Sexuality in
perspective
1. Definitions of sexuality
2. Historical perspective
3. Sexuality: cross-cultural perspective
4. Gender: cross-cultural perspective
5. Psychology: sexual development through the life cycles
6. Theoretical perspectives
7. Sexual anatomy and physiology: desire and arousal
8. Sexual aggression
9. Pornography: science, politics and controversy
10.(Ab)normal sexuality: paraphilias and paraphilic disorders
11.Reprogenetics
12.Sex and the law
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, Les 1
Definition(s) of sex(uality)
Sexuality is influenced by biological factors and psychological, cultural and social processes, including inter-
and intra-personal norms and values
Sexuality =
Prof thinks culture is more important compared to the other ones, bcs it has an huge impact on the other
dimensions
Very often women get information about their period from their mother, but do not celebrate it.
Some woman get a party or a gift, but not everyone likes it. Compared to Belgium, in Africa there
will be more celebration. The biology is the same, but depends on the culture if it is celebrated or
not.
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, Culture also has an impact on psychology. In Belgium we think sexuality intimacy, trust,
relationships are important and belong together. Vb. The employer is very important for Japanese
people, the partner is put at the end. Culture has an impact on how we define sexuality.
Culture also defines behaviour, for example we didn’t put a lot of intimate words on the
whiteboard, because in our culture it’s inappropriate.
Sex: etyology
Latin
o Sexus – group, part, sort, kind, form
o Secare – to cut, to devide
English – sex
o 1382 = person with a certain sex
o 1526 = characteristic of being women or men
o 1929 = sexual intercourse ‘dirty word’
o 1950 = gender – men and woman (gender role: what society says – gender identity: how do
I feel)
sex – sexual behaviour and attraction to others (John Money)
Sex: definition
(oxford dictionary)
1. [noun] (chiefly with reference to people) sexual activity, including specifically sexual intercourse
1. Euphemistic [in singular] A person’s genitals
2. Either of the two main categories (male and female) into which humans and most oter livings are
devided on the basis of their reproductive functions:
1. [noun] The fact of belonging to either the male or female sex
2. The group of all members of either the male or female sex
in the beginning it was referring more to the biological categories, now it refers more to
intercourse
Definition of sex:
Sex, everything that is sexual
Sex, i.e., biological differences between men and women
Sexual life
Behaviours in which genitals play a role and that lead to physical arousal
o Vb. Sexual intercourse, masturbation, oral sex
Sexuality : etymology
French – sexualité
o Sexualité = ‘what is related to a certain sex’ (men/women)
Sexuality = broader meaning (all tht is related to sexual life)
o Refers to emotions and behaviour(s)
o Ideas and desires
o Sexuality = an euphemism for sex (sounds rougher)
Vlgbaar met het zeggen van: ”elderly” and “old people”
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, Sexuality: definition
(oxford dictionary)
1. [noun] Capacity for sexual feelings:
1. [noun] A person’s sexual orientation or preference:
2. Sexual activity
Sexuality: definition (broader than sex)
Ways you experience and express sexuality,
o Vb. ‘not daring to talk about sex’
Someone’s sexual emotions, ideas and behaviour
Broader domain of emotions, desires, behaviours etc. that are broader than the paradigmatic
sexual behaviours and emotions
(biological) sex, sexual behaviour
Someone’s sexual behaviour and desires
All occurrences that are related to one’s sex life
All aspects of feeling and being sexual
o Sexual acts (narrow definition)
Kissing, petting
Masturbation
Sexual intercourse
o Sexual behaviour (broad definition)
Being flirtatious
Romantic dining
Dressing in a seductive way
Reading Playboy, Penthouse, …
Surfing on the internet in search for sexuality explicit material
…
Behaviours that are defined as ‘sexual’ vary:
o Over time (vb. Vroeger tussen man en vrouw voor kinderen te maken)
o Between different groups
o Between deferent cultures
‘sexual’ is dependent of
o Ideas od ‘normalcy’ about sex
o Male and female role patterns
o Social context
o Culture
Sex = sexual behaviour? (ond)
“Would you say you ‘had sex’ if…”
“Objective: To determines which interactions people would consider as having ‘had sex’.”
Bill Clinton: “I did not have sexual relations with that woman”
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