The organization of sexuality (Week Chpt 2 pp 24-51)

Question 1

what are 5 domains in which sexuality can be organized into?

Answer 1

1. kinship and family systems
2. economic and social organization
3. social regulation
4. politics
5. cultures of resistance

Question 2

which system appears as the most basic and unchanging form?

Answer 2

kinship and family systems

Question 3

is incest a taboo within all contexts and histories? give a coupel of examples

Answer 3

there are varying degrees to which incest is taboo – in some societies its completely unnacceptable, somewhat acceptable, or completely acceptable

1. Christian traditions in the middle ages, marriage to the seventh degree of relationship was prohibited
2. Egypt pharaohs – sibling marriages and in some cases so were farther-daughter marriages –> preserve the purity of the royal line

Question 4

which incest activity is the most tabooed?

Answer 4

father-daughter

Question 5

why does incest taboo vary throughout history?

Answer 5

• definitions of kin changes
• kin is not natural links of blood
• kin are social relations

Question 6

how do social and economic forces affect sexuality? what aspects can it affect?

Answer 6

they do not determine sexuality but they do provide the context within which sexual and intimate life is shaped: they open opportunities and set the limits

Question 7

how do domestic and work patterns impact sexuality and sexual relations?

Answer 7

• home: child and elder care responsibilities
• working conditions
• women’s work and pay opportunities

Question 8

describe some ways were the economic and social patterns can affect family patterns

Answer 8

• encouraging/discouraging the rate of marriage
• age of marriage
• incidenced of reproduction
• attitudes to non-procreative or non-heterosexual sex
• acceptance of cohabitaiton or single parenthood
• relative power of men over women
• rise of queer domesticities

Question 9

what economic forces can affect domestic patterns?

Answer 9

• class divisons to which economic change give rise
• degree of urbanization and of rapid industrial and social change – e.g. women who worked in factories were more familiar with birth control and thus limited their family size
• migrations and other transnational flows of people – e.g. labour migrations affected patterns of courtship, mateship arrangments, ethanic and racial intermingling, the incidence of illegitimacy, spread of STDs
• sex tourism and trafficking