final Flashcards
(147 cards)
sexuality
universal; complex; not easily defined or agreed upon; complex range of desires beliefs and behaviors that are related to erotic physical contact intimacy and pleasure; cultural arena within which people debate about what kinds of physical desires and behaviors are right appropriate and natural
is human sexuality natural
underlying idea that it is natural; includes distinct physiological processes and sex has an obvious biological function when it comes to reproduction
what is natural about sexuality
biological components; take it far beyond simple intercourse for the means of reproduction; cultural norms and values have a strong impact on sexual behavior
sexuality and culture
as part of enculturation taught about sexuality; instructed on sex by families, schools, religious organizations, governments, and popular culture; cultural institutions have a big impact on sexual behaviors
global perspective on sexuality
western culture has hug influence on the world, due to popular culture like movies and television; cultures around the world hold significant different views
role of culture in sex
practices vary widely throughout the world
sexuality constructed in us
binary- people can be either heterosexual or homosexual; identities are seen as largely fixed and unchanging; categories that are absolute in us, more flexible in other cultures around the world; the traditional binary view is cultural construct and not biological fact
heterosexuality
attraction to and sexual relations between individuals of the opposite sex
homosexuality
attraction and sexual relations between individuals of the same sex
bisexuality
attraction to and sexual relations with members of both sexes
asexuality
a lack of erotic attraction to others
power influence sexuality
often manipulated in cultural power struggles; *governments routinely pass laws regarding sexuality- who can legally marry, legalizing or blocking practices such as polygamy or incest- as well as defining legal boundaries for sexuality by outlawing prostitution and legalizing pornography; forever intermixed with power
globalization influence sexuality
substantial effect; european and american governments are dominating influences on local cultures through both colonialism and the forces of globalization; enforced new ideas about sexuality; *long distance sexual relationships to sex tourism can be forced
sexual violence
violence perpetuated through sexually related physical assaults such as rape
sex tourism
travel usually organized through the tourism sector to facilitate commercial sexual relations between tourists and local residents
sex work
labor through which one provides sexual services for money
are men and women born or made
accustomed to thinking that men and women have inherent or innate natures; often sex and gender are used interchangeably but refer to two different things; biological differences seen as being associated with behavioral differences; male and female have expected cultural roles that extend to everything from communication strategies to proper activities
what is sex
observable physical differences between male and female, especially biological expressions related to human reproduction; * genitalia, gonads and chromosome patterns
gender
expectations of thought and behavior that each culture assigns to people of different sexes
gender roles
the anticipated cultural roles of the individual sexes; studied in different cultures not universal; significant fluidity between true biological difference and what is cultural construction; masculine, feminine or combo of both or something different
cultural construct
what gender is; children are enculturated they learn what kinds of behaviors are perceived as masculine and feminine
performance of gender
not fixed, rather an identity that is actively expressed; people make choices in their behavior on a regular basis and those choices include how they express their gender identity
gender performance
the way gender identity is expressed through action
a theory of five sexes
possible interplay of the three biological factors that create what we think of as biological sex, there is a broad range of possibilities between what is male and what is female; 1.7 percent of children born in the us do not neatly fit into our idealized notions of male and female