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What is Sexuality?

What is Sexuality?. A Definition of Sexuality ALL THOSE ASPECTS OF BODY, MIND AND GENITAL AROUSAL THAT OCCUR ALONE OR WITH A PARTNER THAT PERTAINS TO THE EROTIC OR THE SENSUAL. By Definition it is different for different people….

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What is Sexuality?

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  1. What is Sexuality? A Definition of Sexuality • ALL THOSE ASPECTS OF BODY, MIND AND GENITAL AROUSAL THAT OCCUR ALONE OR WITH A PARTNER THAT PERTAINS TO THE EROTIC OR THE SENSUAL

  2. By Definition it is different for different people… • An interesting dilemma happened during the Bill Clinton scandal.. • “ I DID NOT HAVE SEX WITH THAT WOMAN, MISS LEWINSKY,”

  3. BUT WE HAVE SOME GENERAL PREJUDICES ABOUT WHAT SEX IS- OR IS NOT… • WE THINK OF IT AS “NATURAL” • WE THINK OF SOME OF IT AS “NORMAL” AND OTHER ACTS AS “NOT NORMAL” • WHAT IS UNDERNEATH THOSE BELIEFS—AND HOW TRUE ARE THEY?

  4. Do you think our sexuality is biologically determined? • Yes • Partially • Most of it is socially created by culture and society

  5. WHAT IS “NATURAL”? • PEOPLE BELIEVE: • ONE-BASIC BEHAVIORS AND URGES THAT BEHAVE IN A CERTAIN WAY FOR EVERYONE WHO IS “NORMAL” • TWO- IT IS NORMAL TO WANT SEX AND TO HAVE SEX. .

  6. NATURAL IS THOUGHT OF “INNATE” SEX IS CONSIDERED BY MANY TO BE “HARD WIRED” • IF YOU ARE NOT “WIRED “ A CERTAIN WAY- YOU ARE SEEN AS DEFECTIVE • “ACTING AGAINST NATURE IS SEEN AS DOING VIOLENCE TO THE SELF.” ( IE , WE NEED ORGASM)

  7. ESSENTIALISTS BELIEVE THAT GOING AGAINST NATURE IS WRONG AND ULTIMATELY FUTILE.

  8. THIS APPROACH IS “ESSENTIALISM” PEOPLE WHO HOLD THIS VIEW BELIEVE BIOLOGY IS DESTINY However it is a values call to decide what acts are “natural “ or “unnatural”

  9. THIS VIEW BELIEVES THAT CULTURES SPRING FROM NATURE – SO THAT CULTURES THAT GO AGAINST NATURE ARE CRUEL, INHUMANE AND DOOMED TO FAIL

  10. AND THIS VIEW BELIEVES THAT NATURE IS UNIVERSAL – THERE IS A RIGHT WAY TO BE SEXUAL, COMMON TO ALL MEN AND WOMEN.

  11. SO WHAT IS SEEN AS NATURAL, IS SEEN AS NORMAL • THIS ALSO MEANS THAT AVERAGE BECOMES TRANSLATED AS THE NATURAL AND THE NORMAL!

  12. SO STATISTICAL AVERAGE BECOMES “NORMAL” • JUST LIKE THE AVERAGE HEALTHY TEMPERATURE IS 98.6

  13. In general, Essentialism Pathologizes Difference • BIOLOGY IS BEDROCK • BODY MECHANICS ARE MORE IMPORTANT THAN CULTURE OR INDIVIDUAL BELIEFS AND DESIRES • AND ALL OF THIS IS SUPPOSED TO HAVE A CERTAIN TIMELESSNESS.

  14. MANY PEOPLE HAVE BEEN KILLED FOR HAVING A SEXUALITY THAT WAS “UNNATURAL” • COLONIAL WOMEN IN SALEM,MASS. • AMERICAN INDIANS IN THE 17TH AND 18TH C • HOMOSEXUALS IN HITLER’S GERMANY

  15. AN ALTERNATIVE: THE SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION OF SEXUALITY • SEX IS A CULTURALLY CONCIEVED AND ENFORCED BODY OF BELIEFS AND KNOWLEDGE • SEX IS NOT A NATURAL ACT

  16. This looks at the historical and comparative record.. • It also looks at how different people interpret the same acts!

  17. THE SIMON AND GAGNON ANNECDOTE • A MAN COMES INTO A HOTEL ROOM WITH A NUDE PERSON IN IT… • VERSUS A TIGER COMING INTO A ROOM WITH A LAMB IN IT..

  18. CULTURAL-SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION FRAME • “The person’s active role, guided by his or her culture create a reality that is structured by society and it affects individual values and behavior”.

  19. Thus , the social constructionist view is that Anatomy is NOT DESTINY The theory takes in both the culture and the individual’s role in constructing their individual sexuality

  20. THIS INCLUDES: • Your childhood play and imagination • Your parents reactions • Peer Play • The culture and what is rewarded and punished • Interaction with romantic and sexual situations

  21. IN THIS VIEW EVEN OUR DEFINITION OF BIOLOGY IS A SOCIAL CONSTRUCTION

  22. For example: our dichotomous view of Heterosexuality and Homosexuality instead of a continuum. • The idea of only males or females instead of all the different chromosonal differences

  23. How important is this? • WI Thomas: • What is seen as real, is real in it’s consequences… • example- “Voo Doo” or “Being Unbalanced when menstruating..”

  24. How does this work with: SEX- collapsed into two categories –male and female GENDER…the cultural performance of Sex as masculine or feminine GENDER IDENTITY- one’s own sense of gender , sex, and gender performance SEXUAL ORIENTATION- Who you desire

  25. SEX ( Dichotomous, Genetic?) • But consider the case of Transsexuals.. • 1- No hormonal or brain explanation • 2- May be learned over time as a preference • 3 May have physiological explanations • 4- But exists in opposition to primary and secondary sex characteristics..

  26. How plastic is human sexuality? What are the limits ? Can we change a person’s biological sex, create “ appropriate sexual orientation” and gender identity and performance?

  27. Cases of genital accidents and mutilation.. Dr. John Money: believed we could assign sex, and transform gender and gender identity.. and sexual desire. But there are limits.. Professor John Money – and his vision that All sexuality was social with appropriate endocrine additions –

  28. We all taught that it was all flexible because of his research… • But we were wrong.. Even though there is great flexibility , it is not necessarily predictable by human intervention.. • The case of Dr. John Money—and his scientific misconduct… The movie: • SEX UNKNOWN

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