Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality Chapter 2 Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-1

Evolutional Perspectives Sociobiology - the application of evolutionary biology to understanding the social behavior of animals, including humans Evolution occurs via natural selection Natural selection - process by which those animals that are best adapted to their environment are more likely to survive, reproduce, & pass their genes on to the next generation Sexual selection - selection that results from differences in traits affecting access to mates Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-2

Evolutionary Psychology Focuses on the psychological mechanisms that have been shaped by natural selection Sexual strategies - female and males face different adaptive problems; these differences lead to different strategies, or behaviors designed to solve these problems Criticism include that sociobiology ignores the importance of culture and learning Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-3

Psychological Theories: Psychoanalytic Theory Freud saw sex as one of the key forces in human life He divided human personality into 3 parts: Id Ego Superego Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-4

Psychological Theories: Psychoanalytic Theory Erogenous zones - part of the skin or mucous membrane that is extremely sensitive to stimulation Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-5

Psychological Theories: Psychoanalytic Theory Freud’s stages of psychosexual development: Oral stage Anal stage Phallic stage Latency Genital stage Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-6

Learning Theory Classical conditioning - takes place when a conditioned stimulus is paired with an original unconditioned stimulus Operant conditioning - means a person is more likely to repeat a behavior if it is rewarded (reinforcement) Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-7

Learning Theory Behavior modification - involves a set of techniques used to change behavior Social learning - based on operant conditioning, imitation and identification Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-8

Psychological Theories: Cognitive Theories Cognition and sexuality what we think influences what we feel Psychological distress - related to unpleasant thoughts Gender schema theory - set of attributes that we associate with males and females; predisposes us to process information on the basis of gender Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-9

Sociological Perspectives: The Sociological Approach Levels of analysis: Macro level Subcultural level Interpersonal level Level of the individual Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-10

Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-11

Social Institutions Our sexuality is influenced by powerful social institutions, including: Religion Economy Family Medicine Law Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-12

Sexual Scripts This is the idea that sexual behavior is scripted much as a play in a theater is They tell us an etiquette of sexual behavior Scripts tell us the meaning we should attach to a particular sexual event Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-13

Reiss’s Sociological Theory of Sexuality Sexuality is linked to the structures of any society in 3 areas: Kinship system Power structure Ideology of society Copyright © The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. Permission required for reproduction or display. 1-14