12 Sexuality Ted Soqui/Ted Soqui Photography/Corbis Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter Outline Sex and Culture Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior Sex and Inequality: Gender, Race, and Class Sexuality: Sociological and Feminist Theory Understanding Gay and Lesbian Experience Sex and Social Issues Sex and Social Change Photo caption: New technologies, such as artificial insemination where sperm is injected into an egg, raise new questions about ethics and social policies regarding reproductive rights. Jochen Tack/Alamy Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sex and Culture Sexual relationships and identities develop within a social context. Sexual orientation: the attraction people feel for people of the same or different sex. Sexual identity: the definition of oneself formed around one’s sexual relationships. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sex: Is It Natural? (slide 1 of 2) Gays, lesbians, and bisexuals say they don’t choose their sexual orientation; they just “are.” Perhaps there is some biological basis to sexual orientation, but the evidence is not yet there. Social experiences are far more significant in shaping sexual identity. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sex: Is It Natural? (slide 2 of 2) Human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in different cultural contexts. If sex were purely natural behavior, sexual behavior would also be uniform among all societies, but it is not. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Figure 12.1 Sex among Teenagers: A Change over Time Figure 12.1 Sex among Teenagers: A Change over Time The chart shows the change in the percentage of teen men and women (aged 15–19) who have had sex. What do you observe in these data? What sociological factors might you consider to explain what you observe? Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Social Basis of Sexuality Human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in different cultural contexts. Sexual attitudes and behavior change over time. Sexual identity is learned. Social institutions channel and direct human sexuality. Sex is influenced by economic forces in society. Public policies regulate sexual and reproductive behaviors. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Contemporary Sexual Attitudes and Behavior Four-fifths of Americans think that sex before marriage is morally acceptable. Men are more likely than women to think that homosexual relations are morally wrong. Photo caption: Gays, lesbians, and their allies have mobilized for social change, fostering pride and celebration as well as a reduction over time in homophobic attitudes. MilamPhotos/iStockphoto.com Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sex and Inequality: Gender, Race, and Class Our gender identities link with sexuality in many ways. Boys are raised to be manly by repressing so- called feminine characteristics in themselves. The double standard is the idea that different standards for sexual behavior apply to men and women. Sexuality is also integrally tied to race and classinequality in society, a fact that can be seen in the sexual stereotypes associated with race and class. 17 Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sexuality: Sociological and Feminist Theory Sociological framework examines sexuality’s connection to social institutions and current social issues. The three major frameworks— functionalist theory conflict theory symbolic interaction Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Understanding Gay and Lesbian Experience Homophobia is the fear and hatred of lesbians and gays. Homophobia is a learned attitude, as are other forms of negative social judgments about particular groups. Heterosexism refers to the institutionalization of heterosexuality as the only socially legitimate sexual orientation. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Sex and Social Issues Subjects of public concern include: Birth control New reproductive technologies Abortion Pornography and the sexualization of culture Teen pregnancy Sexual violence Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

The Sexual Revolution: Is It Over? Sexual norms, beliefs, and practices emerge as society changes. Many changes associated with the sexual revolution have been changes in women’s behaviors. Essentially, the sexual revolution has narrowed the differences in the sexual experiences of men and women. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Technology, Sex, and Cybersex The Internet introduces new forms of sexual relations: stimulation from pornographic websites or online sexual chat rooms Cybersex: sex via the Internet transforms sex from a personal, face-to-face encounter to a seemingly anonymous relationship with mutual online sex Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Commercializing Sex Girls are being sexualized at younger ages marketing of thongs to very young girls promotion of “sexy” dolls sold to girls sexualized content of media images Photo caption: The popular Bratz dolls are being marketed to young girls, selling an image of women as sexual objects. Graeme Robertson/Getty Images Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter Summary (slide 1 of 2) In what sense is sexuality, seemingly so personal an experience, a part of social structure? What evidence is there of contemporary sexual attitudes and behavior? How is sexuality related to other social inequalities? What does sociological theory have to say about sexual behavior? Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Chapter Summary (slide 2 of 2) How do homophobia and heterosexism influence lesbian and gay experience? How is sexuality related to contemporary social issues? How is sex related to social change? Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Question1 Which of the following statements about sexuality is true? Sexual behavior is purely natural. Sexual behaviors are determined by biology. Sexuality is socially defined and learned through social interaction. Sociologists do not study sexuality because it is mostly psychological. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Answer 1 Sexuality is socially defined and learned through social interaction. Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Question 2 _____ emphasizes how sexuality contributes to the stability of society, and how norms that restrict sex to marriage encourage family formation. Functionalism Conflict theory Symbolic interaction Social exchange theory Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Answer 2 Functionalism Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Question 3 The term _____ refers to the institutionalization of heterosexuality as the only socially legitimate sexual orientation. homophobia heterosexism biphobia heterophobia Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.

Answer 3 B. heterosexism Copyright © 2017 Cengage Learning. All Rights Reserved.