Our Sexuality explores the sexual attitudes and behaviors of people in many places around the globe, including the United States. Individuals of many ethnic and religious groups have made their homes in the United States, resulting in a wide range of sexual values and behaviors here. An ethnic group typically shares a common historical ancestry, religion, and language. We must also note that there is fluidity within the same ethnic group. Educational level and socioeconomic status are crucial in influencing sexual attitudes and behaviors. For instance, people with more education masturbate more often than less-educated people do (Kinsey et al., 1948; Michael et al., 1994). Another group-related difference has to do with oral-genital sex, which tends to be most common among young, college-educated Whites and least common among African Americans and individuals with less education (Michael et al., 1994).
It should be stressed that differences between groups are generalities, not universal truths; even within groups, great diversity exists (Agbayani — Siewert, 2004). For example, Asian Americans include the descendants of Chinese laborers brought to the United States in the 19th century to build railroads, refugees from the Vietnam and Korean wars, and individuals
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let’s TALK
ABOUT IT
To expand your understanding of your attitudes and experiences related to sexuality, you might consider interviewing your parents about their experiences and beliefs if you have not already had this type of conversation.
"What?!? Talkto my parents about sex?!?"
the following ideas and suggestions may make this endeavor seem less daunting.
"But my mom and dad would never answer any questions about sex"
You might be quite surprised by how open your parents are to your interest. The tell-the-children-when-they — ask parenting approach is common. Plus, you can test the waters first: Start with a low-key question, and if they respond with a direct or an indirect "I don’t want to talk about it" stop the interview and change the subject.
The first step is to pick your interviewee.* You may feel most comfortable beginning with a grandparent or another relative instead of a parent.
Find a time when you will not be rushed and a place that will be private.
(Alternatively, you can use e-mail, a phone call, or a letter; you might also find that several shorter conversations work best for you.) A possible way to begin is, "I’m taking a human sexuality class this term, and it made me wonder if you had any sex education in school"
Now you have broken the ice, and if you have had a good reception, you can ask specifics about your interviewee’s sexual education. Be sure to encourage elaboration after each question, and don’t rush to the next one: "What types of things did you learn about sex in school? What did you learn outside of school—from friends, your parents, books? What did your religion teach you? What sorts of bad information did you get about sex? What do you wish someone had told you?"
If things are rolling along, you might take a more personal bent: "How did you feel about your body changing from a child to a teenager? How quickly did you mature compared with your classmates? Did you know about menstruation/ejacula — tion before you experienced it? Who was your first crush? What do you wish you knew as a child or young adult that you know now? What do you think was easier, and what was more difficult, about sexuality for your generation than for mine?"
If your interview has come this far, you probably have a greater understanding and appreciation for the important aspects of your interviewee’s life and, hopefully, of your own. So, who’s next?
*Do not choose someone to interview unless there is a lot of goodwill in the relationship.
A factor that blurs differences between ethnic groups is that a significant, and ever — increasing, proportion of the U. S. population is multiracial; that is, some people have descended from two or more racial groups. President Barack Obama is biracial, having an African father and a Caucasian mother.
Race and ethnicity are rarely simple, nonoverlapping classifications. “People all over the world have engaged in various degrees of mixing, particularly in the United States…. There is no way to look at every person and determine their exact racial background" (Wyatt, 1997, p. xv). The merging of ethnicity will likely increase over time in the United States because attitudes in each younger generation have become more accepting of interracial dating. About 50% of the general population has dated someone from a different racial group (Poulin & Rutter, 2011).
Sexual attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs about sexuality and gender often vary widely even within the same religious group. For example, although the traditional Roman Catholic view condemns all sexual activity that does not potentially lead to procreation, the views and behaviors of American Catholics vary greatly on issues such as contraception, abortion, and homosexuality, often disagreeing with the long-standing tenets of the Church. For example, 98% of sexually experienced Catholic women have used contraception (Jones & Drewke, 2011). Furthermore, fundamentalist Christians, who claim to interpret the Bible literally, differ greatly in their views about sexuality from Christians who do not ascribe to literal biblical interpretation (Ostling, 2000). For example, fundamentalist Christianity typically holds that sexual intercourse before marriage is sinful, and it may oppose the use of birth control, whereas liberal Christianity emphasizes caring in a relationship and appreciates how contraception can enhance sexual intimacy. Similarly, Orthodox Jews have much more conservative views regarding sexuality and gender roles than do Reform Jews. For example, Orthodox Judaism forbids sexual intercourse during menstruation, whereas Reform Judaism allows for individual preferences.
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© Handout/Reuters/Corbis |
Barack Obama and his maternal grandparents lived together in Hawaii during most of his high school years. He is one of the many individuals in the United States who have multiracial and multiethnic families.
Fundamentalists—whether Christian, Muslim, or Jewish— are far more restrictive of sexual behavior and roles for men and women than are their more-liberal counterparts. Researchers have found that from "Afghanistan to Arkansas. . . the subordination of women is often a significant. . . objective" (Phillips, 2006, p. 370). A key desire of fundamentalists is to impose their own concept of truth on a diverse and plural world. Over the last decade, extreme fundamentalism in these religions has increased and has engaged in political activism in conflicts over sexual and gender-role issues, often following cultural traditions rather than religious teachings (Artyk, 2008; Correa et al., 2008).
These similarities and differences in sexual beliefs, values, and behaviors are part of the psychosocial orientation of this textbook.