SOCI 1160 1st Edition Exam 2 Study Guide Lectures 1 5 Lecture 1 Ch 5 Sexual Orientation and Inequality What are public attitudes about sexual orientation What is inequality amongst sexual orientation like How can we improve the lives in the LGBT community Sexual orientation person s reference for sexual relationships with individuals of the other sex o Heterosexual opposite sex o Homosexual one s own sex Gays homosexual men Lesbians homosexual women o Bisexuality both sexes o Transgender one who s appearances or gender identity departs from the norm Transgender man born biologically as a woman and becomes a man Transgender woman born biologically as a man and becomes a woman Problems o conceptual hard to define sexuality o Empirical cannot determine the actual number of people Kinsey scale ranks individuals on a continuum form 0 excessively heterosexual to 6 excessively homosexual Not completely one or the other Kinsey overestimated number of same sex experiences o Overall picture self identified LGBT only a small portion of the community Historical Perspective These notes represent a detailed interpretation of the professor s lecture GradeBuddy is best used as a supplement to your own notes not as a substitute o Ancient Greece Ancient Rome approved and encouraged homosexual experiences Common and fully accepted Rome disapproved of relations with a free man o Europeans were Christian and seen homosexuality as a bad thing and would be subject to execution if found engaging in such behavior o China and Japan saw homosexual relations as a good thing and as a healthy sexual outlet o Homosexuality accepted in small traditional cities Common in males but unknown in females Explaining Sexual Orientation o Hard to tell the causes o Biological factors No gay gene has been discovered Hard to prove genetic factors Some studies show differences in sizes of hypothalamus in the brain amongst homosexuals and others do not Hormonal imbalance in womb level of prenatal androgens affect sexual orientation of baby Hormonal studies are inconsistent o Social and Cultural factors Social contruction Nature vs nurture o APA stance The American Psychological Association APA says that there is no empirical evidence or findings conclude anything that people are saying Until research studies start to find a direct relationship between these factors people will just be concluding and adopting certain ideals for a societal purpose The APA states People are more likely to tolerate homosexuality when they believe it s not a choice Public Attitudes o Negative views over the century especially when the bible condemns it Translations of the bible may misinterpret original meaning People pick and choose what they believe out of the bible o Extent of Heterosexism in the USA Heterosexism negative views about and discriminatory practices toward LGBT individuals and their sexual behavior Many opinions on sexual relations between two adults of the same sex General Social Survey GSS o Always wrong 46 o Not wrong at all 43 o Sometimes wrong 8 o Almost always wrong 4 Gallup Poll are homosexual relations morally wrong o 56 say morally acceptable o 39 say morally wrong o Correlates of Heterosexism Gender men somewhat more heterosexist Age Older people more heterosexist Education less educated more heterosexist Region of Residence Southerners more heterosexist Religion religious people more heterosexist o Opinion on the Origins of Sexual Orientation Cause A few more people think homosexuality is due to environment Choice More people believe it is not a choice o Other Views Same sex marriage More people believe this should be a right 50 of the public say same sex parents raising children is a bad thing 2007 This number decreased to 35 in 2011 Right of gays to serve in military most people think they should be allowed Right from free job discrimination since federal law does not prohibit this Most people think there should be rights o Two brief conclusions on Public Attitudes Views on LGBT community have become more positive though there is still a major divide People s backgrounds influence their views Inequality based on Sexual Orientation o Bullying and Violence Many hate crimes sexual assaults and murders to people who are homosexual Perceived gay teens are usually targets for bullying Significant educational and mental health effects Most serious consequence suicide Homosexual teens more likely to skip school have bad grades drip out and to experience depression anxiety and have low self esteem Homosexuals more likely to be disciplined for misconduct o Employment Discrimination Federal law doesn t prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation 21 states prohibit this o Same sex Marriage Some states allow same sex marriage or domestic partnerships Argument against it Marriage is meant to reproduce Children experience psychological problems Undermine the institution of marriage Argument for it Straight couples don t always reproduce and are allowed to marry Children are at least as psychologically healthy as heterosexual raised children No evidence that it weakens the institution of marriage Cost of Illegality of same sex marriage economic Not allowed visitation in the hospital rights Cannot file taxes together Cannot receive social security after partner dies Cannot be put on partner s insurance Inheriting a house partner must pay estate taxes o Military Service Used to be given a dishonorable discharge if you were discovered DADT don t ask don t tell policy keep sexual orientation quiet Military discrimination has ended and homosexuals may serve openly Doesn t mean they will not have negative experiences o Physical and Mental Health HIV AIDS caused many deaths in LGBT community Homosexuals have higher rates of physical and mental health issues Lower immune functioning o Heterosexual Privilege Advantages of heterosexuals Don t worry about discrimination due to sexual orientation Legally marry Be affectionate Improving the lives of the LGBT Community o Teach children all sexual orientations are valid o School programs do a better job of creating a positive environment for all o Federal law should prohibit discrimination o Police should do a better job at treating everyone equally Lecture 2 Ch 9 Sexual Behavior What are the problems associated with teenage pregnancy What are the different views on abortion What are the views on prostitution Does porn contribute to violence against women Overview of Heterosexuality o