punishment meaning sexuality is both learned and innate
- learning ab sexuality can take place over time, so sex therapy has strong educational element
Social Learning Theory
- Rotter and Bandura
- behaviour is also learned by observing other ppls behaviour, attitudes and outcomes, and choose behaviours based on expectations about rewards and punishment
- used to explain things like sexual development, and contraception use
- basis for intervention programs designed to promote healthy behaviours
- high levels of self-efficacy = positive sexual adjustment and satisfaction
Social Exchange Theory
- try to maximize rewards and minimize costs based on 4 elements
- balance of costs and rewards, equity/equality, comparison level (what a person expects to get out of relationship), and comparison level for alternatives (current relationship compared to other available options)
Cognitive Theories
- thoughts are subject to misconceptions, false assumptions, and errors in evaluating situations –> lead to distress, disorders, and harmful behaviours
- these theories explain many sexual problems and patterns of behaviour
Genetic Theory
- genetics can explain sexual orientation and gender identity
- concordance rate of same-sex attraction higher in identical twins
- sexual problems can have genetic/biological causes (klinefelter’s, erectile dysfunction)
Sociobiological Theory
- application of evolutionary biology to explain social behaviour
- intrasexual competition (males compete), and intersexual (female chooses male)
- differences in investment for reproduction
Dual Control Model of Sexuality
- Bancroft and Janssen suggests that sexual response involves interaction btwn sexual excitatory and sexually inhibitory neurobiological processes (adaptive development)
Sociological Theory
- importance of social institutions such as family, and religion on regulating sexuality
- sexuality linked to societal structures that determine to a large degree how sexuality is defined, expressed and regulated within a certain culture or community
Social Script Theory
- traditonal sexual script (TSS) suggests there are specific sequences of behaviours that individuals deem appropriate for particular sexual situations
- e.g. kissing –> touching –> oral –> intercourse
Ecological Model
- individuals interact with their environment in many ways and this can affect sexual function
- individual’s well being and sexual satisfaction (microsystem) –> relationship status and satisfaction (mesosystem) –> level of support on relationship (exosystem) –> dominant culture’s view on relationship (macrosystem)
Feminist Theory
- sexuality is socially constructed and based on motivations of men
- no uniform theory but want to examine the inequalities of relationships btwn men and women
Queer Theory
- challenges all notions of gender, sexual orientation, and sexual behaviour as being socially constructed
- highlights that identities and experiences are not fixed and categorical
Motivation Theory
- many goals as to why ppl have sex
- self-determined sexual motivation is more positively associated with things involving sex and satisfaction
- autonomous motivations has a positive spillover effect on general well-being and relationship satisfaction
Ancient Greece views on masturbation
- was an aid to health and recommended if someone didn’t have a sexual partner and needed sexual relief to improve their health (imbalance of humours)
- need for men to masturbate was relegated low status/pitied (satyrs),
- need for women was lightly mocked but over all NBD
18th century views on masturbation (onanism)
- the heinous sin of self pollution and was viewed as something pathological with detrimental consequences
- Tissot was a reputable doctor so his word was taken strongly
- talked about dangers of masturbation (loss of semen -= loss of blood, masturbation = using fantasy = overheating of brain)
- prescribed expensive remedies
20th century views on masturbation
- Havelock Ellis–> more positive shift; said negative consequences of masturbation only occur when practiced in excess (as most things)
History of Dildos
- object shaped like an erect penis used for sexual stimulation
History of Vibrators
- device that vibrates, used for sexual stimulation
- originally used as a medical device; Joseph Granville invented the vibratode in the 1880s as a medical device used for men (pain, spinal disease, deafness, erectile problems)
- used on all parts of the body and for all sorts of ailments in people, and was nor originally recommended for clitoral stimulation
- ads were created under the mask of it being used for medical purposes until the 20s when a “blue film” used ir for sexual stimulation
Early texts on sex research
- formal texts served instructional, cultural, and religious purposes (e.g. kama sutra)
- in western nations, texts that discussed sexuality were censored and texts encouraging individuals to suppress desires were allowed to circulate
Modern texts on sex research
- served instructional purposes until late 19th century
- Richard Von Krafft-Ebing’s psychopathia sexualis is the first ext to approach sexuality from modern sexual approach but pathologized many sexual expressions
- Iwan bloch, father of sexology, described natural variations in sexual phenomena as healthy
- early 20th century = rise in sex manuals written by women designed to educate women about sexuality and promote birth control
Karl Heinrich Ulrichs (1825-189)
- pioneer of modern gay rights movement
- offered first theory of same-sex sexual attraction and viewed it as being inborn, and natural and a healthy expression
- uranism: urnings (male-male), urninds (female-female), uranodinings (both sexes)
Carl Westphal (1833-1890)
- published first case history of same-sex sexual attraction
- explained it as a contrary feeling and called it an unhealthy condition
- prompted other psychologists to submit their own cases of the psychological condition
Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939)
- “studies in the psychological sex”
- sexual inversion –> natural and inborn (not pathological)
Magnus Hirschfeld (1868-1935)
- Founder of modern sexology
- lots of texts on sexology
- coined the term for transvestism in an attempt to explain the difference between the construct of gender identity and sexuality
Albert Moll (1862-1935)
- founder of modern sexology
- theory of sexual response cycle: onset, voluptuous sensation, voluptuous acme, and end of voluptuous sensation
Kinsey’s interview-based approach (1894-1956)
- self-report
- changed attitudes at the time which thought only sex after marriage, women are uninterested in sex, and certain expressions were abnormal
- was told to teach a class on human sexuality and decided not to approach it from the “hygiene” perspective
- realized there wasn’t a lot of research so starting conducting his own
- 300+ open ended questions, coded, judgment free, over 10 000 participants by the end
- “sexual behaviour in the human male” and “sexual behaviour in the human female” that challenged many taboo notions
Masters and Johnson’s observational approach (1894-1956)
- physiological measures; first systematic large-scale study of sexual response (used empirical approach)
- sex is healthy and sexual pleasures are socially acceptable
- used instrument to measure physiological changes and observed changes and came up w the 4 stages of sexual response
External female genitals (vulva)(7)
- consist of the mons pubis, clitoris, labia majora, labia minora, vulvar vestibule, and urethral and vaginal openings
Mons pubis
- rounded fatty pad of tissue that covers the pubic symphysis and is sensitive to touch
- becomes covered in hair during puberty
3 Reasons why we have pubic hair
- plays role in sexual communication through pheromonal signalling
- provides protective padding during the friction of intercourse
- visually signals maturity
- *often removed to increase attractiveness and cleanliness, increase sensitivity, make it easier to locate
Parts and role of the clitoris
- sensitive organs similar to the glans of the penis
- stimulation is most common way that women achieve arousal and orgasm during masturbation –> only function is sexual pleasure
- has the glans and shaft found below the pubic symphysis and covered by clitoral hood (prepuce) (external)
- has 2 internally located cura that project inward from each side of the shaft
- glans is small knob of smooth tissue that consists of the corpora cavernosa which extend back and along the sides of the vagina and fill w blood during arousal, and the vestibular bulbs that lie on either side of the vagina near the opening and are composed of erectile tissue and fill w blood during arousal
The labia majora
- “outer lips” that are pads of fatty tossue and protect sensitive internal structures of the vulva
- extend downward from the mons pubis out to each side of the vulva and outer surfaces are covered in hair
- richly supplied with nerve endings that are important for sexual stimulation and arousal
The labia minora
- “inner lips”; hairless folds of skin located btwn majora and extend upward and forward toward the clitoris to ofrom the prepuce and meet posterior to vaginal opening in the fourchette
- contain oil glands, sweat glands, blood vessels, and nerve endings important for sexual stimulation and arousal
- vary in size and shape and often labiaplasties are done to make minora more pump/symmetrical/smaller
The vulvar vestibule
- teardrop-shaped area of vulva inside minora
- within it lie the vaginal hood and the urethral openings
- contain nerve endings, and blood vessels and erogenous zones which are sensitive to pleasurable stimulation
- sometimes too sensitive that touch is painful and unpleasant (provoked vestibulodynia)
The urethral opening
- lies halfway between the clitoris and vaginal opening within the vestibule
- tube that transports urine collected in the bladder to where it is expelled from the body, and is not highly sensitive to touch
The vaginal opening
- highly sensitive region located in the posterior area of the vulvar vestibule below the urethral opening