Class notes
College notes Youth & sexuality ()
- Course
- Institution
College notes Youth & sexuality ()
[Show more]
Seller
Follow
Moonaa
Reviews received
Content preview
Lecture 1 Youth, sexuality and genderSex is short for sexuality and the act of having sexual arousal. Sex also means
the biological characteristics that define humans as male or female. Gender is
the social-cultural definition/dimension of the last named form of sex. Gender is
therefore a social construct and social process. Sexuality is even more complex,
see PowerPoint for definition. Sexuality entails all of the above.
The social regulation of sexuality (legal restrictions of sexuality)
The degree of moral restriction varies but mainly affects women and non-
heterosexuals. This is done for a couple of reasons, like the protection of
patriarchal power. See the PowerPoint for more explanations.
In the first half of the 20st century there was a shift from religious moral ideas to
medical psychiatric ideas of sexuality. Sexual freedom is important for general
freedom (Reich). With the second world war this sexual liberty was abruptly
ended. After WW2 the Americans took a leading role when it came to sexuality.
Gender in the modern perspective was a individual attribute and a social norm.
later in the postmodern perspectives gender was seen as a process: the
continuous daily enactment of gender roles and the sexual double standard.
The sex differences are seen in (artikel Vanwesenbeeck en PowerPoint):
- Cognitions and cognitive processes
- Sexual behaviour and activity
- (Negative) experiences and evaluations
- Plasticity versus rigidity
Q&A
For the exam skip the method and focus on the important concepts, the theories
and the influence that the theories have. Try to find the key message of each
paragraph, especially for the literature from week 1.
Lecture 2 Evolutionary and social perspectives
Evolutionary perspective
Focuses on the nature side in for example The parental investment theory and
Sexual strategies theory.
This started with Darwin’s Evolution theory, in which three evolutionary principles
are important:
1. Genetic variation
2. Natural selection → survival of the fittest!
a. Adaptation to the environment gives you a higher chance of survival
3. Successful reproduction
The ultimate goal of sex is reproduction. This also explains the gender
differences in sexual outlook (see PPT).
- Parental Investment Theory
, - Sexual Strategies Theory
Sexual Strategies Theory
Hypothesis:
- ‘Women find those traits attractive in a potential sexual partner that increase
the chance of long term investments’
o Long term investments/resources: making sure that the offspring
survives
▪ Economic and social status
▪ Physical strength
▪ Reliability and stability
▪ Love and commitment
- ‘Men find those traits attractive in a potential sexual partner that increase the
chance of “reproductive succes”’
o Reproductive success: The likelihood that a women gets pregnant after
sex and gives birth to a healthy baby
▪ Youthfulness
▪ Beauty → good reproductive health
• Cultural differences, but the ‘waist to hip ratio’ is the same
- The ‘paternity uncertainty hypothesis’
o Men prefer women who offer sexual exclusivity, because this limits the
risk of making large and long-term investments in the children of
another man.
▪ Loyalty and virginity to reduce the risk of paternity uncertainty
• Men therefore aim for short-term and long-term strategies
depending on their goal (a lot of children or healthy children)
- Short-term strategy can also be beneficial for women. Mainly if the women
can provide the sufficient recourses herself. The advantages can be to obtain:
o “Good” genes
o Immediate protection
o Immediate resources
Critical review of evolutionary perspective: psychological mechanisms and
gender differences proposed by evolutionary psychologists are highly responsive
to social, contextual, and cultural influences.
Social perspectives on sexuality and gender
Human sexuality deals with the context and the social world.
- Essentialism
- Social constructionism
See PPT for different theories and perspectives.
Lecture 3 A biopsychosocial perspective on youth and sexuality: the clinical setting
Pleasure needs to play a central role in sexual health. A healthy sexuality is a
development of sexuality which leads to sexual behavior that is experienced as
ego syntoon, rewarding and doesn’t harm anybody.
- Ego syntoon means that it is in line with who you are and how you would like
to experience sex.
The benefits of buying summaries with Stuvia:
Guaranteed quality through customer reviews
Stuvia customers have reviewed more than 700,000 summaries. This how you know that you are buying the best documents.
Quick and easy check-out
You can quickly pay through credit card or Stuvia-credit for the summaries. There is no membership needed.
Focus on what matters
Your fellow students write the study notes themselves, which is why the documents are always reliable and up-to-date. This ensures you quickly get to the core!
Frequently asked questions
What do I get when I buy this document?
You get a PDF, available immediately after your purchase. The purchased document is accessible anytime, anywhere and indefinitely through your profile.
Satisfaction guarantee: how does it work?
Our satisfaction guarantee ensures that you always find a study document that suits you well. You fill out a form, and our customer service team takes care of the rest.
Who am I buying these notes from?
Stuvia is a marketplace, so you are not buying this document from us, but from seller Moonaa. Stuvia facilitates payment to the seller.
Will I be stuck with a subscription?
No, you only buy these notes for $11.25. You're not tied to anything after your purchase.
Can Stuvia be trusted?
4.6 stars on Google & Trustpilot (+1000 reviews)
50843 documents were sold in the last 30 days
Founded in 2010, the go-to place to buy study notes for 14 years now