1. Chapter 7: Sexuality in Adulthood
Human Sexuality
Chapter 7:
Sexuality in Adulthood

2. Sexuality in Adulthood
Sexual philosophy:
Integrating personal, spiritual, religious, philosophical, ideological perspectives on sexuality

3. Sexuality in Emerging Adulthood
Cultural scripts
Moral/religious discourse
Familial discourse
Negotiating a personal philosophy of sexuality
How does this happen?

4. Solidifying Sexual Orientation
Strengthening one’s sexual orientation and gender identity

5. Relationship Trends Among Adults
More single adults
Single-by-choice: a way of life

6. Single Adults Adults are marrying at a later age
1970: 55% of men aged were single
2006: 84% of men aged were single

7. Relationship Trends Among Adults
More sexual experiences prior to marriage
Cohabitation is more accepted and widespread

8. Relationship Trends Among Adults
Greater number of unintended pregnancies
Single motherhood is more common
- 30% of families are headed by a single parent

9. Relationship Trends Among Adults
More adults are separated or divorced vs. decades past

10. The Question of Intimacy
Erik Erikson:
Psychosocial crisis
Intimacy vs. Isolation: the crisis of young adulthood

11. Priorities in Mate Selection
Similarity
Proximity
Men- rate attractiveness as important
Women- rate success as important
Evolutionary and cultural rationale

12. Cohabitation Has become less stigmatized
Most people in their 20s are single

13. Cohabitation Typically last 5 years or less
56% of marriages that took placed in the 90s were preceded by cohabitation (Bramlett, 2002)
Cohabitating couples who marry are at greater risk for divorce (Smock, 2000)

14. Cohabitation
Cohabitating couples divide housework more than married couples
A “new state of courtship”?

15. Cohabitation
Domestic partnerships
Common law marriages

16. Marriage Average age at first marriage: 1950: men- 22.8; women- 20.3

17. Marriage Why do people marry? Personal and cultural needs
Marriage as a social construction
Most young people in the US believe marriage is important (Jayson, 2006)

18. Marriage: Variations Arranged marriages Polygamy Gay marriage
Consensual adultery (open marriages)
“swinging”

19. Successful Marriages Close friendship Compromise
Maintaining a positive view of one’s spouse
Shared meaning/shared worlds

20. Marriage: Outcomes
Unhappy marriages: increases the risk of health problems, shortens life expectancy
Happy marriages: increases life expectancy

21. Changes in the Marital Relationship
Marriages may become better adjusted in middle adulthood
Most older adults report happy marriages

22. Sexual Orientation
Article Discussion:

23. Sexuality During the Middle Adult Years
Divorce rate:
Substantial increase
High expectations of marriage (Furstenberg, 1991; Levine, 2003)

24. Divorce Risk factors for divorce: Youthful marriage
Low educational attainment
Low income
Premarital pregnancy

25. Sexuality in Middle Adulthood
Children of divorce:
Mixed findings in the research
Long term trauma and distress (Wallerstein, 2000)
Most do not suffer long term trauma (Ahrons, 2004)
The context of the divorce

26. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Developmental Concerns:
Biological changes
Loss of a partner
Psychological factors
Cultural perspectives on aging

27. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Diversity in reactions:
Increase in competence
Little movement
Seeking new relationships, serious or casual
Little interest in new relationships
Despair

28. Stereotypes of Aging Older adulthood: lonely and depressing
No interest in sexuality
Most older adults still regard sexuality as important
Decreases in sexuality activity are more cultural than biological (Kellett, 1991)

29. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
“cultural illiteracy” regarding aging
the “sexless” old
socially constructed as an asexual period in development

30. Sexuality in Late adulthood
Research- problems with generalizability
Kinsey- included few older people; 3 pages of 735 were dedicated to older people

31. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Age- “slows the human sexual response, does not terminate it”
Sexual activity declines with age, but sex is still important

32. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Physiological changes
Women- menopause- reduction in estrogen
Men- slowed/weaker sexual response; erectile dysfunction
Health plays a key role

33. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Sexual activity continues in later life
Need for intimacy remains
Considerable individual variation

34. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
GLBT older adults- maintain sexual interest/activity
Very few studies on this population

35. Sexuality in Late Adulthood
Methodological problems:
Social desirability- over and underreporting sexual behavior based on gender
Less focus on women, GLBT individuals, and the unmarried
Less open to discussing sexuality?