Sexuality Today: by Gary F.

Kelly
Part 1: Social and Biological
Foundations of Human Sexuality

Chapter 1: Historical, Cultural and

Research Perspectives on Sexuality

The Difficult Social Topic of Sex

Human societies throughout time seem compulsively drawn to, while
simultaneously fearful & repelled by things SEXUAL.

Dr. Kelly suggests: perhaps sex reminds us of our deep animal nature
or sex, which symbolizes life also reminds us of death
or romantic stage passion produces temporarily insanity
The result is often a set of ambivalent attitudes or mixed feelings toward sex
and a general anxiety about discussing the topic.
* Its naughty & sacred

Sex is always controlled with sanctions

All societies have elaborate systems prescribing appropriate partners

and activities. Without these sexual rules there would be disruptions to
the social order, group cooperation and cohesion.

In patriarchal societies, before DNA analysis, establishing family linage

involved family wealth. This resulted in an emphasis on womens
sexual fidelity.

Cultural absolutism (erotocentrism) - to what extent does your society

effect your sexuality?, Eurocentric - how has our European history
shaped sexuality in the U.S.? cultural relativism- see others through
their own cultural lense.

The sex revolution and the Cultural wars- Trends create countertrends

Culture & History are key

to understanding sex in a society
Sexual behavior & values change over time & in response to
historical events
* Post 9/11/01 there was a mini-baby boom

* War time typically fosters a live for today attitude

* Video to DVD to the internet and a10 Billion $ Hard-Core-Porn Industry
* Those from other non-western cultures often have a difficult adjustment.

Modern Industrial Societies

Religion typically sets all sexual sanctions in

pre-industrial / traditional societies.

In modern, larger, heterogeneous cultures sexual norms

are more diverse & dynamic.

The US shows great individualism in sexual values &

behavior. The U.S. is becoming increasingly open and
tolerant of sexual differences.

This often presents a difficult challenge to those who are

traditional in a society and those who immigrate from
more traditional cultures.

Patterns of Change
New approaches to morality and personal autonomy
Changing roles of women and men
Support from science and technology
The emergence of sex education
New perspectives on sexual orientation &gender identity

Changing Interplay of romance and commitment

HIV and AIDS
Media & internet attention to sexuality
Sexual politics and family values

Culture Wars & Traditional Values

There is no single attitude toward sex we can apply to all the U.S.
* Progressives (Recreational) promote comprehensive sex education.
(give information to save lives) and advocate open expression of pluralistic
forms of sexuality & orientation.
* Traditionalists (Procreative) promote abstinence (just say no)
want social acceptance for ONLY: One type family (traditional), two
Gender roles (M&F), One type of Marriage (M&F) and one sexual
orientation (heterosexual).

* (Relational) this attitude is somewhere in between where sex is

acceptable within a loving and committed relationship.
SOME CONCEQUENCES OF THESE VARYING PERSPECTIVES
* Kids 12-18 are often sexually active with no real sex education.
* Laws regarding Sex Ed., age of consent & statutory rape vary greatly.

Attitudes Toward Sexuality Education

* New Jersey first required public SEX ED. over 100 years ago
(still controversial).
* People disagree on specific content, standards and training
for educators.

* Sexual information and Educational Council of the United

States (SIECUS) and the
* American Association of Sex Educators Counselors & Therapists
(AASECT) are the two national certification and referral
organizations for sex ed. & sex therapists.
* Now nearly all require some type. Comprehensive Sex Ed is
lifelong.
* Some say sex education should involve scare tactic to promote
an abstinence only ethic.

HIV and AIDS as Agents of Change

First called GRID (Gay Related Immune Deficiency)

* Lead to safe sex movement & increased homophobia: In the 70s .

* World wide AIDs is the fourth leading cause of death on the planet.
* Findings are mixed regarding the effects of AIDs on safer sexual practices.
- A world wide CDC study found 1/3 of 16-24 yr olds while concerned, but
did nothing to prevent HIV transition in their sexual encounters
46% were NOT personally concerned about the disease.
- Research in the U.S. shows that disease protection and pregnancy
worries came in second to feeling pleasure in peoples sexual decision
making
- Fear of disease has lead to increased talk about sexual histories &
requesting condom use but this requires good communication skills.

- For some such talk results in increased fear of raising trust issues
- Also young persons still feel bullet-proof.

The Methods of Sexological

Research

Surveys

Kinsey, NHSLS

Case Studies

In-depth, but
generalization
difficult

Clinical Data

Treatment strategies

Observation

Ethnosexual Field
Studies

Laboratory or field

Examine cultures

Experiments

Cause-effect

Milestones in Sex Research

* Is Sexology an objective science or a academic/philosophical movement bent on
forcing social change? History shows sex has always been political.
* Earliest Sex Researcher Iwan Block: a German physician who coined the term sexual
science in his landmark historical analysis of prostitution and its functions and
dysfunctions.
* Magnus Hirschfeld a Jewish/German physician who first
saw same gender attraction as a third gender that
deserved equal rights & privileges. Arguably, the 1st gay
rights proponent
* Richard von Krafft-Ebing (1840-1902)
Masturbation is deviant German/neurologist/physician/ wrote 12
editions of his book Phychopathia Sexualis or SICK SEX.
Sensational case studies were used to support his view that
most all sex is sick and unnatural. Although not really viewed
as a sex researcher he had a significant influence through the
1800s & early 1900s.

Henry Havelock Ellis (1859-1939)

* THE Sex-affirmative researcher published six volumes entitled Studies in the
psychology of Sex where he emphasized the great human range of sexual
behavior, the socio-culturally influences, & how masturbation was common to all
ages, and genders
* This Englishman studied sex through extensive cross cultural studies
* His biggest contributions were at the end of the 1800s.
.
* Sexual orientation manifests in degrees from exclusively homosexual
to exclusively heterosexual.

* Women were equal to men in desire. Their orgasms are markedly

similar to mens.
* Arousal and orgasm problems, most often have a psychological foundation.
* Coined the term auto erotic. He also valued the mind body connection in
understanding the effects of health as well as emotional variables on ones sex life.

Other Names in the study of Sexuality

Theodor Van de Velde (1926 ) A Dutch physician who wrote a sex manual entitled
ideal marriage. He was obsessed on cleanliness but was positive about oral sex,
foreplay, multiple positions, and sex problem solving.
Robert Dickinson (1932) A NYC gynecologist who wrote A Thousand Marriages,
the first good survey of sexual behavior, where sampling methods where considered,
included 5,200 womens case studies and surveys of childhood attitudes and their effect on
later sexual functioning. He also studied the clitoris, vagina and cervix and their physiological
responses to stimulation. He realized that women who masturbated (autoerotic women) were
more likely to have coital orgasms. He also promoted the use of vibrators for women.
Helena Wright

Robert Dickinson

Helena Wright (1920s) A London Gynecologist wrote The Sex Factor In Marriage.
She suggested most women did not enjoy sex and had little skill at it. She instructed
women to explore their bodies and to masturbate as ways of improving their sex lives.

Alfred Kinsey (1894-1956)

* Legitimized sex research as he shocked the world with his 1948 book
sexual behavior of men followed by the sexual behavior of women in 53.
* Indiana Univ. Zoologist becomes sex and marriage instructor.
* Began interviewing people about their sex lives and by 1949
had collected 16,000 histories.
* He used rigorous research methods to do his two-large-scale
studies on sexual behavior.
* He started the Kinsey institute for research on sex and gender.
* His sample of convenience over represented same sex activity. He over
sampled prisoners and adolescence boys.
* This is an example of researcher bias where he had a preconceived social
agenda which effected his objectivity.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d6bXH2k9MKE

William Masters & Virginia Johnson:

* Its interesting we had a man on the moon before we studied the human sexual
response.
* William M. & Virginia J. beginning in the 1940s, observed autoerotic and coital activity
and recorded physiological responses.
* Following in the footsteps of Dickinson and Kinsey they observed about 700 people
having 10,000 orgasms.
* They described the physiology of the human sexual response for the first time,
producing the 1966 book The Human Sexual Response followed in 1970 by the book
Human Sexual Inadequacy where they treated common sexual problems using
behavioral techniques in a two week intensive treatment program.

The Seventies Sex Survey Bandwagon

Sex & Media Culture: An onslaught of magazine sex surveys heavily criticized for their
poor methodology.
Hunt Report
Morton Hunt did a Playboy sponsored sex survey based on a sample of 24 cities
phonebooks. The resulting book: Sexual Behavior in the 70s was later rejected for its
glaring sampling error, low return rate, bad statistical analysis and volunteer bias. It did
show a glimpse into some US sexuality.
Redbook Survey
This mid 70s Magazine survey of female sexuality is the largest to date with100,000
responses, representing about 2% of the readership (volunteer bias) Further the response
rate was extremely low and the sample was not representative.
.
Hite Reports
The weakest of the 70s surveys, empirically. Bad methodology, bad sample, and bad
statistical analysis. It provided some anecdotal insight into the range of sexual
experiences of people in the 70s.

NATIONAL HEALTH & SOCIAL LIFE SURVEY

- Conducted in 1994, it is the best available data on U.S. Sexual beliefs &
behavior.
- For 4yrs they failed to be granted funding for the study. Finally eight
private sources provided the financial support.
- The questionnaire was followed up with interviews of 3,500, 18-59 year
old, producing a near perfect national probability sample.

- A 80% response rate, was achieved

- 220 professional and trained interviewers followed up after the survey.
- In 1994, two books Social Organization of Sexuality & Sex in
Americawere published.

General finding were that there is less sexual variety and frequency but
more content to our sexual lives than previously thought.

An example of a research problem

One problem regarding the validity of a measurement is given by our
author Gary Kelly.
He suggests the use of a Penile strain gauge and plethysmograph in
studies of mens response to kiddy porn may not be a good way to
identify pedophiles.
He suggests some men show conscious control over their erections
and conversely,

25% of normal sample show some response to nude pictures of children

which
doesnt necessarily mean they are routinely aroused by or want to be
sexually involved with children.