Midterm1 Flashcards
constructivist approach
the ongoing practice of buildings a concept/theory, maintained by groups
ex. sperm are just tiny humans, “truths” are constructed
Discourse
system of thought that constructs its subject matter, Includes practices, ideas, beliefs, assumptions, ways of knowing and
being
heteronomativity
the assumption that everyone is ‘naturally’ heterosexual, and that heterosexuality is an ideal, superior to homosexuality or bisexuality
constructivist approach to sexuality
experiences of sexual response and orientation are understood as learned phenomena mediated by social, cultural, and intersubjective factors
truth claims
describe assertions that a particular belief
the system holds to be true, science is better for objective info than religion because of the scientific method
Sexual discourse
describes the many ways in which sex and sexualities are discussed.
How does the social constructivist approach, according to fisher, view
scientific knowledge?
as just another possible construction
How have ideas about conception changed through history and what does
this tell us?
god to the idea of sperm and egg, not that the egg has more agency than just kinda sitting there. People are always adding and contributing to the body of knowledge because lots of what we have is just theory
How does the constructivist approach challenge essentialism?
essentialism implies that sex is only motivated by a biological drive to reproduce, constructivism allows for the idea that people’s idea of sexuality can be shaped by the idea of their environment.
What argument does weeks provide to justify his claim that there is no “one
true meaning” of sexuality?
It is deeply complex with multiple meanings that are a source of debate. Sexuality has been increasingly politicized in the past 100 years
Why is it important to study the concept of sexuality?
because debates about sexuality are debates about
the nature of society: as sex goes, so goes society; as society goes,
so goes sexuality.
How does Weeks say are the dominant meanings of sex and sexuality today?
sex as a term refers both to an act and to a
category of person, to a practice and to a gender. Sexuality, the
personalized sexual feelings that distinguished one person from another
(my sexuality), while hinting at that mysterious essence that attracts us to each other.
How do the dominant meanings today relate to power and control?
The dominant meanings come with cishet assumptions, things such as the battle of the sexes, along with the ides that sex is this biological force that cannot be stopped. And the idea of a hierarchy where cishet sex is the top and other things are perverse
What are the impacts of dominant meanings of sex and sexuality today?
Who were the traditional authorities on sexuality?
the church. politicians, experts in the medical field, occasionally poets and artists
Who does weeks think is/are the current authority(ies) on sexuality
that there really isn’t one but science still holds more power
What does ideological justification mean?
using your ideological view like religion or essentialism to justify wrong and discriminatory acts, rape culture fueled by the idea that male lust is uncontrollable is an example, also boiling things down to as if we were animals.
What historical trends created changes in where the authority over sexuality
was situated?
separation of church and state, Developments in psychology in the 19th century, The new sexology made people think about questioning their identity rather than just going along with the assumed norm
What factors influence how we think about / understand sexuality?
the society we were raised in, what is and isn’t socially acceptable
Why is it important to consider the history of sexuality?
We cannot escape or avoid history. Our agency is shaped by what is historically possible
What gap in the way sexuality has been studied does Weeks think is important to address?
‘Sexuality’ was
much talked about and written about, but our historical knowledge
about it remained pretty negligible.
What reasons does weeks give to support his claim that a history of reproduction is not a history of sexuality?
reproduction excludes anything that isn’t cishet sex, many erotic actions , even cishet, do not lead to reproduction, masturbation is sexual but does not lead to reproduction
What is a history of sexuality a history of?
A history without a proper subject , In constant flux
What were the assumptions and aims of a colonial approach to studying
sexuality?
Made assumptions about cultures as less civilized or primitive. Assumes “primitive people are on the same “path” of progression with the end goal for a western civilization, which is not true
The idea of: if we look at these people they can show us how we were, totally 100% real.
How did the colonial approach to studying sexuality impact our
understanding of sexuality?
Legitimized ethnocentric and racist theories and practices of the West
Did not even consider the possibility that the cultures of other people could be different than theirs rather than ponder cultural differences
“Oh they just don’t get monogamy and marriage”.
What were the assumptions and aims of an anthropological approach to
studying sexuality?
Tried to understand each particular society in its own terms. Led to a kind of cultural relativism, every culture is different, no one is better. Validated different sexual systems like polygamy
How did the anthropological approach to studying sexuality impact our
understanding of sexuality?
Created a sympathetic understanding of the diversity of sexual patterns and cultures within western societies
Like a wow, it never occurred to me that doing something that way was even an option
Ex-no lines on the road
Especially the realization that different cultures sexual systems can work. But a lot of anthropology is just descriptive - which in the absence of any theory of structures essentialist assumptions reasserted themselves
What impact does weeks suggest the 1970s had on how we study sexuality?
Questioning the perceived “naturalness” and inevitability of the sexual categories and assumptions we have inherited
Built off the foundations of the 60s where things like the family and the church were questions
Broke they assumption that we even knew anything about sexuality in the first place
What 3 types of questions become important in a critical assessment of
sexuality?
- How is sexuality shaped and articulated with economic, social and political structures?
- Why do we think sexuality is so important? (homo pda causes a visceral reaction)
- What is the relationship between sex and power?
