Psych 2075 Chapter 1

Sex and gender

- Gender state of being male or female
- Biologist definition behaviour increasing likelihood of gametic union
- Sexual behaviour produces arousal and increases chance of orgasm
Influences on Sexuality
- Religion
o Ancient Greeks heterosexuals/homosexuals
Double creatures w/double limbs and organs
Double males, double females, half male/female
Too powerful, split in half, search for other half
o 15th Century Christians
Wet dreams = intercourse with tiny spiritual creatures
Incubi and succubi
Women tried as witches
Wet dreams, sexual dysfunction, sexual lust
o Muslims
Sex reflect teachings of Mohammed
Sex = pleasure
Secondary meaning = reproduction
- Science
o Anton van Leeuwenhoek sperm swim in human semen
o Hertwig fertilization of egg by sperm in sea urchins
o Victorian era
Rigid/oppressive norms about sexuality
Actual sexual behaviour violate norms
Victorian stereotype women felt no sexual desire
80% of women felt desire for sex
72% orgasmed
Mabel Todd secret affair
Fur traders married Aboriginal women
o Henry Havelock Ellis
Sexual deviations normal, should be accepted
o Richard von Krafft-Ebing
Pathological sexuality
Sadism, masochism, pedophilia
o Magnus Hirschfeld
First sex research institute, sex survey, sex journal
Homosexuality
o Alfred Kinsey, William Masters, Virginia Johnston
Surveys of human behaviours
Sexual disorders
Physiology of sexual response
- Media
o 35% of programs showed sexual behaviour
o 2% show sexual precautions

o
o

Increasing refs of safer sex

Sexuality views influenced by mass media
3 types of influence
Cultivation
People begin to think what they see in media
represents mainstream of what happens in our
culture
Agenda-settling
Reporters select what to report/what to ignore/what
to emphasize
Media tells us what the agenda is
Social learning
Characters are models we imitate
Internet
Access explicit material
80% males/39% females view sexy pix
Engage in sexual activity online known/anon partners
25% males/13% females engage in sexual activity
online
Pos effects
Provide info, promote sexual health
Neg effects
Sexual approaches over internet

Cross-Cultural Perspectives on Sexuality

- Culture
o Traditional ideas/values transmitted to members by symbols
o Ideas/values = basis for patterns of behaviour
- Ethnocentrism
o Regard own ethnic group/culture as superior to others
o Customs are standards other cultures should be judged
o Wide variations in cultures
- Generalization
o All societies regulate sexual behaviour in some way
o Incest taboo
Universal
Regulation prohibits sex between blood relatives
Variations in Sex Techniques
- Sex techniques
o Kissing
Most common
Few societies where kissing is uncommon
Different kissing techniques
o Cunnilingus
Mouth stimulation of female genitals
Common in our society, variations put fish in vag

Inflicting pain
Some societies
Mutually inflict pain
Eyebrows, bite
o Frequency of intercourse
Lowest frequency Irish natives of Inis Beag
Mangaians sex several times a night
Santals sex 5 times a day every day early in marriage
o Few societies encourage sex at particular times
Have restrictions that forbid sex at times
Masturbation
o Self-stimulation of genitals to produce arousal
o Almost all human societies express some disapproval of adult
masturbation
o Female masturbation
African Azande woman beat if caught masturbating
Premarital/Extramarital Sex
o Marquesans
Sexual experiences before puberty, marriage later
o Egyptians of Siwa
Girls clit removed at age 7
Sex bring shame to family
o Extramarital sex
2nd most prohibited type of sexual contact
Regulated if permitted allowed for husbands not wives
Sex with Same-Sex Partners
o Few societies have formalized role for adult gay man that gives
status and dignity
o 3 general rules
Found universally in all societies
No matter how a society views gays, behaviour
always occurs in some individuals
Males more likely to engage in gay sexual activity
Same-sex sexual activity never predominant form of
sexual behaviour for adults in any society
Standards of Attractiveness
o Varies considerably
o American standard of beauty minority in a way
Most cultures plump women is attractive
American thin is ideal
o General standard
Poor complexion = unattractive
Regional and Cultural Variation in Sexuality
o Social class and sex
Lower social class first time sex at 15 years or younger,
1+ STI
Study
o

Manual workers engaged in both intercourse and

oral sex more than office/professional job workers
Regional differences in sexuality
Diffs between English and French Canadians
Francophones in Quebec more liberal
Accepting of sex, favour same-sex marriage
No differences between Quebec and other Canadians
Attitudes toward equal rights for gays/lesbians
Quebec/Atlantic provinces
Women less likely to breast feed
Lower teen pregnancy rate
Lower rates of chlamydia
Comparing Canada and USA
Canada
Lower rate of adolescent pregnancy and STIs
More liberal
Higher rates of breast feeding
Aboriginals
Before European contact
Sexually permissive
Women encouraged to take initiative
Premarital/extramarital sex acceptable
Sex = magical spiritual gift
Media
Men depicted as exotic/erotic
o Men naked
Women less visible
o Princesses, squaws
o Princess noble, beautiful
o Squaws ugly, ignored
Influenced by Judeo-Christian tradition, abusive
experiences, poor economic/social conditions
Aboriginal youth as likely as non-Aboriginal youth to use
condom
Ethnocultural communities
Influenced by both culture of origin and process of
adapting to Canadas majority culture
Study
Men head of family; women caregiver
Women little power to refuse sex/insist on
condom use
Homosexuality = shameful
Virginity at marriage highly valued in women
Youth adopt dominant culture, dont conform to
expectations
Conflict between youth and parents

Asians more conservative/less experienced than nonAsians

Significance of Cross-Cultural Studies
o 2 reasons
Notion of variation in sexual behaviour
Evidence concerning importance of culture in shaping our
behaviour
Not completely determined by biology

Cross-Species Perspectives on Sexuality

- Masturbation
o Found in many species of mammals primates
o Monkeys/nonhuman advantage
Flexible mouth-genital sex on self
o Female masturbation common
Porcupine holds stick, straddles it, vibrates
- Same-Sex Sexual Behaviour
o Common in other species
- How Humans are Unique little unique to humans, continuum w/other
species
o Lower species controlled hormonally/instinctively
o Higher species controlled by brain
Environmental influences more important in shaping
primates than other species
o Learning
Male rats conditioned to prefer females with certain
neutral odour instead of no smell
o Animals raised in isolation
Adult sexual behaviour disturbed
o Females
Dont engage in sexual behaviour except when in heat
estrus
Estrus = certain hormonal state
Human females not under hormonal control as lower
species
o Female orgasms
Thought to be unique to humans
Monkeys same physiological responses of orgasm
Higher species pleasure of orgasm = incentive
- Non-Sexual Uses of Sexual Behaviour
o Symbolize animals rank in dominance hierarchy
Dominant animals mount subordinate ones
Phallic aggression exhibitionist display of erect penis
o Bonobo apes
Female centred, egalitarian
Sex = peacemaking
Females sexually active for most of cycle
o Humans

Rapist use sex as expression of aggression

Exhibitionist
Economic purposes prostitutes
Fight, use sex to make up

Sexual Health Perspective

- Sexual health
o State of physical, emotional, mental, social well-being related to
sexuality
o Pleasurable, safe sexual experiences
o Sexual rights must be respected, protected, fulfilled
- Sexual rights
o Basic, inalienable rights regarding sex, both pos/neg
o Stem from basic human rights
Negative rights
Freedoms from - from sexual violence
Positive rights
Freedoms to experience sexual pleasure
- Western cultures protect individuals sexual rights/freedoms
- Women dont have rights in many parts of the world
o Forced to marry
o Sexual assault
o No sex education