Sexuality And Culture Research Papers (original) (raw)

This was a research paper for a course entitled Feminist and Multicultural Theologies. I unpack what gender complementarianism is, examine its history, and compare it to how Scripture and earlier Christian Tradition understood gender.... more

This was a research paper for a course entitled Feminist and Multicultural Theologies. I unpack what gender complementarianism is, examine its history, and compare it to how Scripture and earlier Christian Tradition understood gender. This allows me to establish that gender complementarianism is a recent innovation in secular and Christian thinking about gender, and that it can be described as a "trajectory" from Scripture and Tradition on gender, influenced by social, ideological, and intellectual developments in secular societies. I then pursue a critique of gender complementarianism, arguing that it is an "unsatisfactory trajectory" because it has troubling implications for orthodox theology, is not borne out by empirical experience and observation, and has harmful effects on human beings and societies and on ethical development.

With clarity and elegance, Bay-Cheng (2015) has provided a solid articulation of how neoliberalism has infiltrated the sexual lives of many girls and young women. Without question, research in the U.S. and the Anglophone West, as well... more

With clarity and elegance, Bay-Cheng (2015) has
provided a solid articulation of how neoliberalism has infiltrated
the sexual lives of many girls and young women.
Without question, research in the U.S. and the Anglophone
West, as well as current trends in popular culture and the
media in these locales, warrant recognizing neoliberal
sexual agency and understanding the variety of ways it
interacts with the slut/prude/virgin continuum. While
some research has evidenced the salience of neoliberal
sexual agency for some adolescent girls, we depart with
Bay-Cheng’s (2015) assertion that developmental and
age differences not be taken into account and question
the primacy of neoliberal sexual agency as a new and
comparable hegemony to the slut/prude/virgin continuum.
We suggest that there remain other forms of sexual
agency that should not be displaced or disregarded and
wonder whether a paradigm shift from model to metaphor
may be helpful for capturing the complexity, contradictions
and contexts that constitute girls’ and young
women’s sexuality.

Traditional cultural practices and sexual rituals have an important role in the life and structure of tribal groups within Kenya. These cultural practices and rituals also play a significant role in the spread of HIV. The purpose of this... more

Traditional cultural practices and sexual rituals have an important role in the life and structure of tribal groups within Kenya. These cultural practices and rituals also play a significant role in the spread of HIV. The purpose of this descriptive qualitative study was to document the underlying social and cultural significance of the sexual cleansing ritual and to assess its impact on HIV prevention strategies. The study participants were selected by purposive and snowball sampling. Data were collected using in-depth interviews, focus group discussions and observations; they were analyzed using content analysis. The article gives detailed explanations of the meanings and symbols of the ritual in its cultural context as a ritual of social transition. Sexual intercourse is perceived as a sacred rite when performed as a ritual. It is associated with most social cultural activities like planting, harvesting, weddings and burial ceremonies. The underlying intention of this ritual is to cleanse evil spirits and to sanctify. Widows who are not cleansed are ostracized and discriminated. The continued practice of the ritual is perpetuated by a shared common belief system that affects social interactions of the community members. Widows and cleansers are believed to be purveyors of the HIV virus. The ritual encourages unprotected sex with multiple partners. These are barriers to HIV prevention strategies that are aimed at changing sexual behaviors.

Gender dysphoria is dissatisfaction with biological sex. Since in some Muslim societies this trait is often regarded as a taboo subject, a lack of information about the experiences of transgender people with religious and spiritual values... more

Gender dysphoria is dissatisfaction with biological sex. Since in some Muslim societies this trait is often regarded as a taboo subject, a lack of information about the experiences of transgender people with religious and spiritual values is noticed in those communities. This qualitative and phenomenological research was aimed to develop a deeper understanding of the religious and spiritual experiences of transgender individuals living in Islamic society, including their feelings, their goals, and whether they have any regrets about their beliefs. A descriptive qualitative study was conducted in a city in the south of Iran. Ten people, including four transmasculine and six transfeminine aged 17 to 38, were recruited through purposive sampling. The data were collected using in-depth and semi-structured interviews and analyzed iteratively using theoretical coding based on the phenomenological approach. The main concepts obtained from the data classified into one central theme entitled...

Melyon-Reinette, S. « Clit Revowlution, Ethnographie d’un projet sociopétique sur la sexualité féminine », in Elbaz, G. (coord.), À la Recherche d’Identités sexuelles, Paris : Le Manuscrit, 2018, pp. 151-193.

Concerns about what type of and how much sexual content children encounter in the media have been widely circulated within public and academic debates. Such concerns are usually followed by campaigns against pornography and in favour of... more

Concerns about what type of and how much sexual content children encounter in the media have been widely circulated within public and academic debates. Such concerns are usually followed by campaigns against pornography and in favour of children’s right to innocence, but also by stricter internet and parental regulation. Stakeholders’ primary concern has been whether, or how much, children are affected by pornography.

The purpose of the present study is to explore how sexually active young Norwegian and Croatian adults assess the risk of being infected with HIV and other STIs. Study results are based on a 2009–2010 large-scale national probability... more

The purpose of the present study is to explore how sexually active young Norwegian and Croatian adults assess the risk of being infected with HIV and other STIs. Study results are based on a 2009–2010 large-scale national probability survey of young adults aged 18–24 in Croatia (n = 1,005) and Norway (n = 871). A majority of sexually active young adults in Croatia and Norway assessed the risk of becoming infected with HIV or other STIs as low or negligible. Among non-condom users, 85–98% determined they had low or no risk of getting infected with HIV. The corresponding figures for STIs were 77–79%. In both countries a higher HIV risk self-assessment was observed among those who had had same-sex sexual experience, those who reported a higher number of sex partners during the past year, and those who were single. When investigating the patterns of HIV/STI risk assessment, gender and country-related differences appeared. Condom use associated with higher risk assessment was significant only among Croatian men. The strong perception of condom use as being a male responsibility in Croatia may be the reason for a higher risk assessment for unwanted pregnancy and HIV/STIs when protection fails. The risk assessment for HIV/STIs was not associated with partner turnover in Croatian men. New campaigns need to develop gender-sensitive messages, particularly targeting men who believe that a great number of sexual partners is a sign of manliness and women who shy away from their responsibility to use protection.

Hur påverkas den unga generationen av de nya teorierna kring kön och sexualitet? I den här artikeln undersöks särskilt vad som händer när trans- och queertänkandet får fäste i de bredare befolkningslagren. Sexualiteten beskrivs som ett... more

Hur påverkas den unga generationen av de nya teorierna kring kön och sexualitet? I den här artikeln undersöks särskilt vad som händer när trans- och queertänkandet får fäste i de bredare befolkningslagren. Sexualiteten beskrivs som ett ekosystem, där hela systemet påverkas när normkritiken tillåts bli den överordnade normen.

Casual sex, also referred to as a hookup, has been associated with a range of negative emotional outcomes for women, including regret, anxiety, depression and social stigma. However, it has been argued that it is the nature of the sexual... more

Casual sex, also referred to as a hookup, has been associated with a range of negative emotional outcomes for women, including regret, anxiety, depression and social stigma. However, it has been argued that it is the nature of the sexual motivation, not gender that influences the emotional outcome. This study was designed to ascertain what motivates people to have casual sex, what emotional outcomes follow casual sex and whether there are gender differences among these variables. Seven hundred and one participants (47% men and 52.8% women) completed a 44-item online survey. Gender differences were found for both sexual motivations and emotional outcomes of casual sex, with women generally having more negative emotional outcomes than men. Additionally, a principal components analysis uncovered four reliable principal motivations underlying engagement in casual sex, and three principal emotional outcomes of casual sex. Predictors of negative emotional outcomes included being motivated...

L’emergenza del fenomeno ‘umano’ è uno dei grandi problemi della biologia evolutiva: difficile stabilire in cosa consistano e quando sorgano per la prima volta quelle specifiche peculiarità che ci caratterizzano in quanto umani. Fin dai... more

L’emergenza del fenomeno ‘umano’ è uno dei grandi problemi della biologia evolutiva: difficile stabilire in cosa consistano e quando sorgano per la prima volta quelle specifiche peculiarità che ci caratterizzano in quanto umani. Fin dai tempi di Darwin si erano rilevate significative difficoltà nell'applicare la teoria dell'evoluzione all'uomo: valgano per tutte le critiche di Alfred Russel Wallace (coautore della teoria darwiniana dell'evoluzione delle varie specie animali ) sull'inadeguatezza della selezione naturale (per Darwin l'unico meccanismo, in biologia evolutiva, in grado di dar conto della creazione di nuove specie) nello spiegare l'emergenza dell'uomo. C'è chi sostiene ancora oggi che l'irriducibilità della condizione umana è un enigma cui solo le religioni o le grandi filosofie possono sperare di trovar risposta. Il lavoro analizza l'evoluzione della sessualità umana secondo le prospettive di diversi antropologi cercando di cogliere nell'emergenza evolutiva del fenomeno "amore" (prima ancora che nel linguaggio articolato) la caratteristica distintiva che ci ha reso tipicamente umani.

I teach courses such as “Black Popular Culture in D.C.” and “Beyoncé,” and other topical courses in race, gender, sexuality, class, spatial politics, and language using popular culture. This is a lesson plan I've designed for use in... more

I teach courses such as “Black Popular Culture in D.C.” and “Beyoncé,” and other topical courses in race, gender, sexuality, class, spatial politics, and language using popular culture. This is a lesson plan I've designed for use in Sexuality Studies, Gender Studies, or Africana Studies courses.

Sexual desire is typically measured as a unitary erotic phenomenon and is often assumed by biological and biomedical researchers, as well as the lay public, to be directly connected to physiological parameters like testosterone (T). In... more

Sexual desire is typically measured as a unitary erotic phenomenon and is often assumed by biological and biomedical researchers, as well as the lay public, to be directly connected to physiological parameters like testosterone (T). In the present study, we empirically examined how conceptualizing sexual desire as multifaceted might clarify associations with T and contextual variables. To do so, we used the Sexual Desire Questionnaire (DESQ), which assesses multifaceted dyadic sexual desire, to explore how contextual variables such as social location, relationship status, and desire target (e.g., partner vs. stranger) might be meaningful for reports of sexual desire and associated hormonal correlations. We focused on women (N = 198), because sexual desire and testosterone are generally unlinked in healthy men. Participants imagined a partner or stranger while answering the (65) DESQ items and provided a saliva sample for hormone assay. Analyses showed that the DESQ factored differently for the current sample than in previous research, highlighting how sexual desire can be constructed differently across different populations. We also found that, for the Intimacy, Eroticism, and Partner Focus factors, mean scores were higher when the desire target was a partner relative to a stranger for participants in a relationship, but equally high between partner vs. stranger target for single participants. DESQ items resolved into meaningful hormonal desire components, such that high endorsement of Fantasy Experience was linked to higher T, and higher cortisol was linked with lower endorsement of the Intimacy factor. We argue that conceptualizing desire as multifaceted and contextualized when assessing hormonal links – or questions in general about desire – can clarify some of its complexities and lead to new research avenues.

Even after the passage of over 80 years, the radical shift in perceived morality in the 1920’s defies concrete definition. Many popular images seem to offer evidence that indicate a change in sexual propriety, with portrayals of scantily... more

Even after the passage of over 80 years, the radical shift in perceived morality in the 1920’s defies concrete definition. Many popular images seem to offer evidence that indicate a change in sexual propriety, with portrayals of scantily dressed flappers swigging illicit liquor from flasks, and racy advertisements for silk stockings showing off women’s legs, so soon after a time when women were covered from the neck to the ankle even at the beach. Reports from religious and conservative leaders alluded to a total collapse of morality and blamed popular entertainment for degrading America’s youth. This paper observes and analyzes primary sources from the 1920s in an effort to determine the attitudes of the people who experienced, and often shaped, the era. Examination of these sources reveals a wide variety of opinion among Americans, and the existence of a fully developed sexual awareness lurking beneath the veneer of polite society long prior to the roaring twenties. Although statistical data on the most personal aspects of people’s lives is not available to prove or disprove a true “revolution” in sexual morality, this paper will contribute to the ongoing discussion of the values which changed, and those which were simply exposed by the light of a more tolerant time.

Constructing a sexual identity is one of the major developmental tasks of adolescence. Applying the Media Practice Model, this study retrospectively examines how self-identifying lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals used media... more

Constructing a sexual identity is one of the major developmental tasks of adolescence. Applying the Media Practice Model, this study retrospectively examines how self-identifying lesbian, gay, and bisexual (LGB) individuals used media during the commencement of the coming-out process and the effects of media use during this pivotal time of development. Results indicate that the Internet plays a critical role

This link [http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2363_reg.html] leads to my Introduction to the edited collection Sexology and Translation: Cultural and Scientific Encounters Across the Modern World (Temple UP, 2015). The collection... more

This link [http://www.temple.edu/tempress/titles/2363_reg.html] leads to my Introduction to the edited collection Sexology and Translation: Cultural and Scientific Encounters Across the Modern World (Temple UP, 2015). The collection discusses the emergence of modern sexual science in Europe, Asia, Peru and the Middle East. The introduction locates the book in relation to critical debates about sexology and translation. It argues that the research gathered here complicates the idea that modern sexuality is a 'Western' construct that was transmitted around the world.

Masturbatie en vrouwelijke lust kennen een lange geschiedenis van negatieve connotaties, maar sinds de jaren tachtig wordt masturbatie ook gezien als een feministische daad van verzet, die het mogelijk maakt te ontsnappen aan de... more

Masturbatie en vrouwelijke lust kennen een lange geschiedenis van negatieve connotaties, maar sinds de jaren tachtig wordt masturbatie ook gezien als een feministische daad van verzet, die het mogelijk maakt te ontsnappen aan de mannelijke heteroseksuele hegemonie. Door mediarepresentaties van masturberende vrouwen te analyseren, kan het beeld van de seksuele vrouw in onze maatschappij onderzocht worden. Cultuurwetenschapper Annelot Prins vraagt zich in dit artikel af hoe vrouwelijk seksueel verlangen gethematiseerd wordt in contemporaine popsongs. Om tot een antwoord te komen analyseert Prins zowel songtekst als videoclip in popsongs van vier vrouwelijke zangeressen.

This paper explores the ways in which HIV criminalization laws act as continuations of racial-sexual terror exacted on the bodies of Black men who have sex with men. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this paper draws upon... more

This paper explores the ways in which HIV criminalization laws act as continuations of racial-sexual terror exacted on the bodies of Black men who have sex with men. Through the lens of Critical Race Theory, this paper draws upon historical, cultural, political and legal examples to trace the road toward HIV criminalization and its rooting in fundamental anti-blackness, white supremacy and mechanisms of violent sexual comportment.

Since Latvia regained independence on 4 May 1990, the field of bioethics has undergone substantial change in terms of legislation, education, ethical review and academic research. For instance, Latvia has signed a Convention on Human... more

Since Latvia regained independence on 4 May 1990, the field of bioethics has undergone substantial change in terms of legislation, education, ethical review and academic research. For instance, Latvia has signed a Convention on Human Rights and Biomedicine (Oviedo Convention) in 1997, then ratified it and it came into force in 2010.1 It also signed and ratified (in 2009) the Additional Protocol on the Prohibition of Cloning Human Beings. However, the process of adapting current international regulations is far from complete—Latvia has not yet signed several related documents such as the Additional Protocol on Transplantation of Organs and Tissues of Human Origin, the Additional Protocol concerning Genetic Testing for Health Purposes, and the Additional Protocol on Biomedical Research.
The transition towards Western-type ethical standards is taking place against the background of “medical deontology”—a standard of ethical education and conduct practiced in the Soviet Union. In the first part of this article, we will give a brief outline of how this old standard was taught and practiced, and how it is getting replaced by more contemporary approaches to medical ethics.
The second part of the article will focus on the system of ethical review of human research—the types and functions of research ethics committees in Latvia. While it can be said that the system of safeguarding the interests of research subjects is generally in place and functioning, there are still many problematic areas—insufficient information, conflicts of interest, issues of training and payment, as well as non-equivalent stringency of ethical review for different types of research.
The third part will cover developments in academic research and publications in the field of bioethics. It will list the main sites of academic activity and name the most prominent academic publications in both Latvian and English.