Sexuality During Pregnancy Studies of sexuality during pregnancy generally report a decrease in sexual desire and frequency of intercourse from the first to the third tri­mester (Alder, 1989; White & Reamy, 1982). In contrast, Masters and Johnson (1966), who studied 101 pregnant women, reported “a marked increase in eroticism and sexual performance” (p. 158) in […]

Pregnancy taboos of various sorts are common in many cultures (Fray- ser, 1985). Most commonly, pregnant women are expected to restrict or change their diet in some ways, an adjustment that is expected in 38% of 45 cultures surveyed in one study (Frayser, 1985). Other taboos are unique to a particular culture. For example, the […]

JANET SHIBLEY HYDE AND JOHN DeLAMATER The topic of sexuality during pregnancy and the year postpartum is ripe for feminist analysis because it represents the combination of biological events that are unique and meaningful to women (pregnancy and child­birth) with a heavy layer of social constructions based on cultural beliefs about the proper roles of […]

The development of a sexual identity in Asian culture is complicated by the fact that it is considered taboo to discuss sex, which is deemed a shameful topic (Chan, 1997). Wolf (1995) noted that the avoidance of sexual discussion made virtually impossible any true survey of sexual prac­tices among most Asian groups. Indeed, any Asians […]

Cultural values and belief systems permeate the mind of an Indian woman’s view of her place in the world. Life views are based primarily on an understanding of ones dharma and karma. Dharma, a Hindu concept, is defined as the traditional established order, including all individual, moral, social, and religious duties. Each person’s dharma is […]

In examining women of African descent, as with women of other backgrounds, the variability and variations of women must be asserted, while seeking common ground. There is no one African or Black com munity; differences require sensitivity and insight and should not be glossed over as trivial. Sexuality in Jamaican and other West Indian cultures […]

Motherhood is considered a position of high honor and status in the Black community. Linguists have often made much of the ritualized insult game, “Playing the dozens,” yet few have observed that to talk about an­other’s mother is considered the deepest of insults and the most likely way to lead to physical retaliation. The “mandate […]

Comparisons of Black and White women are the focus of many stud ies. So primary is the cleavage in life experiences in the view of some psychologists (Drugger, 1988; Hatchett, 1991), that they often fail to rec ognize that Blacks are not a homogeneous group (Reid, 1993) and that their sexual experiences may vary widely […]

Sexual development and the influences of culture, class, and ethnicity are not completed in adolescence. The evolution of roles and the com plexity of statuses continue into and across the adult years of womanhood. In the United States, there has been an assumption of marriage determin ing the lifestyle of a woman. However, even for […]

The psychoanalytic literature informs us that women’s identification with their mothers is essential for the development of the super ego, the fountain of moral development. Internalization of mothers’ values is deemed fundamental to healthy development. Similarly, other theoretical perspectives have traditionally assumed the primacy of the mother-daughter bond through which girls learn what is expected […]