Love & Sexuality

1. Love & Sexuality Family Sociology

2. Love and Sexuality • Love is all around us – even if we are not in a romantic relationships • We are constantly reminded that we “should” be in one • Think about the $$ and energy spent on Valentines Day alone

3. Love & Sexuality Love and sexuality are socially constructed Economic & cultural changes influence how we view love, sex, and intimate relationships

4. Love & Sexuality • The idea of sexual identity is socially constructed • Even though we think of sexual behavior and romantic love as very personal emotions …. • They are influenced by social norms, the current culture of the time, and demographic changes. • The way we experience love is shaped by the context in which love occurs

5. Then & Now

6. Love & Sexuality • Love/Romance is socially constructed • How are ideas about romantic love constructed? • The culture of Capitalism operates as a frame through which we see and interpret emotional experience • This cultural frame creates the norms and values we associate with love relationships and how we express romantic love

7. Love & Sexuality • Capitalist culture creates and reinforces specific symbols and rituals of romantic love • When you think romantic love what images come to mind?

8. Love & Sexuality

9. Love and Sexuality • From popular songs and movies, love and romance are EVERYWHERE • What are some romantic songs that come to mind? • How about Maxwell?

10. Love & Sexuality • Why does romantic love continue to have such a grip on us – despite major social changes like increasing divorce rates? • 1) Illouz argues that love is a special place where we experience utopia – or perfection • In other words…love is sacred • 2) Romantic love affirms the importance of the individual • Individual fulfillment more important than social and economic concerns • 3) Love sells!

11. Love & Sexuality • What larger social and economic changes since the 1700s, 1800s have made a greater emphasis on romantic love possible? • Standard of living has increased • Greater emphasis on individualism • Women are less economically dependent • Emphasis on companionate marriage (being friends with your partner)

12. Love & Sexuality • As women’s labor force participation rates increase, women postpone marriage to finish college, graduate school, or begin their careers • This leaves a longer period time between leaving home and getting married • This leads to postponing marriage

13. Percentage Never Married for Men and Women Aged 20 to 24, 1890 to 2000 2-1

14. New Survey on American Sexuality • National Survey of Sexual Health and Behavior (NSSHB) • Conducted by the Center for Sexual Health Promotion at Indiana University • Study based on responses from 5,865 individuals, including about 800 under 18. • Partially funded by Trojan Condoms Source: Reece, Herbenick, Schick, Sanders, Dodge, & Fortenberry (2010) Journal of Sexual Medicine, vol 7,255-65.

15. New Survey on American Sexuality • Findings: • Orgasm gap • 85% of men say their female partner reached orgasm during their last sexual encounter • However only 60% of women said they had an orgasm • Hmmmm….. • Condom Use • Teens using condoms, but older people “back on the market” less likely to use them • See chart from NY Times: • http://www.nytimes.com/imagepages/2010/10/04/health/04sex.html?ref=health

16. New Survey on American Sexuality • Findings: • Reasons why 50+ adults are not using condoms • Older singles have spent much of their time married and may think of HIV/AIDS as concern for younger people • They have not been targeted by public health messages • No parental figure urging them to use condoms/ or not to have sex • Older men may worry condoms cause erectile dysfunction • Source: New York Times, 10/10/10

17. Love & Sexuality How has the connection between love & marriage changed? How about how has the relationship between love & sex changed? Hooking up? How has the connection between sex and marriage changed? How has the relationship between childbearing and marriage changed?

18. Love & Sexuality • Since the 1960’s we have seen increases in: • the likelihood of sex before marriage • the number of partners

19. Nonmarital Sexual Activity • Sex is now separated from marriage due to: • Innovations in birth control • Legalization of abortion • Attitude change - greater acceptance of sex before marriage • Kinsey Report first to show that many people were having sex outside of marriage

20. Nonmarital Sexual Activity • Sex and love are disconnected • How is hooking up defined? • How has the “initiation” of romantic relations changed over the past 20 years? • What are some of the findings of the article by Owen et al. on college students “hooking up?” • What percent of college students report that they’ve “hooked up” • What are the demographics of hooking up?

21. Nonmarital Sexual Activity • In their study, Owen et al. defined hooking up as: • ”an event in which two people are physically intimate outside of a committed relationship without the expectation of future encounters.” • People used to go on dates, go steady etc. • Now many relationships begin with “hooking up.” • 50-75% of young adults say they’ve “hooked up” in the past year

22. Nonmarital Sexual Activity • In previous studies, men were more likely than women to say they’ve hooked up – Owen et al document similar reports by gender • They also find that White college students were more likely to report hooking up than college students of color • Students were more likely to hook up if: • Parent’s had higher income • alcohol was involved • students had positive views toward hooking up

23. Nonmarital Sexual Activity • We still see evidence of sex differences in reported number of partners by sex

24. Number of sexual partners in past 12 months, for never-married, non cohabiting women and men, 2002 (NCHS)

25. When people give an ideal response to a survey – that is socially acceptable - rather than the true response Think about people reporting their ideal weight, because we live in a society that emphasizes being thin THIS IS AN EXAMPLE OF:SOCIAL DESIRABILITY BIAS So social desirability bias is when people report an answer on a survey that they think SHOULD report according to social norms

26. Love & Sexuality • Childbearing has become separated from marriage • Decline in the economic gains to marriage • Changing attitudes now more acceptable to have a nonmarital birth • Technological innovations in birth control • Legalization of abortion – no more “having to get married”

27. Love & Sexuality • Be careful out there!!!! • If you are going to have sex, USE a CONDOM and a back up form of contraception • Don’t leave anything to chance! • The most recent national estimates, suggest that: • Approximately 19 million new cases of STIs each year, half of them among 15–24-year-olds • 65 million Americans have at least one viral STI, most commonly genital herpes • In 2007, the CDC reported 1.1 million chlamydia diagnoses and 356,000 gonorrhea diagnoses. • However, since most chlamydia and gonorrhea cases go undiagnosed or unreported, the true number of new infections is probably much greater. • The rate of chlammydia is 3 times greater for women Source: http://www.guttmacher.org/pubs/FIB_STI_US.html

28. Love & Sexuality • Love and sexuality are socially constructed • Economic and cultural changes influence how we view love, sex, and intimate relationships • New survey shows ORGASM gap by gender • Teens are using condoms more now than in the past • Social desirability bias occurs when those being surveyed report the socially acceptable response, rather than the real answer