Chapter 6 - Sexualities

Identify the ways in which young adults' sexual lives changed in the United States starting in the mid-1960s.

1. Having sexual intercourse many years before marriage became common. 2. The age at which half of all first marriages occurred rose by nearly five years for Americans.

Which of the following statements are true of sexual acts in the eighteenth century?

1. Sexual acts did not define an individual as having a particular sexual identity. 2. Sexual intercourse within marriage was undertaken mainly to have children. 3. Sexual acts between individuals of the same sex were considered sinful.

Which of the following statements are true of the class and racial differences in premarital sexual activity at the end of the twentieth century?

1. The rise in adolescent sexual activity had been more noticeable among whites than among blacks. 2. The increase in adolescent sexual activity had been greater among the middle class than among the poor.

Kinsey Report In his study, Alfred Kinsey concluded that ____.

A 1948 book by Alfred Kinsey detailing the results of thousands of interviews with men about their sexual behavior; became an immediate best seller. "His findings on homosexuality shocked the country: Half of all men in his sample, he reported, acknowledged having had erotic feelings toward other men; one-third had at least one sexual experience with another man; one out of eight had sexual experiences predominantly with other men for at least three years; and 4 percent had sexual experiences exclusively with other men (Kinsey, Pomeroy, & Martin, 1948)." the sexual orientation of men was a continuum running from exclusively heterosexual behavior to exclusively homosexual behavior.

Hooking Up

A sexual encounter with no expectation of further involvement. "Unlike dating, it is not necessary, or even desirable, that either of the individuals have a romantic attraction to the other. Hookups commonly occur at parties or other group settings and often involve alcohol, which serves to loosen inhibitions and provide a rationale for acting in a sexually forward manner (Bogle, 2008)."

Serial Monogamy

A succession of monogamous sexual relationships.

In the context of twin studies on sexual orientation, identify a result which would suggest that sexual orientation is not completely biological determined.

About half the identical twin pairs had different sexual orientations.

Personal community theorists

Believe that individuals should broaden the scope of family ties beyond biology and marriage.

Social theorists

Believe that individuals should consider new frontiers in sexuality and family life.

Queer theorists

Believe that individuals should forgo the sexual identity that defines their sense of self.

According to the survey conducted by the National Survey of Family Growth (NSFG), women are more likely to identify themselves as ____.

Bisexual than homosexual.

In the eighteenth century, women lived in a social context that allowed them the freedom to ____.

Form a friendship that was quite intimate without being labeled sexual.

Identify a true statement about sexuality in the 1950s.

Heterosexual marriage was the only morally approved venue for sexual activity.

Queer theory contributes the insight that a rigid split between heterosexual and homosexual is not natural but rather reflects prevailing ____ norms in the society.

Heterosexual.

An individual's sexual preference for the opposite sex is known as ____.

Heterosexuality.

The changing view of sexuality over the years in the United States was part of the growth of ____ during the twentieth century.

Individualism.

Identify a positive side of the hookup culture.

It attracts students who wish to postpone marrying and having children until after they have established their careers.

According to studies of hooking up, women are ____.

More likely to report being troubled by the lack of commitment than men.

In the context of the twin studies on sexual orientation, if same-sex attraction were not at all biological in origin, one might expect ____.

No difference in the similarity of sexual orientation among the identical twins, fraternal twins, and adopted siblings raised in the same homes.

Post 1960s

Sexual activity became defined even more as a private matter.

Extramarital Sex

Sexual activity by a married person with someone other than his or her spouse.

Socially Disapproved

Sexual acts between persons of the same sex, masturbation, oral sex regardless of the genders of the partners.

Before 1890

Sexual attraction and romantic love were thought to be inappropriate bases for choosing a spouse.

Queer theory rejects the concept of ____.

Sexual identity.

Socially Approved

Sexual intercourse within marriage, in moderation, and undertaken mainly to have children.

The queer theorists believe ____.

That heterosexual norms restrict the possibility for a more fluid sexual identity.

Integrative Perspective (on sexuality)

The belief that human sexual identities are determined by both social and biological factors.

Social Constructionist Perspective

The belief that human sexual identities are entirely socially created.

Sexual Identity

The formation in people's minds of an identity such as heterosexual, gay, lesbian, or bisexual based on romantic and sexual attraction.

From 1890 to the early 1960s

The idea of a sexual identity, based on one's attitudes and practices, passed into common usage.

Selection Effect

The principle that whenever individuals sort, or "select," themselves into groups nonrandomly, some of the differences among the groups reflect preexisting differences among the individuals. "Selection effects frequently complicate the interpretation of data that sociologists collect."

Nonmarital Birth Ratio

The proportion of all births that occur to unmarried women. "Has increased sharply for teenagers, even though the birthrate—the probability that a teenager (married or not) will have a birth—has declined."

Queer Theory

The view that sexual life is artificially organized into categories that reflect the power of heterosexual norms.

Identify an accurate statement about teenage mothers.

They are likely to remain poor.

Identify a true statement about same-sex friendships in the eighteenth century

Two same-sex individuals could engage in intimacies without marking the relationship as sexual.