Sexual/Affectional Orientations & Diversity Flashcards
Orientation as a compass (previously seen as)?
Points in the direction(s) of attraction and attachment
- Sexual orientation
- Affectional orientation
Sexual orientation is limited because…
- Emphasised/privileges the sexual component
- Usually categorised by the gender binary
- An interaction: You gender/sex = the gender/sex of the person you find sexually attractive
Back to Sexual Configurations Theory - Number of different axes?
- Your gender/sex
- Gender/sex of others
- What are you attracted to? Is it genitals, body frame, social identity, interactions, masculinity/feminity?
- Age
- Partner number
- Type of sexual activity
But is sexual orientation always sexual?
Not necessarily
Eroticism?
- Eroticism refers to aspects of sexuality tied to bodily pleasure. Thins that evoke sexual interest, are arousing (regardless of desire).
Nurturance?
- Nurturance refers to warm loving feelings and closeness (think attachment).
- Nurturance and love are not synonymous. Nurturance implies a connection, whereas love implies a deep affective connection.
Affectional Orientation: Eroticism + Nurturance?
- Nurturance and eroticism can be distinct you can feel one without the other AND they can co-occur.
Sexual Configurations Theory (SCT)?
- Sexual configuration is comprised of 2 domains, name them
- Partner Sexuality, Gender/sex, Partner number, Sexual parameter
- Solitary Sexuality
Sexual Configurations Theory (SCT)?
- Partnered sexuality has 3 domains (eroticism and nurturance are built in)
- Gender/Sex Sexuality
- Partner Number Sexuality
- Connecred to identities (e.g., lesbian, straight, pan, gay, poly) -> identities are names given to some configurations - Sexual Parameter
- Other sexual parameters may may include: sexual activity, kinks
Is sexual/affectional orientation stable over time?
Identity Labels:
- Has personal significance to the individual.
- Research suggests that identity can change over time.
- Partner identify changes can influence your own identity.
Is sexual/affectional orientation stable over time?
Eroticism:
- Fluidity
- Evidence from multi-wave studies that sexual interests can change over time; hoverer, this is predominately among people with non-exclusive sexual attractions
- Family diary studies reveal variability in strength of reotic attraction day-to-day
Is sexual/affectional orientation stable over time?
Nurturance:
- Much less research on this aspect, though there is reason to believe that this too could change over time consistent with SCT
Data from a large US study of young adults shows how sexual orientation identity and attraction changes from ages 18-24 (wave 3) to ages 24-34 (wave 4), with bisexuality showing the least stability across waves.
- Of the people who identified as bisexual at wave 3, 80% changed their label at wave 4
Results demonstrate?
Especially among those who have a sexual identity that is not-exclusively attractive to one gender/sex tend to show more fluidity
-> sexual attraction can change
How do sexual/affectional orientations develop?
- It is complex and no one theory can explain all variability!
The Failure of Psychosocial Theories (ZERO SUPPORT)
Psychodynamic perspective?
- No evidence gay men have hostile or absent fathers, or over-protective mothers
The Failure of Psychosocial Theories (ZERO SUPPORT)
Social learning perspective (~30 years ago)?
- Idea that early rewarding sexual experience with the same-gender/sex increase likelihood of same-gender/sex orientation
- Does this seem plausible? …no
- But many, who go to single gender/sex boarding schools and have early sexual experience with classmates do not go on to be gay or lesbian
- Behaviour does not equal orientation
- In animal models, it is difficult to condition sexual preference for males of females
- Think back to learning models!
The Failure of Psychosocial Theories (ZERO SUPPORT)
Socialisation (~40-50 years ago)?
- No evidence that people with different sexual attractions are socialised differently from their heterosexual counterparts
Biological Theories (all research is based on man-to-man sexuality)
Concerns and potential benefits?
- Concerns around motivations to investigate biological underpinnings pf sexual orientation
- If they find a “gay gene” will this be used to harm SGD people?
- Biological theories can also do a lot of good for SGD peoples, where they provide strong evidence that this is not a “choice”
Biological Theories
- Rates of same gander/sex attraction are relatively stable over time and across cultures (4-5% prevalence)
- Two most consistent findings that support a biological component based on meta-anlyses:
- Concordance rater among twins (50-60% heritability) much higher than many other genital components
- Fraternal birth order
Birth order: A meta-analysis showed each additional older brother increase a male’s odds of being gay by 47%.
- Brain development in utero is affected by a maternal immune response to androgens that are present during fatal development, then affect subsequent pregnancies
Is it possible to change sexual/affectional orientation? Reparative Therapy - One controversial study of 200 adults reported some people claimed sexual orientation change, but…
- Many who report change were likely deceiving themselves
- Some were successful at adopting a heterosexual identity and lifestyle and stopped engaging in same gender/sex behaviour
- However, the majority still experience same gender/sex attractions
- Some were successful at adopting a heterosexual identity and lifestyle and stopped engaging in same gender/sex behaviour
10 years after publishing this paper, Spitzer Reassesses apologised for making unfounded claims
Current Stance on Reparative Therapy?
- It is ineffective at altering sexual attraction
- It has negative impacts on mental health
- Professional mental health associations oppose it
- Banned in BC
- Human rights violation
Minority Stress & SGD people
- Virginia Brooks (1981), Authored “Minority stress & lesbian women” (received no credit bc of her social position)
- Allan Myers (2003), credited for minority stress theory (bc of social power and privilege)
- Stressors embedded within the social position of SGD individuals (i.e., stigma, prejudice, discrimination) -> contribute to health-related conditions and lower well-being
What are microaggressions?
- Everyday verbal, nonverbal and environmental slights, snubs, or insults.
- Can be intentional or unintentional
- That communicate hostile, derogatory, or negative messages to target person on the basis of marginalised group membership
- COMMON on university campuses
- Linked with poorer mental; and physical health and academic performance (similar to microaggressions)
Directed to an individual
Microinvalidations & Micro insults?
Microinvalidations:
- Invalidate a person’s lived experience
- “It’s just a phase” “I’m not homophobic because I have a gay/lesbian friend”
Micro insults:
- More overt
- “It’s a sin” “act less lesbian/gay/queer” “I would never have known you were SGM” “this is my friend x, they are gay’
Microaggressions Encountered in the Environment?
- Not necessarily directed towards a person
- “That’s so gay” “no home”
- Receiving information specific to heterosexual people
