...Introduction Human sexuality plays a major role in everyone’s life, it aides in the definition of who we are and what we do and is the way in which we experience and express ourselves as sexual beings (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2010) Human sexuality; different from that of force driven animal instinct, is directed by a variety of different complex factors. Due to the complexity of human sexuality there has been much done by the way of research, theory and model development from past researchers such as Sigmund Freud, Henry Havelock Ellis, Alfred Kinsey, and the team of Masters and Johnson (King, 2012). This paper will explore some of the current contributors of research as well as factors leading to the development of human sexuality based upon: the biological perspective, gender identity and roles, sexual orientation, as well as the relation between these terms. Development of Human Sexuality Human sexuality is indeed the way in which we experience as well as express ourselves as sexual beings (Rathus, Nevid, & Fichner-Rathus, 2010). Many theories have been developed regarding the development one’s gender identity and human sexuality; however it is argued that the most important factor to consider is our actual gender (DeLamater & Friedrich, 2002). Sigmund Freud’s “Freudian Theory” is based on the fact that each stage in life brings new milestones for human sexual development (King, 2012, p. 207). In the first year of life Freud believed that due to the occurrence...
Words: 499 - Pages: 2
...HUMAN SEXUALITY AND SEX I. Definition Human sexuality is the expression of sexual sensation and related intimacy between human beings. Psychologically, sexuality is the means to express the fullness of love between a man and a woman. Biologically, it is the means through which a child is conceived and the lineage is passed on to the next generation. And it involves the body, mind, and spirit. There are a great many forms of human sexuality, comprising a broad range of behaviors, and sexual expression varies across cultures and historical periods. Yet the basic principles of human sexuality are universal and integral to what it means to be human. Sex is related to the very purpose of human existence: love, procreation, and family. Sexuality has social ramifications; therefore most societies set limits, through social norms and taboos, moral and religious guidelines, and legal constraints on what is permissible sexual behavior. DID YOU KNOW? Human sexual activity is more than a physical activity; it impacts the minds and hearts as well as the bodies of the participants. People may experiment with a range of sexual activities during their lives, though they tend to engage in only a few of these regularly. However, most societies have defined some sexual activities as inappropriate (wrong person, wrong activity, wrong place, wrong time, and so forth).The most widespread sexual norm historically, and the norm promoted nearly universally by the world's religions, is that...
Words: 932 - Pages: 4
...Explain the major factors or historical foundation that contributed to making the selected social issue important for sociological consideration Human sexuality is defines as an area of research and study that focuses on all aspects of humans as sexual beings. Basically, human sexuality involves much more than anatomy and sexual responses, but incorporates how we engage in relationships and behaviors that determine our desires and sexual identity as well as our overall sexual health, well-being, and our perceptions and expressions (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2006). There are many factors that help develop our sexuality, arguably one of the most important, is our actual gender. Whether, I am a female or male will likely have a major influence on the development of my individual sexuality. Furthermore, sexuality is an integral part of our personalities whether we are aware of it or not. Although Human sexuality is a normal part of life and everyday development, there are several sides to human sexuality and how we behave as human beings. There is the impact on aging in sexuality, sex and violence, and sexuality (Hockenbury and Hockenbury, 2006). One of the historical events was the sexual revolution in American come of age in the late 1960s. The Playboy magazine became the most popular in America. Also in the 1960s sexual mores was upside-down. First was the technology of birth control. The birth control pill was perfected, for the first time giving women the freedom...
Words: 1173 - Pages: 5
...Internet and Sexuality 2. Sex is always around us and it comes in many forms, from billboards, television, magazines, internet and of course everyday life. Who would have thought fifty years ago that you would be able to view sexual nature content at any given moment all in the comfort of you home. The internet provides us with the freedom to explore sex like never before and because of this “freedom” I believe that it has change many people views on sexuality, good or bad it has changed and this can be both beneficial and harmful on the views of sex. There are many negative and positive views on how sex is portrayed on the internet and more importantly who are these viewers that can access sexual content. I will give my opinion on both the negative and positive on how the internet can change ones views on sexuality. Lets start with the negative. I feel sex is overly glamorized and this glorification is widely accepted in society today. This can cause young children and young adults to think that sex is not a scared thing shared between two adults but instead shared for any and anyone, For instance, Adult porn is a growing and successful business. Porn is easy to find and access through the internet. No need to be over the age of eighteen, there are a few sites that have blockers up and the ones that do just have a button to enter the site if you are over age. A curious child will enter see and learn many things that...
Words: 707 - Pages: 3
...[TYPE THE COMPANY NAME] Human Sexuality Article Summary 2 Exploring Relationships Among Communication, Sexual Satisfaction, and Marital Satisfaction Litzinger, S., and Gordon, K. C. (2005). Exploring relationships among communication, sexual satisfaction, and marital satisfaction. Journal of Sex and Marital Therapy, 31, 409-424. The purpose of the study conducted by S. Litzinger and K.C. Gordon was to study how sexual satisfaction and communication within a relationship influence each other, and how this influence contributes to the prediction of marital satisfaction. The effects of these constructs were studied both independently and jointly. The researchers hypothesized that strengths in one area would compensate for weaknesses in other areas and this compensation would result in greater overall marital satisfaction. According to Litzinger and Gordon (2005), “It has been demonstrated that communication behaviors and interaction patterns clearly are related to marital satisfaction; however, an examination of the literature indicates that communication skills in and of themselves are not the sole determinants of marital happiness” (p.410) There is a strong connection between communication and marital satisfaction, but the connection is complex and affected by other influences in the marriage. Research indicates that unhappy couples lack the skills necessary to communicate successfully. This lack of communication skills leads to emotional distancing...
Words: 868 - Pages: 4
...Psychology 207-18851 November 15, 2011 Sexuality…a Journey The word “sexuality” has been looked upon as taboo and for centuries many of us grow up being taught how this part of our lives shouldn't be expressed openly. We all experience these feeling as humans and we share these characteristics. Some of us are taught not to express any feeling that has to do with our inner wants when it comes to this topic. Our sexuality can make us more loving or even at times some incidents can ruin our lives. Even though we are under educated in this area, it's natural and healthy because sexuality is part of emotional fulfillment and we all have different needs to feel loved. The journey of discovering my personal sexuality is ongoing and I believe it will last a lifetime. Reflection and exploration is key to understanding and becoming comfortable with not only personal sexuality but create an openness those around you. Many things including parents and home environment, religion and society have influenced my sexuality, and taking this human sexuality course has affected given me a better understanding and ability to communicate my wants and needs to my husband. A person’s attitude about sexuality is something that is directly influenced by their parents and home environment. A child’s natural curiosity about the world around them and themselves can lead parent to have to deal with such things as a child touching and rubbing their genitals. How their parents handle these situations...
Words: 1422 - Pages: 6
...Socio-Cultural Influences on Sexuality There is nothing that sparks a debate more than the topic of sexuality. The multitude of opinions in societies displays an attempt to define, promote, or control sexuality. Sexuality is a part of our humanity in which defines sex, gender identities, gender roles, sexual orientation, pleasure, intimacy, and instigates procreation. Though, sexuality is experienced and expressed through thoughts, desires, beliefs, attitudes, values, roles, behaviours, and relationships; it is greatly influenced by societies, cultures, historical perspectives, religious perspectives, biological forces, psychological theories, ethics, morals, and legal factors. In the United States, known as the “melting pot” because of the mass amounts of cultural influences brought in by immigrants worldwide that now reside on its land; one of the biggest concerns in regards to sexuality are the social and public health challenges that influence sexual behaviours, attitudes, and beliefs. Sexual behavior in not just a personal matter between two people, but rather a theme that can affect society in terms of social expectations for sexual behaviors, gender identity, roles, stereotypes, and bias. Social Expectations on Sexual Behaviors “Sexuality is an important part of our lives” (King, 2012, p.1), currently and amongst the generations before us. Throughout history, sexual behaviours have been largely influenced by culture, religion, and historical perspectives...
Words: 1417 - Pages: 6
...------------------------------------------------- Personal Perspective on Human Sexuality [Document subtitle] . This paper will discuss my personal views, beliefs, and experiences on human sexuality. It will address the following subjects: nudity; the appropriate age to become sexually intimate; the number of sex partners; the morality of sex outside marriage; sex education; when sexual intimacy may be wrong; the influence of family, culture, religion, and the media on my personal perception of sexuality; the impact of puberty on my development; and society’s gender role expectations influence on my sexual identity. I view the naked human body as a sacred masterpiece of living art. In the United States, public nudity is unlawful, except in specifically designated places not visible to the public such as nudist colonies, resorts, camps, enclaves, etc. Likewise, pornography carries a stigma and one must be eighteen to purchase it. These taboos are evidence that society regards the naked body as a sexual stimulant or as unsightly or disgusting whenever it is not sexy. Society has conditioned us to see public nudity as a distraction, one that causes people to feel sexually aroused and embarrassed. For example, a woman in a sleeveless dress would be a punishable offense in Saudi Arabia, but is acceptable in the West. Some tribal indigenous groups practice nudity and do not experience sexual arousal by sight alone. I think nudity has its place, but in the context...
Words: 1342 - Pages: 6
...In my own opinion, human sexuality is an underrated topic. We usually have an understanding of what we learned through society or from our families growing up about sexuality but we don’t understand the complexity of it. In high school, they teach us about abstinence, protection and dangers of STD’s but we were never taught about knowing ourselves and our body or knowing about people with different sexual preferences. I think sexual orientation is something one has to figure out for themselves not by the popular means from society. Having many or only one partner should be up to the people that’s involved in the relationship. I think as long as everybody is honest with each other and knows what kind of relationship they’re in, they should be able to maintain their relationship without society getting involved. Society sees masturbation as thing disgusting thing no one should ever mention in public when the truth is everybody masturbates and it is as normal of a sexual activity as having sex. However, there should be some lines that shouldn’t be crossed in my opinion such as incest and beastiality because it’s not healthy or safe. I was raised in a culture where sexuality isn’t even a topic to discuss because heterosexuality is the only acceptable way and for a brief period of time I believed that too until I went out to the real world and connected with people with different sexual orientation and just simply learned. This is why I think out school system needs to teach students...
Words: 271 - Pages: 2
...Sexuality to me is defined as being a heterosexual woman having interests and preferences in the opposite sex and having an emotional and physical connection with that person that I’m comfortable with. Growing up, the only thing I learned about sex was the famous Birds and the Bees talk. Don’t have sex until you’re married or if you masturbate you’ll go to hell. It wasn’t until I got older that I learned that I could have an orgasm and I learned what I liked and didn’t like. I was raised to believe that sexual relationships are to be between a man and a woman and not the same sex. I was taught to believe that sex between a man and woman was for the sole purpose of reproducing. After getting married and having sex, I later learned that sex can be and is a lot more. I was also taught that marriage is between a man and a woman. They meet, fall in love, get married and start a family. Sex is only to be with your spouse and sex before marriage was kept a secret especially if a child was born out of wedlock. Having premarital sex was considered a sin. It was okay for boys to sleep around, like earning some kind of badge of honor, but girls who were promiscuous were called whores or sluts and talked about in the community. Expressing yourself sexually was meant to be in private. Sexual orientation was not discussed when I was growing up. If you were a boy who liked other boys, you were considered weird and an outcast. I remember in high school having a male classmate who was very...
Words: 917 - Pages: 4
...HUMAN SEXUALITY Name Date The book “Touch” by novelist, Francine Prose look at the hardships a female student who has just reached the adolescent age experiences. He uses the main character as the narrator of the story to make her experience and feeling well emphasized and understood. The novel shows how the young woman oblivious of the difference between the male and the female sexes becomes close friends with three boys over a long time. Later on, they come and defy her sexually because of their lack of sexual attraction and arousal control. They leave her terribly confused and disturbed. Her parents are not helpful as they try to ignore the situation all together. She finally goes for counseling which can help her overcome the ordeal. I will look at the main point in this novel and explain them throughout this paper in more detail. I will also give a detailed explanation on the advantages and shortcomings of using the novel as a tool to teach the teens to control their sexual desires, attraction and arousal to the opposite sex. “Touch” is a novel that looks at the sexual life of children who are now moving to the adolescence stage of life. The author, Francine Prose shows how a girl who was close friends with three of her classmates of the opposite sex starts to notice the different bodily changes she experiences to those of her close friends. She also starts to realize that her friends are looked at her differently from the way...
Words: 1623 - Pages: 7
...BSC Fall 2012 Human Sexuality Brief Thoughts 8/29 Should men in America be circumcised? I do think men in America should be circumcised. One reason I say this is because I heard more woman than not say they are grossed out by an uncircumcised penis. I myself am circumcised and it makes showering easier instead of having to mess with it and make sure you clean it completely unlike circumcised penises. 9/10 Pubic hair: to shave or not to shave? I honestly believe it is personal preference. Although from experience and talk with friends of mine we all shave our pubic hair. One consideration is for the respect of your significant other. Also I believe it is just cleaner and also makes it less irritating area to itch without hair. 9/24 Are men and women more alike or more different? Why? I believe men and woman are complete opposites until they both are fully mature and stable to settle down. Men and woman before settling down just want different things. Woman want to be more selective find that one guy and men love sexually activity and want to experience it with many partners before finding the one and only. Not to say woman do not enjoy sexual encounters but they tend to be less promiscuous as men. 10/1 Could gay people become straight if they really wanted to? I do not believe gay people could change who they are. You could attempt it but in reality you are born the way you are and that does not mean there is anything wrong with you just that it is not...
Words: 856 - Pages: 4
...finally gave him the opportunity. Many people took the class, and many people were shocked at some of the material that was presented in the class. Kinsey had a few assistants, one named Clyde Martin in particular, who actually had sex with Kinsey in a hotel room for "experimental purposes." He eventually ended up having sex with Kinsey's wife too. Kinsey also had three children, a son and two daughters, and they would all talk about sex at dinner at night, which Kinsey's son didn't enjoy. Kinsey and his assistants, and their wives, had a strange relationship in that they would all switch partners on occasion. They were kind of like a big group of Swingers. Eventually Kinsey ended up being very publicly criticized for his work about female sexuality, but his wife and his close friends stayed with him. The movie seemed to very much show the stereotypical belief that there is only one way to have sex, and that it should not be talked about, and it should be for reproductive purposes only. People weren't supposed to masturbate, and people weren't supposed to participate in any...
Words: 383 - Pages: 2
...Leslie Davis 1/25/2011 PSYC 3310-1:00 Reaction Paper #1-How to help your female partner have orgasms This is a great article not just for women but for men as well. This article talks about how men can actually help there mate reach their climax. If a woman feels like she is being rushed, her mate is not catering to her romantic needs than more than likely a woman will not have an orgasm. Orgasms is merely more than just a physical thing but more so mentally for a woman. Seems as if men would take the time and ask there partner what turns them on or pleases them than this will help a woman reach her peak. I also read in this article that women can have multiple orgasms more so than a male. Mature women can achieve this quicker than younger women due to sexual experience. Having orgasms can be very pleasing for both mates if both are in tuned with one another but the male has to be willing to go the extra mile to please his woman. Men should be more patient with women during this time because it’s not that easy for a woman to reach their climax like a male. Honestly, I just started to have orgasms myself and I’m twenty-eight years of age. I feel now it’s probably because I’m with someone whom I love dearly and he goes the extra mile to make sure I’m comfortable and the mood is always right and we communicate and go over things that helps with increasing my arousal. It was hard for me to believe that this article stated in past history many believed that women could not...
Words: 413 - Pages: 2
...In this session of class we went discuss abortions and ways to get pregnant. I was feeling really uncomfortable at first since it is essential a social taboo to even speak about abortion especially since I grew up in a christian household. I was taught and still believe in not getting an abortion. Once I saw the facts and was a clinical abortion was changed how I looked at. For example, I had this assumation that the egg had developed to the point where we can distinguish them with other human but once I saw a picture of what a normal looked like. I was completely baffled when I saw it was less than the size of a dime. Another point that really stood out to me is the fact the federal act can only stop federal and state abortion clinic which only prevents safe abortions. With this in mind I changed my views to more of a pro choice for those This helped a lot since the only information I generally obtained about abortion are from the radicals who show up on campus from time to time with the graphic images of abortion. Further on in the class we begin talking about artificial insemination. This was an interesting topic to me since I been explained the full procedure or operations such as in vitro infertilization it was interesting to see the possibilities that couple who suffer from infertility.Also the other potions that people have who want a baby can have such as a suggate mother and adoption. I was familiar with adoption and everything we talk about ...
Words: 1679 - Pages: 7
