1. Sex in History ecarson@houstonchristian.org http://professorcarson.weebly.com/

2. A psychosocial approach It’s more than just biology Our views of our sexuality are strongly influenced by psychological and social conditioning factors

3. Two themes Two essential aspects of sexuality and what it really means to be a man or a woman have ebbed and flowed throughout the centuries Their evolution and current status tell us a lot about our conception of sexuality and ourselves

4. Sex for procreation The belief that sex’s only permissible use is reproduction. So, any other reason to engage in sex is either immoral or illegal, or both. But today, 60% of us think that oral sex is acceptable.

5. Other cultures - Islam Based on Muhammad's Qur’an Premarital sex is frowned on, especially for women Marital sex is to be treasured Women viewed as more sexual Marriages arranged Female adulterers and male homosexuals are severely punished

6. Sex and Periodization Studies 16 th and 17 th CENTURIES Nuclear family Divorce available in certain cases More prostitution Marriages still based on economics but increasingly more romantic. Average age for marriage: 27 for men; 25 for women.

7. Sex and Periodization Studies Increased infanticide. Low rate of illegitimate births. Dramatic population growth until 1650; growth slows until 1750.

8. Sex and Periodization Studies 18 th Century Nuclear Family Growth of Cottage Industry. Marriages based more on romance. Average age for marriage: late 20s or later; takes longer for couple to be ready economically for marriage. Many women don’t marry; "spinsters"

9. Sex and Periodization Studies Illegitimate birth explosion:1750-1850 Increase in infanticide. Foundling hospitals created Young people increasingly worked away from home in the city. "Spare the rod, spoil the child." Rise of humanitarianism (influenced by Enlightenment.

10. Sex and Periodization Studies 19 th Century Ideal of romantic love now most important reason Fewer children per family; more love towards children Middle class more apt to consider economic reasons Many men married late Women closely monitored Sexual double standard

11. Sex and Periodization Studies Sexual double standard Rate of illegitimacy declined after 1850 in working classes Prostitution sought by middle & upper middle class men Freud: early childhood vital Lower class kids less dependent on parents financially than middle class kids

12. A Brief history Often parallels the sad story of how women became marginalized in our culture Western civilization has seen the conception of women (and their sexuality) change drastically over the millennia

13. Aphrodite

14. To Eve

16. Little Red Riding Hood

17. Race & Women, 1794

19. The Bible Sexuality was celebrated by man and wife despite strict gender roles Sex was a frequent motivation On the other hand, diversity (homosexuality) meant death

20. Christianity Jesus – compassionate but more typically silent about sex Equality in the early church? The mystery of Mary Magdalene

25. Thecla Banned from the Bible Chastity enthusiast Fell into disfavor Wrong emphasis?

26. Henri Matisse, 1939

27. Henri Matisse “The Joy of Life” 1906

28. The early Church St. Paul – advocated celibacy in response to temptation Viewed women as inferior to men St. Jerome (340-420) Too much lust for your wife?

29. The great synthesizer Saint Augustine (354-430) reformed party guy reconciled the Catholic faith with classical traditions once devoted to God, sneered at sex invented “Original Sin” thus forever vilifying Eve Missionary position

30. The intersection of faith and sexuality As the centuries rolled on, the church became increasingly institutionalized and male dominated Solidified in the context of the sexual excesses of the late Roman Empire Mary idealized, Mary Magdalene defamed Women’s sexual nature feared

31. St. Thomas Aquinas Meshed Catholic theology with Aristotle In his hugely influential Summa Theologica, briefly but effectively perpetrated the view of sex as sinful Any activity not aiming for procreation was a “crime against nature”

32. Consequences After Aquinas, homosexuals could “find neither refuge nor tolerance anywhere in the Western world.” As for women, witch hunts provided horrifying outlets for the fear of feminine sexuality

33. The Protestant Reformation Some softening of the prevailing, bleak view of sex John Calvin (1509-1564), said marital sex could, “ … lighten and ease the cares and sadness … or endear each other.”

34. Sex in the Enlightenment Locke’s theory derives from the Bible the observation that the Christian God did not establish governments among humans

35. Stare Case

36. Out of step … The louche world of Thomas Rowlandson's Exhibition Stare-Case gave way in short space to the strait-laced sensibilities of the Victorian age.

37. Aristotle’s Masterpiece The most important thing about Aristotle's Masterpiece, first published in the 1680s, was its advice that women needed to experience sexual pleasure as part of the reproductive process

38. Aristotle’s Masterpiece

39. William Hogarth

40. The Victorian era 1837- 1901 Queen Victoria ruled over England, the world’s greatest power World-wide tone setter Sexes were cast in rigid roles: MEN – stern breadwinners; full of lust WOMEN – pure, asexual, delicate; sex was a “wifely duty”

41. More Victorian Views Sex viewed as a medical risk Due to strict gender-roles, great gulf between the sexes Surprise! - Prostitution flourished

42. But behind “ closed doors ” Celia Mosher, M.D. took a survey of her female clients Contrary to prevailing notions, they: 1) had sexual desire, 2) enjoyed sex, and 3) experienced orgasms

43. Celia Mosher

44. The Anti-Victorian Sir Richard Francis Burton Secret agent extraordinaire Explored 5 continents World’s greatest sex expert Wrote of sexual practices and oddities Translated the Kama Sutra Prudish wife burned his detailed diaries

45. The 20 th Century People, events and technology brought huge changes in attitudes and behaviors Freud (1900) women are innately as sexual as men the even more startling conception of “infantile sexuality”

46. Women and Rights Havelock Ellis (1921) women have inherent sexual rights anything goes as long as no one is hurt Suffrage (1916 – 1930) women could vote but lacked real equality

47. World war i Soldiers encounter less conservative European women American women enter the depleted work force Society in transition – more flexibility

48. The Roaring 20’s Cars = mobility and freedom Movies = role models Fashion = “flappers” Behavior = petting

49. Sex and War The Great Depression with economic hardship, progress slows World War II repeat of WWI freedoms and exposure The 50’s conservatism and strict gender roles return

50. The kinsey bombshell Surveys on men (1948) and women (1953) Claimed that our sexual behaviors were much more varied than previously assumed True? – It didn’t matter.

51. The Swinging 60’s & Beyond The quest for gender-role equity kicks in “The Pill” removes fear of unwanted pregnancies Laws against contraceptives fall, largely due to the controversial “Right to Privacy” Sex’s link to procreation is shattered Over population concerns surface

52. Maters & Johnson’s Human Sexual Response is published Self-help books appear Sex therapy emerges Gays “come out” – to both positive and negative responses AIDS erupts and further polarizes positions

53. The Explosion of Media/Sexuality Just 50 years ago, married couples had to be depicted in separate beds Now, television’s amazing access has had, good – gays & bad – depersonalization of women, effects on our attitudes towards sex.