1. Love & Sexuality
Family Sociology

2. Love and Sexuality
Love is all around us – even if we are not in a romantic relationships
We are constantly reminded that we “should” be in one
Think about the $$ and energy spent on Valentines Day alone

3. Love & Sexuality Love and sexuality are socially constructed
Economic & cultural changes influence how we view love, sex, and intimate relationships

4. Love & Sexuality The idea of sexual identity is socially constructed
Even though we think of sexual behavior and romantic love as very personal emotions ….
They are influenced by social norms, the current culture of the time, and demographic changes.
The way we experience love is shaped by the context in which love occurs

5. Then
&
Now

6. Love & Sexuality Love/Romance is socially constructed
How are ideas about romantic love constructed?
The culture of Capitalism operates as a frame through which we see and interpret emotional experience
This cultural frame creates the norms and values we associate with love relationships and how we express romantic love

7. Love & Sexuality
Capitalist culture creates and reinforces specific symbols and rituals of romantic love
When you think romantic love what images come to mind?

8. Love & Sexuality

9. Love and Sexuality
From popular songs and movies, love and romance are EVERYWHERE
What are some romantic songs that come to mind?
How about Maxwell?

10. Love & Sexuality
Why does romantic love continue to have such a grip on us – despite major social changes like increasing divorce rates?
1) Illouz argues that love is a special place where we experience utopia – or perfection
In other words…love is sacred
2) Romantic love affirms the importance of the individual
Individual fulfillment more important than social and economic concerns
3) Love sells!

11. Love & Sexuality
What larger social and economic changes since the 1700s, 1800s have made a greater emphasis on romantic love possible?
Standard of living has increased
Greater emphasis on individualism
Women are less economically dependent
Emphasis on companionate marriage
(being friends with your partner)

12. Love & Sexuality
As women’s labor force participation rates increase, women postpone marriage to finish college, graduate school, or begin their careers
This leaves a longer period time between leaving home and getting married
This leads to postponing marriage

13. Percentage Never Married for Men and Women Aged 20 to 24, 1890 to 2000
2-1

14. New Survey on American Sexuality
National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB)
Conducted by the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University
Study based on responses from 5,865 individuals, including about 800 under 18.
Partially funded by Trojan Condoms
Source: Reece, Herbenick, Schick, Sanders, Dodge, & Fortenberry (2010) Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol 7,

15. New Survey on American Sexuality
Findings:
Orgasm gap
85% of men say their female partner reached orgasm during their last sexual encounter
However only 60% of women said they had an orgasm
Hmmmm…..
Condom Use
Teens using condoms, but older people “back on the market” less likely to use them
See chart from NY Times:

16. New Survey on American Sexuality
Findings:
Reasons why 50+ adults are not using condoms
Older singles have spent much of their time married and may think of HIV/AIDS as concern for younger people
They have not been targeted by public health messages
No parental figure urging them to use condoms/ or not to have sex
Older men may worry condoms cause erectile dysfunction
Source: New York Times, 10/10/10

17. Love & Sexuality
How has the connection between love & marriage changed?
How about how has the relationship between love & sex changed? Hooking up?
How has the connection between sex and marriage changed?
How has the relationship between childbearing and marriage changed?

18. Love & Sexuality Since the 1960’s we have seen increases in:
the likelihood of sex before marriage
the number of partners

19. Nonmarital Sexual Activity
Sex is now separated from marriage due to:
Innovations in birth control
Legalization of abortion
Attitude change - greater acceptance of sex before marriage
Kinsey Report first to show that many people were having sex outside of marriage

20. Nonmarital Sexual Activity
Sex and love are disconnected
How is hooking up defined?
How has the “initiation” of romantic relations changed over the past 20 years?
What are some of the findings of the article by Owen et al. on college students “hooking up?”
What percent of college students report that they’ve “hooked up”
What are the demographics of hooking up?

21. Nonmarital Sexual Activity
In their study, Owen et al. defined hooking up as:
”an event in which two people are physically intimate outside of a committed relationship without the expectation of future encounters.”
People used to go on dates, go steady etc.
Now many relationships begin with “hooking up.”
50-75% of young adults say they’ve “hooked up” in the past year

22. Nonmarital Sexual Activity
In previous studies, men were more likely than women to say they’ve hooked up – Owen et al document similar reports by gender
They also find that White college students were more likely to report hooking up than college students of color
Students were more likely to hook up if:
Parent’s had higher income
alcohol was involved
students had positive views toward hooking up

23. Nonmarital Sexual Activity
We still see evidence of sex differences in reported number of partners by sex

24. Number of sexual partners in past 12 months, for never-married, non cohabiting women and men, 2002 (NCHS)

25. THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF: SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS
When people give an ideal response to a survey – that is socially acceptable - rather than the true response
Think about people reporting their ideal weight, because we live in a society that emphasizes being thin
THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF: SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS
So social desirability bias is when people report an answer on a survey that they think SHOULD report according to social norms

26. Love & Sexuality Childbearing has become separated from marriage
Decline in the economic gains to marriage
Changing attitudes now more acceptable to have a nonmarital birth
Technological innovations in birth control
Legalization of abortion – no more “having to get married”

27. Love & Sexuality Be careful out there!!!!
If you are going to have sex, USE a CONDOM and a back up form of contraception
Don’t leave anything to chance!
The most recent national estimates, suggest that:
Approximately 19 million new cases of STIs each year, half of them among 15–24-year-olds
65 million Americans have at least one viral STI, most commonly genital herpes
In 2007, the CDC reported 1.1 million chlamydia diagnoses and 356,000 gonorrhea diagnoses.
However, since most chlamydia and gonorrhea cases go undiagnosed or unreported, the true number of new infections is probably much greater.
The rate of chlammydia is 3 times greater for women
Source:

28. Love & Sexuality Love and sexuality are socially constructed
Economic and cultural changes influence how we view love, sex, and intimate relationships
New survey shows ORGASM gap by gender
Teens are using condoms more now than in the past
Social desirability bias occurs when those being surveyed report the socially acceptable response, rather than the real answer