The Evolution of Human Sexuality: Past and Present

1. Chapter 01 Exploring Human Sexuality: Past and Present

2. Chapter 1 Outline • Sexuality Today • Only Human: What is Sexuality? • Sex Sells: The Impact of the Media • The Early Evolution of Human Sexuality • Stand Up and Look Around: Walking Erect • Sexuality in the Ancient Mediterranean • The Hebrews • The Greeks • The Romans • Sexuality in Ancient Asia • India • China

3. Chapter 1 Outline (Cont.) • Sexuality from St. Paul to Martin Luther • Early Christianity: Chastity becomes a Virtue • The Middle Ages: Eve the Temptress and Mary the Virgin • Islam: A New Religion • The Renaissance: The Pursuit of Knowledge • The Reformation: The Protestant Martial Partnership • The Enlightenment and the Victorian Era • The Enlightenment • The Victorian Era

4. Chapter 1 Outline (Cont.) • Sex in American History • The Colonies: The Puritan Ethic • The US: Freedom—and Slavery—in the New World • The Liberalization of Sex • Slavery • The 19th Century: Polygamy, Celibacy, and the Comstock Laws

5. Chapter 1 Outline (Cont.) • Sex in American History (Cont.) • The 20th Century: Sexual Crusaders and Sexologists • The Social Hygiene Movement • Sexology • The Sexual Revolutions • Feminism • Gay Liberation

6. What is Sexuality? • A uniquely human trait • More than just mating rituals • Laws, customs, fantasies, art based on sexuality • Sexologists – specialize in studying human sexuality • Also: biologists, psychologists, physicians, anthropologists, historians, sociologists, political scientists, public health officials

7. Contradictory and Confusing • Sexually “repressed” society surrounded by sexual images • Believe everyone is sexually active, yet an uncomfortable discussion topic • Explore our sexuality vs. moral restrictions • Diversity in sexual expression

8. The Impact of the Media • Surrounded by explicitly or subtly sexual visual media • Many advertisements digitally alter models’ bodies and faces to unattainable levels. • Some countries have proposed warning labels on retouched photos. • Television is full of sexual content • Jersey Shore and Gossip Girls highlight sexual issues • 16 and Pregnant and Teen Mom showcase live teen mothers • Critics claim shows glamorize teen pregnancy and lead to its greater social acceptance

10. The Impact of the Media (Cont.) • Internet is changing communication and relationships • Social networking sites • Communicate through tweets, blogs, updates, posts or chats • An “app” for just about anything • Countless Web sites with information and advice • Purchase sexual paraphernalia • Chat rooms devoted to a variety of desires

11. The Impact of the Media (Cont.) • Media is leading source of sexual information for American adolescents (Strasburger et al., 2010) • 70% of teen shows in U.S. contain sexual content. • Inaccurate and misleading messages

12. Early Evolution of Human Sexuality • Upright posture changed human sexual intercourse • Visual cues increased in importance • Male genitals and female breasts more visible • Human male has largest penis of all primates • Female pelvis rotated forward to allow face-to-face intercourse • Enhanced female stimulation and orgasm

13. Ancient Mediterranean • Growth of cities created laws to govern • Many sexual issues present in writings, art: • Adultery • Divorce • Circumcision • Sexually transmitted infections • Menstruation • Contraception and abortion • Prostitution • Erotica

14. Ancient Mediterranean (Cont.) • Modern western society influenced by the interaction of three ancient cultures: • Hebraic (Hebrews) • Hellenistic (Greek) • Roman

15. The Hebrews (1000—200 BC) • Hebrew Bible had explicit rules • Forbade adultery • Forbade male homosexual intercourse • Forbade incestuous relations • Discussed sexual misconduct • Stories of marital love

16. The Greeks (1000—200 BC) • More sexually permissive than the Hebrews • Stories of sexual exploits, incest, rape, bestiality • Distinguished between love and sex • Aphrodite: goddess of sexual intercourse • Eros: god of love • Greek pederasty • Idealized men and the male form, as well as the female form • Sex was a symbol of power

17. Greek cups, plates, and other pottery often depicted erotic scenes, such as this scene from the 5th century B.C.

18. The Romans (500 BC—700 AD) • Few restrictions for early Romans • Permissive attitudes toward homosexuality • Marriage and sex were ways to improve economic and social standing • Passionate love almost nonexistent • Wives encouraged husbands to have slaves for sexual release

19. Ancient Asia • India • China

20. India • Beginning about 400 BC • Karma – cycle of birth and rebirth • Goal – live a just life, marry, procreate • Patriarchal social system • Marriage – religious and economic obligation • Kama Sutra – 3rd-4th century B.C. • Nature of love • Good family practices • Moral guidance in love and sex • Sexual techniques

21. Indian sculptors followed the tradition of tantric art, which is famous for its depictions of eroticism. Of the 85 temples originally built, 22 still stand today.

22. China • Beginning about 200 BC • Tao – the basic unity and interdependence of the universe; comprised of two principles • Yin: feminine, passive, inexhaustible • Yang: masculine, assertive, limited • Man should feed yang with prolonged contact with yin, without ejaculation • Best if multiple women, female orgasm • Sexual instruction and manuals common • Utilized drugs and sexual devices

23. Example of Chinese foot binding.

24. Early Christianity and Chastity • Beginning about 50 AD • Jesus – liberal in thinking about sexuality and its punishment for transgressions • Later followers (e.g., St. Paul) established the dominant western view of condemnation • Highest love is that for God • Celibacy and chastity were idealized • Association of sexuality with sin • Sex for procreation only

25. The Middle Ages: Eve the Temptress and Mary the Virgin • 500 AD—1400 AD • Churches influence grows • 1050-1150 sexuality was liberalized • 1215 – Church began confession and penance • Women changed from a temptress (Eve) to a model of virtue (Mary) • Entremetteuse –sexual teachers • Late 15th century – campaign against witchcraft, women’s insatiable “carnal lust” • Thomas Aquinas (1200s) argued sex organs were for procreation; condemned homosexuality

26. Islam: A New Religion • Beginning about 500 AD • Muhammad • Patriarchal society • Modesty, cover private parts of the body • Koran likens wives to fields that men should cultivate as frequently as they want • Harems for wealthy men • Eunuchs guarded the women from finding sexual pleasure elsewhere • Celebrated young boys as the epitome of beauty

27. The Renaissance: The Pursuit of Knowledge • Beginning about 1300 AD • Thought shifted from God to human beings • Renewed sense of joy in life • Women became more educated and politically involved • 17th century witchcraft trials based on men’s fears of women’s sexuality

28. The Reformation: The Protestant Martial Partnership • Beginning about 1500 AD • Bible showed obligation to reproduce and have marital love, instead of valuing celibacy • Women were men’s partners in all things, not just to have children • Allowed divorce • Companionship was focal point in marriage • Women viewed as weaker than men • Sex permissible only in marital union

29. Chastity belts first appeared in the 15th century and were used primarily by women so that their husbands were assured the children they fathered were their own.

30. The Enlightenment • Beginning about 1700 • Sexual pleasure was natural and desirable • “Free love” and rise in premarital pregnancy and illegitimate births • Homosexuals condemned and persecuted

31. The Victorian Era • Beginning in early 1800s • Public behavior important, especially to the upper class • Conservative sexual attitudes, not always practiced • Male chivalry • Women virtuous, delicate, vulnerable • Sexual indulgence was believed to cause many illnesses

32. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many doctors taught that masturbation was harmful, and so devices, such as the two barbed rings and the shock box shown here, were created to keep boys from achieving unwanted erections.

33. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, many doctors taught that masturbation was harmful, and so devices, such as the two barbed rings and the shock box shown here, were created to keep boys from achieving unwanted erections.

34. The Colonies: The Puritan Ethic • Beginning about 1600 • Puritans had severe sanctions for sexual transgressions • Community responsible for upholding morality • Sexuality was natural within marriage • Bundling for young, courting couples

35. The US: Freedom andSlavery in the New World • The Liberalization of Sex • Individuals right to pursue happiness • Brothels, contraception, abortion • Sexuality embraced within marriage • Extramarital affairs • Slavery • Female indentured servants and slaves were commonly raped • Antimicsegenation laws passed

36. The US: Freedom andSlavery in the New World (Cont.) • Slavery (cont.) • Sexuality of minorities was used to oppress them • Myth of slave promiscuity • Low rates of STIs among slaves

37. 19th Century: Polygamy, Celibacy, and the Comstock Laws • 1820s free love movement • 1852 – Mormons announce practicing polygamy • End of 19th century – Medical model of sexuality • Women ruled by their wombs; ovarectomies • Homosexuality an illness, not a sin • Comstock Act of 1873 – prohibited mailing obscene writing or ads, including contraceptive information and artwork containing nudity

38. 20th Century: Sexual Crusaders and Sexologists • The Social Hygiene Movement • Sexology • The Sexual Revolutions • Feminism • Gay Liberation

39. The Social Hygiene Movement • Beginning in 1905 • Promiscuous husbands transmitted STIs to wives, prompting legislation requiring blood tests before marriage • Prostitution arrests by law enforcement • Early advocates for sex education in schools

40. Sexology • Scientific pursuit to understand human sexuality • Kinsey – American sexual behavior • Masters and Johnson – sexual response physiology • Demystified sex

41. The Sexual Revolutions • In 1920s and 1960s • Values and attitudes about sexuality become more permissive • Advertising became more sexualized • Flappers in 1920s • Hippies in 1960s • Discovery of antibiotics • Pornography became more acceptable • Development of the contraceptive pill

42. Feminism • Beginning in early 1900s • Sanger – “It is none of society’s business what a woman shall do with her body” • Published birth control literature, violating the Comstock Act • Public outrage caused the case to be dropped • Opened birth control clinic that became the Planned Parenthood organization • Three feminist authors: de Beauvior, Friedan, Millet

43. Gay Liberation • Beginning mid 1900s • Homosexuals viewed as perverts preying on youth • Many medical “cures” attempted • 1969 – Police raided Stonewall, a gay bar, and the gay community resisted for the first time • APA removed homosexuality from the DSM • 1970s golden age of gay liberation • 1980s AIDS epidemic • Gay marriage controversy: CT and CA

44. Two men, each of whom looks heterosexual, being affectionate with one another.

45. Two women, each of whom looks heterosexual, being affectionate with one another.