Summary:
In Chapter 7 we learned about:
Sexual Identity- Makes us aware of who we are as male/female and the ways we choose to express our:
• Sexual Values
• Attitudes
• Feelings
• Beliefs
Sexuality is a multidimensional theory that incorporates 3 components:
• Psychological
• Biological
• Sociological
Sexual Orientation:
- A preference for sexual partners
Examples are:
• Homosexuals- Same sex partners
• Heterosexuals- Opposite sex partners
• Bisexuals- Prefers both sex partners
• Asexuals- Lack of sex drive
Transgender groups pertains to:
• Transsexuals- are born as one biological sex and decided to live their lives as another sex.
• Intersexuals/hermaphrodites- when the person was born their medical classification was not clear if the were male or female.
• Transvestite- people who cross dress at times but do not consider themselves as a member of the opposite sex.
Examples of transgender people are:
• Gays
• Lesbians
• Bisexuals
- No one really knows why we are heterosexual, gay, or bisexual
Some biological theories are:
· Strong genetic basis, brain structure
Why we have sex:
- Typically progresses through a series of stages such as:
· Appro-aching
· Flirting
· Touching
· Asking directly for sex
Reasoning behind sex for the first time:
- Interpersonal Reasons
- Peer Pressure
- Parental Inputs
- Structural Factors
- Sex in short-term relationships can be an expression of love and affection
- Sex in short-term relationships can enhance intimacy and a feeling of closeness that is:
· Emotional/ expressing feelings
· Social/ sharing friends
· Intellectual/ sharing ideas
· Recreational/ sharing interests and hobbies
- All of these characteristics, and several others, exist in a long-term relationship
How Informed are Adolescents About Sex?
Most adolescents do not know:
- What a STD’s is
- How STD’s can be prevented
- When a girl can get pregnant
- How birth control works
· A decent amount of college students are lacking knowledge in certain areas about sex.
Do Parents Talk about Sex?
• Majority of parents unsure on how to start of a conversation about sex with their child.
• Parents feel unprepared to talk to their child about:
§ Abstinence
§ Contraceptives
§ Prevention of STI’S
- Parents could feel unprepared because there were no sex education programs when they were growing up and talking about sex was inappropriate topic for household conversation.
- Religious parents who monitor their children and are close parental/ child relationships with their children tend to delay their children’s sexual activity.
· On page 184 TABLE 7.2 factors related to early sexual intercourse among adolescents is presented.
Why are partners and spouses unfaithful?
Macro Reasons:
1. Economic problems
2. The purpose of marriage has changed
3. The anonymity of urban life
4. People live longer
5. Greater opportunity for sexual infidelity
6. Gender roles affect infidelity
7. New technology has enhanced opportunities for cyber flirting
Micro Reasons:
1. The need for emotional or sexual satisfaction
2. Extramarital sex as well as a committed relationship
3. Sexual infidelity is an ego-enhancer
4. Sexual infidelity reflects a social exchange
5. Male/female are unfaithful simply because they think they can get away with it
6. Extramarital sex occurs in a relationship for revenge against a spouse for similar activity
7. Extramarital relationship can provide a way out of a marriage
Interests/ Unusual Items Learned:
Considering that I did not have a sex education class in high school, I found chapter 7 to be informative. I suppose the topics that we read in chapter 7 are topics that would be covered in a sex education class, however, I am not sure because I did not have that type of class while in school. The only thing that I remember regarding discussion in the area of sex education was in health class and it was about STD’s.
Discussion:
I would like to discuss the article on page 171 about female genital mutilation/cutting. I understand that where this cutting takes place that they consider this tradition so I am not trying to be rude; however, I am just trying to understand why people would make this a tradition. When I was reading this article I found it extremely graphic and I had no idea this tradition takes place. In a sense, since this article did go into such graphical detail, I want to say this so called tradition is more torture, violating, and can cause sever health problems for women that go through with this procedure. What are your thoughts on this article? And why wouldn’t these countries make this tradition a safer procedure for the women? Is it due to the fact that women in these countries are treated lesser in value and it doesn’t really matter what the outcome may be as far as their health is concerned.
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI actually had skipped over this section until I read your post. Unfortunately, I decided to read it too. I felt the same way about it; it was VERY graphic and I was actually appalled. Then, one of the questions the article poses is, can this be compared to breast implants and other plastic surgeries. I thought that was ridiculous. No mother is holding her child down forcing her to get breast implants or get a nose job against her will. Although plastic surgeries come with risks, at least in America, the risks are rather low and recovery is monitored so infection can be avoided. From the way the article sounds, the same precautions are not taken for these girls.
Gina Zidek
Natalie,
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with you that the article was pretty graphic. However, I don't really think you can discuss female genital mutilation (FGM) without sounding graphic because the act is so disturbing. I wasn't aware of this tradition either until someone did a presentation on it in my Medical Anthropology class over the summer (imagine sitting through an hour of that!). But in my opinion, it is just down right wrong to do this to women; it has so many negative consequences such as causing death and a lifetime of traumatization. I don't think these countries have really considered any safer procedures because FGM successfully carries out their intentions, to suppress the sexual desire of women in order to ensure they are saving sex for marriage (not engaging in premarital sex). So, as long as the procedure is effectively carrying out its purpose in those countries, they will continue to conduct these risky, painful procedures.
I would flee any country that forced me to have such a horrible, traumatic procedure done to me or my relatives! I think there are other ways to go about preventing premarital sex in a much safer manner.
-Natalie Fisher
First of all, I think mutilation is one of the most inhumane acts towards a woman and according to world health organization it is a violation of human rights http://www.who.int/mediacentre/factsheets/fs241/en/, which I completely agree.
ReplyDeleteHowever, I don't think it is that easy to escape any country where this is practiced. Either you'd be mutilated when you were little and/or you'd be undereducated and brainwashed by your society to think that your daughter definitely needs it. I think the best way this can be prevented is by educating these societies about safer ways and by enforcing strict laws (such as imprisonment of parents if they allow their daughters to undergo such procedures) in these countries, and by rewarding the families that do not take that route (such as tax benefits, free resources, money etc).
Eser Y