Jaymie Ticknor Intro Sociology 1510 Sect 900 12 November 2013 Chapter 12 Sexuality Sex and Culture Sexuality is socially defined and patterned Sex Is It Natural Sexual Orientation refers to the attraction that people feel for people of the same or different sex implies something deeply rooted in a person Sexual Identity definition of oneself that is formed around one s sexual relationships learned in the context of our social relationships and the social structures in which we live The Social Basis of Sexuality Human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in different cultural contexts sexual attitudes and behavior change over time Sexual identity is learned Sexual Scripts long before young people become sexually active they learned this that teach us what is appropriate sexual behavior for each gender Social institutions channel and direct human sexuality sex is influenced by economic forces in society sex has become a commodity something bought and sold in the marketplace of society public policies regulate sexual and reproductive behaviors Sexuality and Sociological Theory Sex Functional or Conflict Based Functionalist emphasis on the interrelatedness of different parts of society tends to depict sexuality in terms of its contribution to the stability of social institutions norms that restrict sex to marriage encourage formation of families beliefs that give legitimacy to heterosexual behavior but not homosexua behavior maintain a particular form of social organization in which gender roles are easily differentiated and the nuclear family is defined as the dominant social norm regulating sexual behavior is functional for society because it prevents the instability and conflict that more liberal sexual attitudes supposedly generate call for a return to family values as producing the uniformity in values necessary for social order Conflict sexuality as part of the power relations and economic inequality in society power is the ability of one person or group to influence the behavior of another power relations in society influences the power that some sexual groups have others and influence power within sexual relationships argue that sexual relations are linked to other forms of stratification namely race class and gender inequality power imbalances economic inequality as a major basis for social conflict they tie the study of sexualit to economic institutions they link the international sex trade to poverty the status of women in society and the economics of international development and tourism sexuality is an expression of great social intimacy Symbolic Interaction and the Social Construction of Sexual Identity Social Construction Perspective symbolic interaction theory uses this to interpret sexual identity as learned not inborn culture and society shape sexual experiences patterns of social approval and social taboos make some forms of sexuality permissible and others not Coming Out social construction of sexual identity is revealed by this process defining oneself as gay or lesbian is a series of events and redefinitions in which a person comes to see him herself as having a gay identity Queer Theory perspective that has evolved from recognizing the socially constructed nature of sexual identity interprets society as forcing these sexual boundaries or dichotomies on people challenges the idea that only one form of sexuality is normal and all other forms are deviant or wrong opened up fascinating new studies of gay straight bisexual and transsexual identities and introduced the idea that sexual identity is a continuum of different possibilities for sexual expression and personal identity linked the study of sexuality to the study of gender showing how transgressing or violating fixed gender categories can reconstruct the possibilities of how all people construct their gender and sexual identity Sex Diversity and Inequality Sexual Politics Sexual Politics link between sexuality and power not just within individual relationships The Influence of Race Class and Gender Double Standard is the idea that different standards for sexual behavior apply to men and women Hooking up is the term used to describe casual sexual relations ranging from kissing to sexual intercourse relationships that occur without any particular commitment A Global Perspective on Sexuality International Sex Trade referred to as the traffic in women refers to the use of women worldwide as sex workers in an institutional context in which sex itself is a commodity Sex Trafficking young women are forced by fraud or coercion into commercial sex acts Sex Tourism referring to the practice whereby people travel to particular parts of the world specifically to engage in commercial sexual activity Sex Capitals are places where prostitution openly flourishes Understanding Gay and Lesbian Experience Homophobia fear and hatred of homosexuality Heterosexism refers to the institutionalization of heterosexuality as the only socially legitimate sexual orientation Sex and Social Issues Birth Control Eugenics sought to apply scientific principles of genetic selection to improve the offspring of the human race explicitly racist and class based calling for the compulsory sterilization of those who they thought was unfit grew from the fear of domination by immigrant groups Pornography and the Sexualization of Culture APA defines sexualization as including any one of these people are judged based only on sexual appeal or behavior to the exclusion of other characteristics people are held to standards that equate physical attractiveness with being sexy people are sexually objectified meaning made into a thing for others use sexuality is inappropriately imposed on a person Sexual Violence Acquaintance Rape date rape forced and unwanted sexual relations by someone who knows the victim even if only a brief acquaintance Sex and Social Change The Sexual Revolution Is It Over 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