Perspectives on Sexuality Flashcards
Biological Sex
biological condition of being male or female determined by genes, physiology and hormones.
Gender
The psychological experience of femaleness and maleness
How does the media influence how we think about sex and sexuality?
- Shapes our own view of ourselves and norms.
- What is normal what should be desired but that in itself is a social construct
- Often portrays stereotypes. ex: gay flamboyant male
- Allows people who don’t feel they fit in to find their group
- Doesn’t always show “real life”
Sex has been used in ______ for decades to sell things
advertisements
The Kiss (1896)
The first ever motion picture kiss, considered very “scandalous”
Mary Kay & Johnny (1947)
First couple to sleep in a bed together, moral outrage even though they were married
I Love Lucy
Lucille Ball was pregnant in “I Love Lucy” but the word “pregnant” was not allowed. Tried to hide the fact she was pregnant and too scandalous to talk about.
What was the first vibrator created for?
To relieve women of hysteria by inducing orgasms
What is hysteria?
A controversial mental illness specific to women characterized by the conversion of psychological stresses (sexual frustration) into physical symptoms, volatile emotions and attention seeking behaviours.
What are two examples where sex started to become key in advertisements for non-sexual items
- Luxury soaps said to “keep the romance alive”
2. Pin-up girls used in cola ads
Why do ads that showcase women’s sexuality not always be a good things?
They can convince women that buying a certain product will close the gap between themselves and the ideal woman.
What has the internet created in the police department?
A whole department for sex crimes facilitated by the internet.
How does the media portray the fantasy of sex in relation to STI and pregnancy?
Makes out pregnancy and STIs to be rare. It idealizes sexual scripts that are not including safe sex behaviour is dangerous.
STIs
An illness, disease or infection transmitted from one person to another by means of sexual behaviour, including sexual intercourse (both vaginal and anal), oral sex, and the use of shared sex toys.
What is a sexual script?
a series of learned predictable actions that lead to intercourse.
Contraception
Deliberate use of natural techniques, an artificially created barrier, or hormonal methods to prevent pregnancy as a result of sexual intercourse.
What is BDSM?
A type of roleplay or lifestyle choice between two or more individuals that includes a wide range of activities involving safe and consensual manipulation of erotic power. The term stands for “bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, sadism and masochism”
What % of primetime television addressed safe sex as well as sex?
11%
What % of primetime television addressed sexual precautions during sex scenes
2%
There is a high correlation between _________ _______ _________ and exposure to sex in the media
risky sexual behaviour
When was the first female-female kiss?
1991
When was the first male-male kiss?
1960
How was Caitlyn Jenner helpful?
she promoted positivty for the transgender community
When was the first interracial kiss on television vs. film?
1968 & 1903
How have other races been portrayed in the media?
in a negative light
How are white vs. black males portrayed different in the media?
The media tends to dehumanize black males and by objectifying their bodies during sex scenes more than white males. Often given norms where: sex without intimacy is the norm, partners are acknowledged though dominance or violence.
What may contribute to the high rates of STIs in black populations
black music videos tend to be more sexualized than whites. Poses the greatest threat to black women who model what they see
Ethnocentrism
the tendency to believe that one’s ethnic group or cultural group is the norm and to view other ethnicities or cultures as abnormal or different.
How has America changed in terms of their sexual norms?
Americans tend to be more accepting of casual relationships, sex before marriage and have more sexual partners
What do Americans still find appauling
sex outside of marriage
How do our norms change?
Media has changed. Not as many people are reading religious texts but looking to television/media
What is sex in Judeo-Christian texts?
The Original Sin
What is the story of Pandora?
Pandora opens a box with all the knowledge and bad things (sickness, evil & death) therefore releasing all the bad into the world, the box has been compared to the woman’s womb
What is the story of Eve?
Eve picked an apple from the forbidden tree of knowledge – but without the apple the world would not have knowledge
What 2 stereotypes did the stories of Eve & Pandora bring about to women?
- Women give into temptation too easily
2. They are a source of great temptation for men
Although women are blamed for the original sin, they also represent a…
frightening amount of power to men and why they might have been subjugated throughout history.
A dichotomy arose between Eve & Mary therefore women were either seen as…
“Madonnas” like Mary or “whores” like Eve
The gender dualism has worked to maintain a heterosexual norm in which women are..
naturally made to be vessels for male consumption
Mistresses were allowed to possess…
wit, intellect and other “male” qualities that had not been attributed to the traditional “pure women”
What book does Judaism follow?
The Torah
What do many traditions around sexuality often involve? Give examples
Cleansing. Wet dreams, mensuration and childbirth
In Judaism what 4 acts are punishable by death?
- Incest
- Bestiality
- male-male sexual behaviour
- adultery by women
What was sex for in Judaism?
to promote the marital bond
In Judaism, what is the act of sex taught to be?
pleasure and never involving manipulation/force
In Judaism, sex is whose right?
The woman’s and it is the husband’s duty to pleasure her.
Early christianity lacked a _____ _____ which maintained a variety of beliefs about sexuality
central authority
The writings of the Church Fathers like St. Augustine led to…
Many forms of sexual behaviour being condemned. Suggested missionary position was the only way to do it to acknowledge women were inferior to men.
How was sex seen in the Catholic Church?
shameful & unclean
There was early equal treatment and less division in what religion?
Islam
In Islam women… (2)
fought in battles and were allowed into the mosque until the 10th century
How was sex viewed in islam?
a positive pleasure within marriage and foreplay was important
T or F? birth control was acceptable in Islam?
True
Is plural marriage still the norm for muslims today?
no but it is permitted
What religion has no single father?
Hinduism
What are the 3 pillars of faith within Hinduism
o Dharma (religious duty) o Artha (worldly welfare) o Kama (sensual aspects of life)
T or F? women are to not do much and considered impure during menstration in hinduism
TRUE!
What days in the hindu religion is insemination prohibited after menstruation to prevent a homosexual child (something to do with the balance of water and fire)
11th and 13th day
Hijra
a recognized 3rd gender among Hindu faith = transgender
Who did canada ensure would be eligible for refugee status and why?
Syrian gay men since it was punishable by death due to ISIS
When was sex-ed introduced and why?
during the 1940s during WW2 because of the growing rate of STIs
What was the initial sex ed content aimed at?
preventing pre-marital sex through biological and moral content
What was the backlash with having sex-ed?
It would teach people how to have sex without the consequences
Because of the backlash what did the program focus on?
heterosexual values related to marriage and child rearing
What contraceptive program has the highest rate of teen pregnancy ?
abstinence
Where in canada is the highest rate of reported sexual assaults?
territories
what might the different rates of reported assaults across the country also mean?
It might not be that the rates are different but the promotion in reporting is different
Polyamory
Being romantically and sexually involved with more than one person at the same time.
If polyamorous relationship individuals are married, the practice is called
polygamy
Polygyny
A man w/ more than one wife
Polyandry
A women with more than one husband
What is the debate in Canada with the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and polygamy?
Polygamy has been added to the criminal code yet the Charter protects religious freedoms
When did Canada legalize same sex marriage and was it before the USA?
2005 so yes!
Is sex trade work illegal in Canada?
No but there are a number of laws in place that prohibit related behaviours
Why would legalizing sex work be beneficial?
Allow regulations to be put in place to safeguard the health of the women. Without it, women are subject to the exploitation and violence of the pimps and clients
What guides did ancient texts give?
guides to sexual acts
What do ancient texts provide?
insight to sexual understanding for a given time & culture
The middle ages have a heavy…
christian influence
What was the focus of sex during the middle ages?
sex for reproduction and the sin of sex
In the middle ages, what did medical texts advocate for? why?
reasonable amounts of sex to regulate the 4 humors
What are the 4 humors?
Bloods was anger and irritability = let blood out!
Black bile was associated with depression
Yellow Bile
Phlegm
- Engaging in sexual activity was supposed to regulate those 4 humors
What was the idea surrounding sex in the Victorian Era?
There was a fear by Thomas Malthus of overpopulation and not enough resources, so told to reduce having sex
Who said “I like down on my bed, close my eyes, open my legs and think of England”
Lady Hillington. The rich were only having sex because they “had” to.
When did sex research really begin?
Victorian Era
