Summary
This chapter explores sexuality and sexual behavior throughout life. The chapter begins by defining sexuality which is a result of our sexual identity, sexual orientation, and sexual scripts. Sexual identity is a combination of the awareness of being male or female and the ways in which we express our sexuality such as through sexual orientation. Sexual orientation has several variations: homosexuality, heterosexuality, bisexuality, and asexuality. In addition, there are individuals that are transsexual, transvestite, and intersexual. Several theories try to explain what determines our sexual orientation, such as biological theories and social constructionist theories, but at the moment, researchers believe that it is a combination of genetic and cultural factors. The third influence on sexuality is sexual scripts, which define the informal and formal norms for sexual activity and behavior. Gender, race, ethnicity, and culture are several factors that influence sexual scripts.
The chapter follows with an explanation for why we have sex. Having sex for the first time can be influenced by several factors including interpersonal reasons, peer pressure, parental input, and structural factors. Sex in committed relationships is often an expression of love, affection and a way to maintain the relationship as well as have children together.
Our sexual behavior is influenced by numerous factors including parents, siblings, peers, religion, the media, popular culture, and sex education. Unfortunately, these dynamics are not only a source of information, but often misinformation as well.
Following this section, the chapter explains various sexual behaviors such as flirting, kissing, autoeroticism, oral and anal sex, and sexual intercourse. Next, Benokraitis discusses sexuality throughout life from adolescence to the 80s and beyond and the many factors that can affect it. After a discussion on sexual infidelity, the chapter concludes with a segment on homosexuality as well as STI’s, HIV, and AIDS.
What I Learned
I always find the statistics that Benokraitis presents very interesting because it’s fascinating to see where my opinions fit in with the rest of America. For example, table 7.3 “Is This Infidelity?” was very informative. It shows that infidelity isn’t as common as most Americans believe. However, I think that this survey only shows statistics for married individuals. It would be interesting to see the statistics for infidelity within relationships in general. From my perspective, cheating, although clearly wrong, seems to be the norm among my peers.
Question/Concern
Why do you think that so many people are intolerant of homosexuality? Personally, I believe in to each his own; if it doesn’t directly affect you then why does it bother you so much?
I feel that people are just afraid of anything that is different from them. Maybe it is not necessarily the actual homosexual that bothers people but more so the concept of it. This to me reminds me of why white people used to be and still are sometimes intolerant of minorities. I feel like the idea of something being different scares people because they don’t know how it could affect their lives and if that makes them as the one who does not fit into society’s norms. We all want to fit in and by having something that does not fit into what we consider acceptable, it makes us ignorant of the actual facts and reality of the situation. I believe that the more common that homosexuality becomes the less ignorant people will be and the more accepting it will become. It will suddenly not be seen as something different from society’s norms, but rather as something that is allowed to exist in harmony with everything else.
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