1. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sexuality and Society

2. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. UNDERSTANDING SEXUALITY IN TODAY ’ S SOCIETY, THE THOUGHT PATTERN FOCUS ON SEX AND SEXUALITY ALMOST ON A DAILY BASIS. –MEN FOCUS ON SEX AND SEXUALITY CONSIDERABLY MORE THAN WOMEN. –IS THIS INSTINCTIVE OR PART OF THE LEARNED BEHAVIOR? THESE THOUGHTS SHAPE OUR PERSONALITY AND OUR THOUGHT PATTERNS. FOR A SOCIETY THAT EMPHASIZES THE SEXUALITY OF PEOPLE, IT IS ODD THAT SEX IS STILL CONSIDERED A TABOO SUBJECT OF CONVERSATION AND A METHOD OF JUDGEMENT OF PEOPLE.

3. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sex: A Biological Issue The biological distinctions between females and males Primary sex characteristics –Organs used for reproduction Secondary sex characteristics –Bodily development that distinguishes mature males and females. –Rates of development and type of development may differ. Body size Hair growth Voice characteristics

4. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. How do “ Sex ” and “ Gender ” differ? Sex and sexuality refer to specific physical traits and biological differences. –Body parts and organs –Role in the reproduction system Gender tends to be a term of identification, explaining the social and political traits that are assigned to males and females. –Men and women are each assigned specific duties.

5. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Page 192 Source: Bearman et al. (2004)

6. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sex and the Body Intersexual people (hermaphrodites) –Possessing some combination of female and male genitalia Transsexuals –People who feel emotionally linked to one sex, but are biologically the other –Often expressed feeling is “ trapped in the body of the wrong sex ” –Disregard conventional ideas about how males and females look and behave

7. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sex: A Cultural Issue The notion of the “ sex drive ” --a basic instinct? Cultural variation –Showing affection and sexual position Differ worldwide –Notions of modesty –Restrictions placed upon openness The incest taboo –Found in every society –The norm forbidding sexual relations between certain relatives

8. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. ISSUES OF SEXUALITY http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM5rznT rxzQ&NR=1http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KM5rznT rxzQ&NR=1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfSHlL2 JHko&feature=relmfuhttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SfSHlL2 JHko&feature=relmfu

9. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. National Map 8.1 First-Cousin Marriage Laws across the United States

10. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Why does the Incest Taboo exist? Biological Control of the social organization. The basic need to integrate and expand the society.

11. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. SEXUAL ATTITUDES IN THE U.S. COMBINATION OF RIGID AND PERMISSIVE RIGID –STILL LAWS WHICH LIMIT SEXUAL ENCOUNTERS BETWEEN UNMARRIED AND SAME SEX PARTNERS. –SEXUAL CONDUCT INDICATES MORALITY PERMISSIVE –INDIVIDUALISTIC SOCIETY, ALLOWS PEOPLE THE “ FREEDOM TO ACT ”. –MAJOR PART OF MEDIA PROGRAMMING

12. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. The Sexual Revolution Social Changes of the 1920-1930 ’ s. 1948 Alfred Kinsey ’ s study of sexuality 1960s: A new openness toward sexuality –Birth-control pills More sexual activity –Double standard challenged Males given more sexual freedom than females. Premarital and extramarital sex –Men and women are almost equal in the percent reporting premarital sex. –American youth broadly accept premarital sex. –75% of men and 90% of women remain faithful during marriage.

13. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. The Sexual Revolution Sex between adults –1/3 have sex a few times a year or not at all –1/3 have sex once to a few times a month –1/3 have sex with a partner two or more times a week Sex over the life course –Patterns of change with age. –Males are sexually active by age 16, females by age 17. –During ages of 30-50, sexual activity tends to be interrupted –Age 60: 85% of men and 60% of women say they've been sexually active in the past year. –Sexual activity is a normal part of life for most older adults.

14. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Figure 8.1 The Sexual Revolution: Closing the Double Standard

15. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sexual Attitudes in the US since 1980 The sexual counterrevolution –Return to “ family values ” –The return to sexual responsibility –Limited partners –STDs –Premarital sex

16. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Global Map 8.1 Contraceptive Use in Global Perspective

17. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Table 8.1 How We View Premarital and Extramarital Sex

18. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sexual Orientation Heterosexuality –“ Hetero: ” the other of two Homosexuality –“ Homo: ” the same Bisexuality –Strong attraction to both sexes Asexuality –No sexual attraction Roots of sexual orientation –Mounting biological evidence for genetics –Can ’ t discount social influences Romantic and emotional attraction to another person

19. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Figure 8.2 Four Sexual Orientations A person’s level of same-sex attraction and opposite-sex attraction are two distinct dimensions that combine in various ways to produce four major sexual orientations. Source: Adapted from Storms (1980).

20. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Figure 8.3a Sexual Orientation in the United States: Survey Data (a) How Many Gay People? The percentage of people who are classified as having a homosexual orientation depends on how this concept is operationalized. Research suggests that 2.8% of adult men and 1.4% of adult women claim a homosexual identity. Source: Adapted from Laumann et al. (1994).

21. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Figure 8.3b Sexual Orientation in the United States (b) Attitudes toward Homosexual Relations, 1973-2004 Between 1990 and 2002, the percentage of U.S. adults who disapprove of homosexual relations went down. Between 2002 and 2004, however, it rose slightly and now stands at about 60 percent. Source: NORC (2005)

22. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Figure 8.4 Opposition to Homosexual Relationships: Attitudes of First- Year College Students, 1980-2006

23. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sexual Controversies Teen pregnancy –Highest rates of other high-income countries –Sex education in schools: solution or problem? Pornography –Sexually explicit material that causes sexual arousal –Supreme Court gives local communities the power to decide what violates “ community standards. ” –Criticized for moral and political reasons

24. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. National Map 8.2 Teenage Pregnancy Rates across the United States

25. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Prostitution Social and cultural ties –Strongest in low-income countries where: patriarchy is strong. opportunities to earn a living are restricted. Types of prostitution –“ Call girls ” –Workers in controlled parlors –“ Street walkers ” A “ victimless crime? ” –Police stage only occasional crackdowns. –Law enforcement is likely to target “ Johns ” who attempt to buy sex. The selling of sexual services.

26. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Global Map 8.2 Prostitution in Global Perspective

27. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Sexual Violence and Abuse A culture of rape –Sexual violence includes verbal abuse, rape, and assault. Rape –A violent act that uses sex to hurt, humiliate, or control another person Date rape (or acquaintance rape) –Forcible sexual violence against women by men they know Myths about rape –Rape always involves strangers. –Women provoke their attackers. –Rape is simply sex.

28. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Theoretical Analysis Structural-functional analysis –Need to regulate sexual behavior –Latent function Symbolic-interaction analysis –The social construction of sexuality –Sexual practices vary from culture to culture. Social-conflict analysis –Highlights dimensions of inequality –Shows how sexuality reflects patterns of social inequality and helps perpetuate them. –Queer theory–Research findings that challenge the heterosexual bias in US society.

29. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Applying Theory Sexuality

30. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. The Abortion Controversy Roe v.Wade (1973) –Established legal access to abortion Pro-choice –Support a woman ’ s right to choose abortion Pro-life –Abortion is morally wrong Circumstances of the pregnancy –Makes a big difference in how people see this issue The deliberate termination of a pregnancy

31. Sociology, 12 th Edition by John Macionis Copyright  2008 Prentice Hall, a division of Pearson Education. All rights reserved. Controversy and Debate When Should the Law Allow a Woman to Choose Abortion? Source: NORC (2005)