1. A MINI-RESEARCH PROJECT – BY VANESSA THOMPSON SALT LAKE COMMUNITY COLLEGE – FHS 2450

2. In modern U.S. culture, sex has become a prevalent topic. I have observed the media seems to place great emphasis on the importance of sex, and tends to give it superior status over many other aspects of life. This overt highlight on sex has led me to wonder if it is an accurate representation of how people really feel, or if the media is promoting an unrealistic image? How important is sex to the overall well-being of the human race? Are there people voluntarily choosing to be celibate and, if so, for what reasons? To find answers to these questions I conducted a mini-research project. I created a survey consisting of four questions, and took a random sampling of 21 adults ranging in age from 18 to 64. 9 of the participants were male and 12 were female. All participants took the survey anonymously through an online survey host. In the following pages, I have created charts to illustrate my findings and have provided overall results, as well as results broken down according to gender. Celibacy2

3. I speculate I will discover that there are people who are voluntarily choosing to be celibate, and believe the most prominent reason will be for religious beliefs and purposes. However, I feel the majority of people will report they view sex as an essential part of their overall well-being. I also believe most respondents will express they feel the media places too great of an emphasis on sex. Celibacy3

4. Yes Overall: 81% Male: 78% Female: 83% No Overall: 19% Male: 22% Female: 17% Celibacy4

5. To Practice Self-Control Overall: 6% Male: 14% Female: 0% Religious Purposes Overall: 94% Male: 86% Female: 100% Celibacy5

6. Overall Average: 3.52 Male Average: 4.3 Female Average: 2.9 Celibacy6

7. Yes Overall: 81% Male: 67% Female: 92% No Overall: 19% Male: 33% Female: 8% Celibacy7

8. I found, generally, my data supported my hypothesis. Overall, 81% of respondents said at some point in their adult life they have voluntarily been celibate. My findings were quite conclusive in that 94% of respondents relayed their reason for doing so was for religious purposes. The results showing the importance of sex in relation to a person’s overall well- being proved to be very informative. The men’s results were nearly unanimous with an average rating of 4.3. And women seemed to present a pattern as well, with the majority of women reporting a 3. It was interesting to discover that women are more inclined than men to believe the media and society place too great of an emphasis on sex. I think this shows how the media may objectify women and put a greater pressure on them to be “sexy”. Perhaps because men are not personally targeted, they are somewhat oblivious to the misconceptions the media asserts about women. I found this research project to be fun and informative. It was interesting to take a closer look at celibacy and get a more in depth perspective on how people really view sex. Celibacy8

9. Title page: favim.com, askmen.com Page 4: faithoncampus.com, mygodandme.info Celibacy9