HUMAN SEXUALITY - PSY 215/SOC 215
and
SSSS Conference Notes
Pima College - West Campus - Tucson, Az
Instructor: Cynthia Arem Ph.D.
Office: H 104
Office Phone: 520 - 206-6067
E-mail: Cynthia.Arem@pima.edu
COURSE DESCRIPTION:
This course is an examination of the human sexual experience throughout the life cycle, viewed from sociological and psychological perspectives. It includes the psychological, sociological, and cultural legacy of sexuality, biological foundations of sexuality, varieties of sexual behaviors, sexuality and the life cycle, sexual problems, and social issues.
** THIS COURSE IS IN THE AGEC AND HAS BOTH THE "C" & "G" DESIGNATION.
PERFORMANCE OBJECTIVES:
1. Describe physiological, psychological and social dynamics affecting sexuality.
2. Compare sexuality, sex roles, and gender orientations across diverse societies and cultures.
3. Describe the variety and varying ways of sexuality.
4. Describe how sexually transmitted diseases, sexual disorders, and various social issues relate to sexuality.
5. Explain how race/ethnicity, religion, the family, and personal values affect intimacy and sexuality.
6. Describe how people learn about sexuality.
7. Compare the personal and public domains of sexuality.
8. Describe the interrelationships among the concepts of intimacy, sex, love and self.
SOME TOPICS TO BE COVERED:
1. Historical and cultural overview of sexual attitudes and customs.
2. Sexual diversity among others and across cultures and society.
3. Gender identity, gender roles, masculinity and femininity
4. Religious, political and legal aspects of sexuality
5. Biological aspects of sexuality
6. Varieties of sexual behavior
7. Intimacy, communication and love in sexual relationships
8. Sexual orientations
9. Birth control and contraceptives
10. Conceiving children and pregnancy
11. Sexuality from childhood through adulthood
12. Nature and origin of sexual difficulties
13. Sex therapy and enhancement
14. Sexually transmitted diseases
15. Sexual victimization
FORMAT & CLASS EXPECTATIONS:
Class will consist of lectures, class discussions, videos, self-assessments, individual & group exercises. The lecture will not necessarily parallel the text and not all your assigned readings
will be covered in class, so be sure to read your chapters carefully. You will be responsible for reading the text and taking tests related to the textbook.
OUR SEXUALITY by Robert Crooks and Karla Baur, 9th edition, Brooks/Cole Publishers
Conference Notes
HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE SSSS WESTERN REGION CONFERENCE
4/2006
Names given to Gender Variance Around the World
American Indian Berdache – almost entirely gone
Fa’afafine in Samoa
Hijras in India
Acault of Burma
Muxes in Mexico, men who are accepted as crossdressers and caregivers
Mahkee of northern Thailand, women during trance become men
Mahu of French Polynesia, men who dress more like men but work as a women
Rae Rae of French Polynesia, men who dress like women. Give oral sex and receive anal sex from a man
Kasbilla, Gurhi Pwah and Cheekie Gurtz in Micronesia. The latter are popular in bands.
Interesting Statements Made at the Conference
Queer as terms is now being used to encompass all variations of sexual orientation and identification.
American Society appears to be BOTH compulsively sexually expressive and sexually phobic.
Sexual Health has three criteria: Erotic expression should be SAFE, SANE and CONSENSUAL.
Stamping out sex does not lead to Sexual Health
Poland, Greece and the U.S. are the only countries of the 26 NATO nations where gays cannot be in the military.
The three C’s of Good Sex: communication, communication, communication.
“Love many, trust few, and always paddle you own canoe”.
As people age, there are fewer sexual difficulties, though more sexual dysfunction.
In couples, sexual activity starts declining within the first two years (often beginning at 6 months) and then levels off to once or twice a week.
People with the greatest sexual satisfaction, despite the how long they have been together, have had good sexual communication and variety in their sexual activity.
Lesbian Research
“Lesbians Bed Death” is not true. In recent studies, it has been found that as lesbians age they have no less sex than heterosexual and gay couples.
Lesbians have fewer difficulties reaching orgasm compared to heterosexual women, perhaps because of methods they use, empathic connections, heterosexual women have more children (the second shift), better communication with partner about sex and they know how it feels.
Influences of Alcohol on Sexuality – A Study with
College Students
Positive influences:
Increases desire feelings
Ability to relax
Easier to get into sex
Decrease pressure and nervousness
Easier to initate (“desensitizes me”)
Facilitiate sexual experience
Negative;
Sloppy sex with higher level of intoxication
Emotionally not involved
Numbing
Anorgasmia
Loss of control
Having sex with people they wouldn’t normally do it with
Ambivalence
Not really into it
Unprotected sex
****Navigating Danger for women– Look for safe space and who is in control?
Research on Teen Abstinence Only Programs
1) More than $1 Billion have been already spend on abstinence only programs for teens.
2) Studies in Hawaii and by NPR indicate that only 15% of parents want abstinence only programs, 46% want abstinence with contraception and 36% say abstinence is not as important as teaching teens to make good decisions.
3) The message in abstinence only programs is: “No sex, no touching, get married and be happy.”
4) Once teens pledge to be virgins they are less likely to use condoms and they are at higher risk for STDs.
5) Vows of chastity are broken more than condoms.
6) No evidence that sex between adolescents is detrimental if it is truly consensual between the two partners.
7) 60% of teens are sexually active by 3 years of H.S.
8) 65% of young college women have had sex by age 19.
1) If the woman emotionally valued her partner she had significantly higher sexual satisfaction.
2) If the woman experienced sexual pleasure and the desire for sexual pleasure she had significantly higher sexual satisfaction.
3)Women with better communication skills had significantly higher sexual satisfaction.
4) Women with only 1 or 2 partners (to date) had the highest level of sexual satisfaction and the highest scores on communication measures.
5) Women who waited until they were 19 to 21 to have sex had higher sexual satisfaction than women who had sex earlier or later.
6) Seniors in college reported the highest sexual satisfaction levels.
Conclusion: For college women in this study, sex needed to be balanced, satisfying and meaningful.
Over 50,000 participants took part in a survey on Body Image conducted through MSNBC.com
With heterosexuals most men were satisified with their partner’s women’s breast, though women often were not.
With heterosexuals most women were satisfied with their partners penis size but many men were not.
Labelling and Personal Identitiy Issues
When there is an objectifiable LABEL, the individual may develop an identity with that label and limit their own behavior.In effect, putting themselves in a box and trying to behave according to the label. For example, labeling yourself dumb, inept, shy, asexual, homosexual, heterosexual, a prude, a stud, a slut, etc. There is a cultural myth of what sexuality is. Each culture has its own myths and these myths have changed over time. People often compare themselves according to their cultures current sexual myth and adjust their behaviors and thinking to see how they fit into this and that becomes part of their own personal identity. Each person’s personal identity is defined and regulated by culturally-determined process of both labeling and self-confessions to others about who we “really are.” We limit ourselves by trying to stay consistent with our label and what we have confessed to others about ourselves.