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CHAPTER 12: SEXUALITY

BRIEF CHAPTER OUTLINE

I. Sex and Culture

A. Sex: Is It Natural?

B. The Social Basis of Sexuality

II. Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior

A. Changing Sexual Values

B. Sexual Practices of the U.S. Public

III. Sex and Inequality: Gender, Race, and Class

IV. Sexuality: Sociological and Feminist Theory

A. Sex: Functional or Conflict-Based?

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

1. Understand the social basis of human sexuality.

2. Identify current attitudes and behaviors involving sexuality.

KEY TERMS (listed in text)

coming out (308)

eugenics (314)

heterosexism (312)

homophobia (312)

queer theory (309)

sex tourism (311)

sex trafficking (311)

sexual identity (299)

sexual orientation (299)

sexual politics (309)

KEY PEOPLE

Leslie Bell (322)

Emma Goldman (314)

Barbara Risman (320)

Margaret Sanger (314)

LECTURE OUTLINE

I. Sex and Culture

A. Sex: Is It Natural?

1. Sexual behavior is not only a natural, biological behavior, but it is also

learned—based on accepted cultural customs and sanctioned by social

3. Two concepts are important when untangling the biological aspects of

sexuality from the psychological and social aspects:

a. Sexual orientation refers to the attraction that people feel for people of

B. The Social Basis of Sexuality

1. Human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in different cultural contexts.

2. Sexual attitudes and behavior change over time.

3. Sexual identity is learned through socialization.

II. Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior

1. People in the United States today are somewhat more sexually liberal and

have greater tolerance for diverse sexual lifestyles and practices than in the

past. The

U.S. public has become somewhat accepting of gays and lesbians.

A. Changing Sexual Values

1. Sexual values among the U.S. public are a mix of liberal and

conservative perspectives.

B. Sexual Practices of the U.S. Public

1. Sexual practices are difficult to document. What we know is typically drawn

from surveys.

a. National surveys of sexual practices are rare—they typically measure

sexual attitudes, not the actual sexual behavior.

III. Sex and Inequality: Gender, Race, and Class

A. Sexuality is linked to other social identities and social systems.

B. Gender adds to a double standard.

1. Hooking up (casual sexual relations) affects men and women differently,

although it is unclear whether the hook-up culture harms or liberates women.

C. Sexuality is also tied to race and class inequality.

1. Different sexual stereotypes apply to people of different races. People of color

IV. Sexuality: Sociological and Feminist Theory

A. Sex: Functional or Conflict-Based?

1. Functionalism and conflict theory look at sexuality from the

perspective of the overall social organization of society.

B. Symbolic Interaction and the Social Construction of Sexual Identity

1. Symbolic interaction theory uses the social construction perspective to

interpret sexual identity as learned, not innate. This social construction is

C. Feminist Theory: Sex, Power, and Inequality

1. Feminist theory acknowledges the diversity in human sexual experience and

also emphasizes the sexual identities and relationships that emerge in the

context of power relationships and social institutions.

2. Sexual Politics refers to the link between sexuality and power, not just within

D. A Global Perspective on Sexuality

1. Cross-cultural studies of sexuality show that sexual norms, like other social

norms, develop differently across cultures.

a. For example, teen sexuality is viewed differently. In some countries

2. There are intricate connections between sexuality and the international

economy. This is illustrated by:

a. the international sex trade, or sex trafficking—the exploitation of

V. Understanding Gay and Lesbian Experience

1. The sociological understanding of sexual identity has developed largely

through new studies of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender experiences.

VI. Lesbians and gays are a minority group in U.S. society—treated with the same

prejudice and discrimination as other minority groups—and had to invent their own

institutional support systems. Sex and Social Issues

A. Birth Control

1. Men have traditionally controlled reproductive policy, and the right to birth

B. New Reproductive Technologies

1. New reproductive technologies raise questions for social policy because they

provide new possibilities for eugenics. Breakthroughs in reproductive

C. Abortion

1. Abortion is one of the most seriously contended political issues. There is a

sharp divide in the United States between “pro–life” (46%) and “pro–choice”

(49%), and it varies according to social factors. For example, college

D. Pornography and the Sexualization of Culture

1. There is little social consensus about the acceptability and effects of

pornography, even among feminists. The question remains: “Does viewing

E. Teen Pregnancy

1. Each year 230,000 teenage girls (under the age of 19) have babies in the

United States.

2. Although the rate of teen pregnancy has dropped, it correlates strongly with

F. Sexual Violence

1. The feminist movement has succeeded in identifying, studying, and

advocating better social policies to address the problems of rape, sexual

harassment, domestic violence, incest, and other forms of sexual coercion and

VII. Sex and Social Change

A. The Sexual Revolution: Is It Over?

1. The sexual revolution refers to the widespread changes in men’s and

women’s roles and a greater public acceptance of sexuality as a normal part

of social development.

2. The sexual revolution has resulted in changes in some sexual attitudes:

a. Differences have narrowed in the sexual experiences of men and women.

B. Technology, Sex, and Cybersex – Contraceptives and sex on the Internet

(cybersex) have both changed sexual values and practices. For example, from face-

to-face interactions to use of online sexual chat rooms.

C. Commercializing Sex – Sex is increasingly a commodity, encouraging the valuing

of people according to their sex appeal.

1. The advertising industry defines sexuality and sexual attractiveness in very

LECTURE/DISCUSSION SUGGESTIONS

1. Sex and Aging. Many of the myths about sexual behavior in society relate to sexual

practices of the older population. Refer to the National Council on the Aging

2. Government and Sex. Describe instances of governmental regulation or intervention

in people’s sexual lives and reproductive choices. Lead students in a discussion of the

3. Religion and Sex. Review the historical role of religion in defining sexual morality and

the current role that religion plays in public policy, as well as attitudes related to

4. Sexual Diversity. Invite a speaker or panel of speakers involved in LGBTQ advocacy

and political groups to describe the ways these groups provide institutional support and

counter homophobia.

5. Sex Education. During the eight years of the George W. Bush Administration,

6. Debunking Attitudes About Sexual Permissiveness. Working with the information

7. Children’s Media and Sexuality. Have the students do the “See for Yourself”

assignment (page 302) and have them also watch two movies that are marketed to a

8. National Sexual Activities. Hold a discussion on what the surveys (see, e.g., page 304)

show about national sexual activities that may not correspond with reported behavior.

Ask students if they agree with the information provided by the few national surveys

9. Comparing the Theoretical Perspectives on Sexuality. Use the major theoretical

10. Commercializing Sex. Have your students do a content analysis on commercials they

see during the semester. Have them write down what they found. Have them address

how the commercials give an inaccurate impression of reality.

11. Cybersex. Students are exposed to cybersex in all aspects in the mass media. Have

12. Genetic Birth Control. Suppose for a moment that scientists could manipulate

peoples’ genetic reproductive genes so as to limit the number of fertile sperm and eggs

13. A Different World. Sometimes it helps students to gain a better understanding what it

might feel like to be discriminated against because of their sexual orientation. Have

them imagine the world entirely the opposite of what it is today in regard to sexual

orientation. Homosexuality is compulsory. Everything in social life is geared toward

STUDENT ACTIVITIES

1. Sexuality. Assign students the task of writing a short essay on sex education,

abortion, cybersex, or any of the social issues discussed in this chapter.

2. New Reproductive Technologies. Assign students brief essays taking a position on

the prospect of parents producing “designer children.” What ethical issues would the

3. Sexual Scripts. Assign students to observe and analyze sexual scripts in popular

television shows watched by people of their age. Research teams could write a joint

4. Controversial Issues. Have student groups organize debates or discussions about

controversial issues related to sexuality like the question of legalizing prostitution,

5. Teen Pregnancy. Assign students to research current trends in teen pregnancy and

address the question whether sex education has been effective in reducing teen

pregnancy rates. Alternatively, students could identify risk factors for teen

pregnancy and propose programs that would address those risk factors.

6. Homosexuality and Religion. The Pew Research Center features a section on religion

7. Sexuality and the Media. Ask your class to select a few popular TV programs and

8. Thinking Sociologically. Have your class keep a diary for one week with examples of

homophobia and heterosexuality on their campus and in their social environments.

Afterwards hold a class discussion on this topic and give them the opportunity to present

their findings. One question to ask is, “Has this made you more aware of how people

position themselves so as to avoid a sexual misidentity?”

9. Sexual Values. Students bring a variety of sexual scripts to class. Sexual values are

10. Sexual Practices of the U.S. Public. Students are often willing to discuss the rise of

11. Abstinence-Only Sex Education. Sex education programs in schools have long been

controversial, although acceptance of such programs has increased. One controversy

12. Same Love. The 2012 song “Same Love” by Macklemore and Ryan Lewis got a lot of

attention. One of the claims in the song is that hip-hop has a culture of discriminating

VIDEO SUGGESTIONS

(Videos with a * next to them have corresponding activities below.)

Kinsey (2004, 118 min.)

This biographical film about Alfred Kinsey addresses his history and academics, as well

as his famous research on human sexuality.

Small Town Gay Bar (2006, 81 min.)

This documentary looks at gay and lesbian bars in small towns, highlighting how they

provide patrons with a safe space and a community in places where they may otherwise

find hostility and misunderstanding.

Swingers at 70 yrs old! – Sexuality the Documentary (3:29 min.)

Married for over 30 years, the sex between Reg and Janet became a little stale. Still in

* Dreamworlds 3 (Unabridged) Desire, Sex & Power in Music Video (2007, 60 min.)

Dreamworlds 3, the latest in Sut Jhally’s critically acclaimed Dreamworlds series, takes

a clarifying look at the warped world of music video. Ranging across hundreds of images

and stories from scores of music videos, Jhally uncovers a dangerous industry

* The Right to Femininity (Africa) (2004, 45 min.)

This film looks at female circumcision in African cultures. The film offers a perspective

* Nefarious: Merchant of Souls (2012, 87 min.)

“Modern slavery.” It sounds like a paradox. Hasn’t humanity progressed? Didn’t we leave

slavery behind on the battlefields of the American Civil War? Didn’t social reformers like

Lincoln and Wilberforce legislate against such cruelty over more than a hundred years

ago? So we had thought. But, with more than 27 million enslaved people in the world,

human trafficking is once again a problematic issue.

Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide (2012, 224

min.)

Inspired by Nicholas Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s groundbreaking book, Half the Sky:

VIDEO ACTIVITIES

Students can view Dreamworlds 3: Desire, Sex, and Power in Music Video and write a

paper that critically analyzes a popular music video in light of the information presented in

either of these videos and use text material to frame their analysis in terms of social trends

and attitudes.

After watching the movie The Right to Femininity (Africa), develop a discussion on the

INTERNET EXERCISES

1. Visit the Guttmacher Institute website (https://www.guttmacher.org/). This institute,

dedicated to reproductive health research, policy analysis, and public education, has

2. Advocates for Youth (https://advocatesforyouth.org/) is a comprehensive site for all

3. Go to the Bureau of Justice Statistics website (https://bjs.gov/) and find an

alphabetical list of publications that relate to crimes against property and crimes

against a person. You will find interesting publications on child rape victims, sex

4. Girls and women are not the only victims of rape. The stigma men experience and

their shame is just as intense as that of women. To learn more about male rape, its

5. The World Bank in Gender is a site operated by the World Bank. The website offers

students opportunities to examine how women are affected by economic