Understanding Human Sexuality
Lesson One/Chapter One

Goals for this lesson:

Define and apply the following terms and concepts: sexual intelligence; ethnicity; factors, orientations and psychological perspectives governing and influencing human sexuality; attitudes and behaviors around human sexuality; sex; cultural and historical legacy themes; Gender role, scientific and religious conditioning.

Please note:

• Each lesson/ lecture covers one chapter in the text book (see syllabus for the number), one quiz and is included in one of two midterms and a final (again, see syllabus for applicable lessons/lectures/chapters).
   
• Each midterm and/or final includes a number of lessons/lectures, chapters, quizzes and discussion postings (again, see syllabus).
   
• Each lesson/lecture insists upon participation in a discussion panel (3 relevant postings).

Further, each lecture is meant to explain and perhaps embellish the text book; sometimes it merely summarizes the work of the text. Do not eliminate the reading/study of your text book nor your "lectures", I know text books are expensive, yet they are also an investment in your future. Of all the objects/items, etc., you will spend money on, few items will add to your future as well as an excellent text book; and, this text is excellent.

You might protest, that is all very well, however, this course involves a lot of work. Yes, you would be correct, you must realize that you will be accomplishing a semester of work (18 weeks) in 9 weeks, so everything is doubled. This means that you must be in charge of your time schedule and explain this opportunity to your family and friends so that they will understand the pressures on your life at this time.

Lecture One

According to the text, sexual intelligence defines one's personal understanding and the ability to make healthy sexual decisions. Sexual health according to the World Health Organization (WHO) is defined specifically and includes: … physical, emotional, mental and social well-being in relation to sexuality." Notice that the emphasis is on health (and intelligence regarding health) not disease or the abvsence of disease. The WHO says further that "Sexual health requires a positive and respectful approach to sexuality and sexual relationships,etc…" So this concept of health is more than establishing programs to encourage prevention of HIB or Chlamydia infolections, it encompasses relationships and encourages the end of discrimination and violence.

The authors of our text, in addition to an attitude of "sexual intelligence" wish to emphasize that men and women are more similar than they are different and so they use terms like: "other sex" instead of "opposite sex". How do we know this? Well when you regard the research conducted by Masters and Johnson, you will see that many events occur in sexual arousal; some are different between the sexes due to physical architecture and yet many events are quite similar. We are used to focusing on differences, what would happen to our attitudes towards the "other sex" if we focused on similarities?

Ethnicity is a comprehensive term and is useful because it means more than race. When a group shares a common ancestry, religion and language we refer to their ethnicity. So, the word "ethnicity, used appropriately allows us to comprehend a larger perspective than just "race."

In addition or, yet along with the term "ethnicity", we know that social conditioning and psychological factors govern human sexuality to a great degree. In addition, we take a very general or psychosocial approach to understanding human sexuality. What does that mean, the terms helps us to understand that emotions, attitudes, motivations, and social conditioning have a strong impact on sexual attitudes, values and behaviors.

In short, the statements which MOST accurately reflects the authors' perspectives in this book is that our sexual attitudes and behaviors are strongly shaped by our society. Further (or to reiterate), when we refer to a psychosocial orientation we know that this view reflects a concern with and focuses on psychological and social factors in the study of human sexuality.

What about the role of religion, the authors state that their review of sexual attitudes and behaviors indicates that Fundamentalists are more restrictive of sexual roles and behaviors than their relatively liberal counterparts and perhaps have a restricted perspective of human sexuality. Perhaps that is not a perspective with which my Fundamentalists relatives would agree.

Well how do we view/explain the word sex? Each definition has positive and negative consequences. What would be a negative consequence of the belief that penile-vaginal intercourse is the primary definition of sex? Well a number of negative consequences could be that a value of intercourse is limited to sexual response and orgasm, groups are therefore excluded from the definition of sex, and are therefore devalued.

How do folks "do" perform, behave during "sex." Well we do have sex manuals which have been around for a long time for example, an early Chinese sex manual portrayed sexual techniques and intercourse positions. One objection is that they seem to focus on pleasure without the possibility of procreation which some religions view as immoral,l sinful, and perverted.

As we know some religions/view of sexuality is the idea that procreation is the only legitimate reason for sex; this seems to set the stage for the rigid belief in gender roles.

We have had different historical eras that seemed to be more restrictive; for example, during the Victorian era few folks would admit that the majority of women experienced both sexual desire and orgasm.

Openly, the Victorian attitudes seemed to be restrictive in opposition to the statement just made so we do describe this era as hypocritical and repressive. We have become to propose that one effect of rigid gender-role conditioning is that for example, a man prefers to have his partner initiate and be sexually aggressive with him, but he hesitates to tell her this for fear of her rejecting him, so fear continues.

So how does the rest of the world "do it" that is develop and maintain authentic relationships and communication regarding sex? A comparison of the sexual views of religions and cultures from around the world would suggest some differences exist, but they are alike in that they began with strict views that have relaxed over time.

How do we know about restrictive attitudes in the Victoria era? Well we know that Celia Mosher (a woman physician) is known to have done survey research on the sexuality of women.

What about polygamy, and the groups which seemed to propose this theory such as Islamic beliefs? It may seem rather pragmatic but history tells us that war led to a disproportionate numbers of women compared to men, so polygamy provided husbands for widows.

We do have rigid sex roles in apparently the Islamic faith in that we know men and women were NOT both expected to be monogamous.

What about early Christianity, one of the most important influences are the teachings of Paul which emphasized Sex as essential for reproduction, but still an undesirable act. So if sex is essential, why/how is it undesirable? Let's look in the text.

Discussion Question:

Discuss some factors which have brought about a rigid distinction between the roles for men and women (the gender-role legacy). What factors have reduced the prevalence of such a distinction? Describe whether or not the sex-for-procreation legacy has impacted you or folks you know (don't use personal names).

Respond to two other students (explain your responses). Be sure that you post three times separately to receive full credit for your responses.

Chapter 1 Quiz

There will be two graded quizzes this week, one for each lesson (we expect two lessons/quizzes per week to complete the work in nine weeks). This lesson does contain a graded quiz. Please complete it.