1. Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality
Chapter 2
Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality
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2. 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
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3. 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
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4. 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
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5. Psychological Theories: Psychoanalytic Theory
Erogenous zones - part of the skin or mucous membrane that is extremely sensitive to stimulation
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6. Psychological Theories: Psychoanalytic Theory
Freud’s stages of psychosexual development:
Oral stage
Anal stage
Phallic stage
Latency
Genital stage
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7. 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)
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8. Learning Theory
Behavior modification - involves a set of techniques used to change behavior
Social learning - based on operant conditioning, imitation and identification
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9. 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
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10. Sociological Perspectives: The Sociological Approach
Levels of analysis:
Macro level
Subcultural level
Interpersonal level
Level of the individual
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12. Social Institutions
Our sexuality is influenced by powerful social institutions, including:
Religion
Economy
Family
Medicine
Law
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13. 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
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14. 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
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