Sexuality

Sexuality and the need to integrate men's perspectives

by brigitte bagnol

Is Baptism a Male Birthing Ritual? By Michele Stopera Freyhauf

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project

Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the... more Quite a number of years ago I had a conversation with one of my professors, a feminist theologian, who posed the question “Why do I need a man to purify my baby with the waters of baptism?  Is there something wrong or impure about the blood and water from a mother’s womb – my womb?”  Before you jump and shout the words Sacrament or removal of original sin, this question bears merit in exploring, especially in today’s world where women are taking a serious beating religiously, politically, and socially.  In today’s world, violations and rants are causing women to stand up and say STOP!  This is MY Body.  This outcry was provoked by chants of ethical slurs against women– Slut! Prostitute! Whore!  The cry got even louder when the issue of religion and government was raised in the fight of healthcare coverage of contraception. The cry got even louder with the enactment of the laws in Virginia and Texas (and many other states to follow suit) that forces women to undergo transvaginal ultrasounds in early stage abortions.  The mandatory insertion of a wand into a woman’s vagina (mandated by the government, mind you), is a violation and has women crying RAPE!

Modesty Codes in Pentecostalism and Mormonism by Amanda Pumphrey

by Feminism and Religion

Originally posted on the Feminism and Religion project

“You look like a lesbian.” “Why do you want to look like a man?” “Hey, boy head!” These were just some of the... more “You look like a lesbian.” “Why do you want to look like a man?” “Hey, boy head!” These were just some of the responses I got from friends and family when I decided to cut off my hair. The gendered connotations that come with how one decides to wear one’s hair are an overarching signifier of the dominant culture’s obsession with normative appearances. Many religious institutions and congregations uphold normative understandings of appearance and dress. Growing up in a conservative town in rural South Georgia and being raised within a Pentecostal tradition came with many challenges regarding gender, sexuality, and dress.

Sexualidad en parejas con problemas de fertilidad

by Jorge Alberto Álvarez-Díaz

Tipos de ansiedad frente a la donación hipotética de embriones para investigación. Una aproximación desde la perspectiva de género

by Jorge Alberto Álvarez-Díaz

“If You Allow Gay Marriage…” by John Erickson

by Feminism and Religion

Originally published on the Feminism and Religion project

… you have to allow polygamy, bestiality, and everything else!” The title for my post this week is a quote from an... more … you have to allow polygamy, bestiality, and everything else!” The title for my post this week is a quote from an individual I used to associate with.  This individual, haling from a conservative evangelical background, tried to explain to several others and myself the reasons why gay marriage would eventually lead to the repeal of anti-polygamy and bestiality laws across the United States.

The problems that I have with this particular argument are conflating gay marriage with religious freedom.  Activists and scholars can draw comparisons to anti-polygamy cases such as the 1878 U.S. Supreme Court case Reynolds v United States and the 1882 Edmunds Act and 1887 Edmunds-Tucker Act that disfranchised and led to the imprisonment of Mormon polygamists. But in the end, gay marriage is not about religious freedom but rather human rights.

Sexual Liberalism–Conservatism: The Effect of Human Values, Gender, and Previous Sexual Experience

by Valeschka Guerra

In press in Archives of Sexual Behavior. Co-authored with Valdiney V. Gouveia, Deliane M. Sousa, Tiago J. Lima, & Leogildo A. Freires

Despite theoretical associations, there is a lack of empirical studies on the axiological basis of sexual liberalism –... more Despite theoretical associations, there is a lack of empirical studies on the axiological basis of sexual liberalism – conservatism. Two studies demonstrated important associations
between these constructs for young adults. In Study 1, participants were 353 undergraduate students with a mean age of 20.13 (SD=1.84), who completed the Sexual Liberalism–Conservatism Scale and the Basic Values Survey. In Study 2, participants were 269 undergraduate students, with a mean age of 20.3 (SD= 1.82), who completed a social desirability scale in addition to Study 1 instruments. Results showed how values can predict sexual liberalism–conservatism after controlling for social desirability. Attitudes towards one’s own sexual behavior were more conservative whereas attitudes towards other’s sexual behavior were more liberal. Gender was not a significant predictor of sexual attitudes whereas previous sexual experience showed a significant association to this construct. In general, results corroborated previous findings, showing that participants with a tendency to present socially desirable answers also tended to present themselves as sexually conservative.

Multiple Forms of Perceived Discrimination and Health among Adolescents and Young Adults

by Eric Anthony Grollman

Published in the Journal of Health and Social Behavior, June 2012: http://hsb.sagepub.com/content/early/2012/05/14/0022146512444289.abstract

Research on perceived discrimination has overwhelmingly focused on one form of discrimination, especially race... more Research on perceived discrimination has overwhelmingly focused on one form of discrimination, especially race discrimination, in isolation from other forms. The present article uses data from the Black Youth Culture Survey, a nationally representative, racially and ethnically diverse sample of 1,052 adolescents and young adults to investigate the prevalence, distribution, and mental and physical health consequences of multiple forms of perceived discrimination. The findings suggest that disadvantaged groups, especially multiply disadvantaged youth, face greater exposure to multiple forms of discrimination than their more privileged counterparts. The experience of multiple forms of discrimination is associated with worse mental and physical health above the effect of only one form and contributes to the relationship between multiple disadvantaged statuses and health. These findings suggest that past research may misspecify the discrimination-health relationship and fails to account for the disproportionate exposure to discrimination faced by multiply disadvantaged individuals.

Theorizing Female Inversion: Sexology, Discipline, and Gender at the Fin de Siècle

by Heike Bauer

'Treating it as a normal business': Researching the pornography industry

by Georgina Voss

Forthcoming in 'Sexualities', 2012.

This article examines the lack of research on the pornography industry and the means of addressing this situation.... more This article examines the lack of research on the pornography industry and the means of addressing this situation. Much contemporary pornography research invokes the apparent economic prowess of the pornography industry as justification for its work, yet focuses on the product and its reception rather than on the industry that produces it. In this paper I identify and discuss the specific institutional challenges around studying pornography within business studies, and also the opportunities that arose through this work. The research methods used in this study of the North American pornography industry are presented and discussed, together with considerations around access, authentication, and stigma. I challenge the dependence by current scholars on secondary data about the industry by offering theoretical frameworks and methodological approaches with which to gather rich empirical material, thus furthering the wider field of pornography research.

Jones, T. and Hillier, L. (2012). Sexuality education school policy for Australian GLBTIQ students. Sex Education, ifirst http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/14681811.2012.677211 Accessed 10.05.12.

by Tiffany Jones

Education is state-run in Australia, and within each of the eight states and territories there are both government and... more Education is state-run in Australia, and within each of the eight states and territories there are both government and independent schooling systems. This paper details the position of gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, intersex and queer (GLBTIQ) students within Australian education policy documents nationally, focusing on the three largest states and educational sectors in Australia. Survey data are used to report on the schooling experiences of over 3000 Australian GLBTIQ young people aged 14–21 years. Data from interviews with key policy informants identify both the obstacles to implementing policies, and how such obstacles have been overcome. Much official policy sees sexuality education as promoting inclusive, protective and affirming messages around GLBTIQ students. There exist significant correlations between policy and a variety of well-being and psycho-social outcomes for GLBTIQ students, including lowered incidence of homophobic abuse and suicide, and the creation of supportive school environments. Ideal policy visions are outlined, along with practical recommendations of relevance to a variety of stakeholders.

Contemporary Theravada and Zen attitudes to human sexuality: an exercise in comparative ethics

by Michel Clasquin-Johnson

Religion. 22:1. (Jan. 1992) pp. 63-83. Reprinted in Hunt, S 2011, The
Library of Essays on Sexuality and Religion, Vol. 4, Religions of the
East. Farnham: Ashgate.

As in many other religions, the issue of the correct attitude towards human sexual activity reflects the fundamental... more As in many other religions, the issue of the correct attitude towards human sexual activity reflects the fundamental philosophical standpoints of the various branches of the Buddhist religion. In this article, the Theravāda and Zen schools are examined, both in general terms and through an indepth examination of the opinions which some leading contemporary Buddhist spokesmen of both groups hold on the matter. The Theravādin stance is found to be that sexual activity is something to be ultimately transcended in the attainment of Nibbāna. This tallies with its conception of Nibbāna as fundamentally different from Samsara. As an interim measure, the Theravādins maintain that a harmonious sexual existence is best achieved by observing certain rules which define certain persons as inadmissible sexual partners, and stress the necessity of approaching those who transgress sexually in a compassionate manner. In the Zen tradition, the Mahāyāna non-dualistic concept of Nirvāna as not intrinsically different from Samsāra has led to the acceptance of sexuality as an integral aspect of the religious life, albeit one which needs to be practised within the context of the disciplined Zen life style.

Navigating Risk: Lessons From the Dockside Sex Trade for Reducing Violence in South Africa's Prostitution Industry

by Henry Trotter

Sexuality Research & Social Policy: Journal of NSRC, 4/4 (Dec 2007): 106-119

The diversity of South Africa's prostitution industry exposes sex workers to varying levels of violence. The street,... more The diversity of South Africa's prostitution industry exposes sex workers to varying levels of violence. The street, truck stop, hotel, agency, brothel, and dockside trades are characterized by different structural features that determine the prevalence of client, police, and third-party abuse against prostitutes. Comparing the structural elements of each sector allows not only gauging the likelihood of violence within a given niche but also devising more precise policy instruments to reduce violence at an industry-wide level.

This article, "Navigating Risk," focuses on the dockside prostitution sector in Cape Town and Durban, showing how its structural features enhance the women's power vis-à-vis their clients and the police. It discusses 5 key variables that influence the likelihood of violence within each prostitution sector:

* the social and legal status of the client
* the location of the negotiation
* the location of the sexual act
* the level of discretion in the solicitation process
* and the role of third-party involvement

Detailed policy recommendations conclude the argument.

The Women of Durban's Dockside Sex Industry

by Henry Trotter

in Rob Pattman and Sultan Khan (eds.), Undressing Durban (Durban: Madiba Press, 2007), 441-452.

This article, "The Women of Durban's Dockside Sex Industry," looks at the lives of female prostitutes in... more This article, "The Women of Durban's Dockside Sex Industry," looks at the lives of female prostitutes in Durban's dockside sex sector. They solicit at a nightclub catering to foreign sailors. The paper considers their experiences as sex workers and how they deal with stigmatization, family concerns, chemical abuse, moral dilemmas, diseases, and violence. It assesses their fears and frustrations. And it ponders their dreams and longings for what they hope to achieve through this work.

The article concludes with the idea that dockside women are relatively empowered compared to their streetwalking & brothel-working counterparts. Since most hail from upcountry locales, they successfully live "double lives" that protect them from family and communal reprisal. Since their clients are foreign transients, the men pose no threat to their identities (they have no social power outside the dockside world). Since the women solicit from a safe nightclub, they retain the right of refusal. And because they're the knowledgeable locals, they choose the location of sex, which enhances their power to insist on condom-use.

Ironically, these upcountry women are perhaps the most cosmopolitan citizens of Durban as they entertain dozens of nationalities every evening.

Natural, but not Normal; or, Normal, but not Natural? : The Gender Free Baby

by Kristianne C. Anor

This paper delves into the nature versus nurture debate, advocating for a nuanced position - the "nurtured... more This paper delves into the nature versus nurture debate, advocating for a nuanced position - the "nurtured nature" position.

Book Review -- Women’s Sexualities and Masculinities in a Globalizing Asia (Saskia E. Wieringa, Evelyn Blackwood, and Abha Bhaiya, eds).

by Tyrell Haberkorn

Published in Journal of Asian Studies 68.4 (November 2009): 1239-1241

The Ecstasies of Saint Teresa: The Saint as Queer Diva from Crashaw to Four Saints in Three Acts

by Corinne Blackmer

Selftubes: Construction of Identities in Web Porn [Selftubes: konštrukcia identít vo webovom porne]

by Michal Bočák

Bočák, Michal. 2012. "Selftubes: Construction of Identities in Web Porn." Paper presented at conference Media and Text 3, Veľký Šariš (Slovakia), 21st – 22nd October 2010. [Paper in Slovak submitted for review.]

This study presents results of the qualitative analysis of constructions of identities in heterosexual pornographic... more This study presents results of the qualitative analysis of constructions of identities in heterosexual pornographic videos’ titles on pornographic websites (tubes). Conceptualising porn as a contemporary Western androcentric discourse of sexuality, the author argues that if porn ought to appeal to socially determined desires of its consumers, it can’t be done only by shooting the bodies in detail: it has to represent identities as “ready-made”, widely shared social categories – these are what assign the status of imaginable social situation to (otherwise “mechanical”) sex act. Moreover, in a pornographised culture which is accepting a pornographic logic also beyond the pornosphere it can be reasoned that the porn partakes on re-/defining of identities (meaning not only genders and desires) significantly. The analysis of porn videos’ titles clearly confirms an introductory theoretical conceptualisation of the identity/subjectivity as an unstable, situational entity as well as it proves the multiplicity and intersectionality of identity, stated by its present theories. It appears notably in the systematic power structuring of the intersections of gender, racial/ethnic, age and other social categories, which actually are, according to the author of the study, naturalising the central gender asymetry and the androcentric order.

Keywords: pornography – porn – web – subject – identity – construction – video’s title – intersectionality – asymetry – androcentrism

Marketing the Media with Sexuality and Violence: Is It Ethical?

by Ahmet Bayraktar

Bayraktar, A. (2012). Marketing the Media with Sexuality and Violence: Is It Ethical? 2012 AMA Marketing & Public Policy Conference, Atlanta, GA. 7-9 June 2012.

Does Sexuality in Ads Work for Everyone: Muslim Consumers’ Reactions to Sexuality in Ads

by Ahmet Bayraktar

Bayraktar, A. (2012). Does Sexuality in Ads Work for Everyone: Muslim Consumers’ Reactions to Sexuality in Ads. Review of Business and Finance Case Studies, Forthcoming.