1
|
Van Damme L, Chatrou L, de la Peña E, Kibungu P, Bolya CS, Van Damme P, Vanhove W, Ceuterick M, De Meyer E. Plant use and perceptions in the context of sexual health among people of Congolese descent in Belgium. JOURNAL OF ETHNOBIOLOGY AND ETHNOMEDICINE 2024; 20:20. [PMID: 38373968 PMCID: PMC10877895 DOI: 10.1186/s13002-024-00662-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/11/2023] [Accepted: 02/13/2024] [Indexed: 02/21/2024]
Abstract
BACKGROUND The use of medicinal plants is integral to global healthcare systems, with Sub-Saharan Africa maintaining a robust tradition of herbal medicine alongside Western-oriented healthcare. As migrant communities tend to continue traditional herbal practices after migration, documenting this use is vital to develop culturally sensitive healthcare. This study investigates plant usage and perspectives in the context of sexual and reproductive health among the Congolese community in Belgium, particularly in the Matongé quarter of Brussels. Our research questions were: (1) What is the current knowledge of medicinal plants among the Congolese community in Belgium in the context of sexual health, and what are the applications and commonly employed administration methods of these plants? (2) What role does herbal medicine play in the context of sexual health for people of Congolese descent in Belgium and how this is influenced by perceptions of sexuality? and (3) Is there a gender bias in the use of medicinal plants, and if so, can this be related to perceived gender norms? METHODS We conducted 22 semi-structured interviews with people of Congolese descent currently living in Belgium. Participants were selected using both snowball sampling and purposive sampling. Plant use in the context of sexual health was recorded through freelisting. Data on narratives, ideas, and perceptions of this plant use in the context of sexual health were collected. Interview transcripts were analyzed using thematic analysis. RESULTS We identified 17 plant species used for sexual health. Three overarching themes emerged from our data. Plants were used with a notable gender bias favoring male sexual potency enhancement. Men used these plants for both remedying potency issues and enhancing sexual prowess. In contrast, knowledge about plants for female sexual health was limited. Gender norms reinforced the importance of male sexual potency, while stigmatizing open discussions of female sexuality. CONCLUSIONS The use of medicinal plants for sexual health raises health, social, and conservation concerns, underscoring the need for further research in this area. This study contributes to understanding medicinal plant use within the Congolese community in Belgium and highlights the necessity for future research on herbal practices for female sexual health in this context.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laura Van Damme
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Lars Chatrou
- Department of Biology, Ghent University, K.L. Ledeganckstraat 35, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Eduardo de la Peña
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Spanish National Research Council (CSIC), Institute for Subtropical and Mediterranean Horticultural Research (IHSM-UMA-CSIC), Malaga, Spain
| | - Pathy Kibungu
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
- Natural Products & Food Research and Analysis (NatuRA), Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Antwerp, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610, Antwerp, Belgium
- Department of Environmental Sciences, Kinshasa University (UNIKIN), BP 127, Kinshasa XI, Democratic Republic of the Congo
| | | | - Patrick Van Damme
- Faculty of Tropical AgriSciences (FTA), Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, 165 00, Prague, Czech Republic
| | - Wouter Vanhove
- Lignaverda Belgium, Duwijckstraat 17, 2500, Lier, Belgium
| | - Melissa Ceuterick
- Department of Sociology, Health & Demographic Research, Ghent University, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 41, 9000, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Emiel De Meyer
- Department of Plants and Crops, Ghent University, Coupure Links 653, 9000, Ghent, Belgium.
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Stelzl M, Malloy B. “Don’t fake the big O”: Portrayals of faking orgasm among women in Cosmo and Glamour. THE CANADIAN JOURNAL OF HUMAN SEXUALITY 2022. [DOI: 10.3138/cjhs.2021-0065] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
Many women report faking orgasm, at least on occasion, during heterosex (i.e., heterosexual sexual activities). The reasons for the practice include validating the skill of a male lover, a way of ending sexual encounters, and to avoid pathologization that is often associated with orgasmic absence. Constructions of heterosex, female sexuality, and sexual pleasure are influenced by multiple sources including the media. However, there is a lack of systematic research on how faking orgasm is presented in the media. This gap in research provided an opportunity to investigate women’s magazines’ portrayals of the practice. Using constructionist thematic analysis, 69 online articles, published by two popular women’s magazines, Cosmopolitan and Glamour, were analyzed. From the examined articles, two major themes emerged: faking as a common practice (especially via women’s first-hand accounts) and instructing the reader not to fake. It is our contention that together the two themes create a distinctly postfeminist portrayal of faking orgasm. On the one hand, the magazines included and highlighted women’s own experiences and reasons for faking orgasm. On the other hand, female readers were instructed to avoid faking in the name of personal responsibility and empowerment. Notably, the magazines omitted any discussion of gender power relations in their appeals for choice and sexual agency. Overall, this study expands our understanding of women magazines’ contradictory portrayals of women’s sexuality, sexual pleasure, and navigation of its absence.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monika Stelzl
- Department of Psychology, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Briea Malloy
- Department of Psychology, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
Shah‐Beckley I, Clarke V. Exploring therapists' and psychology students' constructions of sexual refusal in heterosexual relationships: A qualitative story completion study. COUNSELLING & PSYCHOTHERAPY RESEARCH 2021. [DOI: 10.1002/capr.12388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria Clarke
- Health and Social Sciences University of the West of England Bristol UK
| |
Collapse
|
4
|
Faustino MJ. Representations of heterosexual anal sex in Cosmopolitan magazine. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2021; 23:1050-1065. [PMID: 32463331 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2020.1755453] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/15/2019] [Accepted: 04/09/2020] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Anal sex has been the object of unprecedented recent media visibility; however, media discourses of anal sex are still largely unstudied. This study explores the representations of anal sex in Cosmopolitan, available online on the magazine's website. Anal sex, mostly equated with heterosexual anal intercourse, is presented as trendy and popular, as well as potentially pleasurable and intimate. The articles pervasively characterise anal sex as a sexual activity that demands preparation, providing women with tips and techniques allegedly indispensable for a safe and pleasurable (or at least painless) practice of anal sex. The discourses offered are deeply gendered, however, picturing anal sex as a male obsession, and sometimes an expression of power and male conquest. Women's own experiences are portrayed in a more nuanced and heterogeneous way, combining narratives of pleasure and pain, personal initiative and coercion. Although women's individual right to refuse anal sex is often stressed, male pressure is naturalised, and certain dimensions of constraint in heterosexual interaction are normalised.
Collapse
|
5
|
Marcotte AS, Gesselman AN, Fisher HE, Garcia JR. Women's and Men's Reactions to Receiving Unsolicited Genital Images from Men. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2021; 58:512-521. [PMID: 32615819 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2020.1779171] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/11/2023]
Abstract
Recently, mounting anecdotal reports - mostly by heterosexual women on Internet-based dating platforms - have drawn attention to the frequency of men sending unsolicited photos of their own genitals (i.e., "dick pics"). While initial research has documented that the sending of unsolicited nude pictures is fairly common, with generally similar underlying motivations for sending solicited and unsolicited images, understanding recipients' experiences has social-behavioral research, clinical, and potentially legal implications. In a U.S. sample of 2,045 women of all sexual identities and 298 gay/bisexual men, we found that among those who had ever received a "dick pic", nearly all (91%) had also received an unsolicited "dick pic." Women of all sexual identities predominantly experienced negative responses to these unsolicited nude images, with only a minority selecting any positive or neutral/ambivalent reactions. Additionally, women who experienced more unsolicited advances from men in the last year were more likely to select multiple negative reactions, and younger (vs. older) women selected more negative and neutral/ambivalent responses. Conversely, gay and bisexual men responded positively, with few choosing any negative or neutral/ambivalent responses. Findings highlight gendered dynamics of unsolicited sexting and misaligned reactions to male senders, raising questions about sexual harassment in the digital age.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Justin R Garcia
- The Kinsey Institute, Indiana University
- Department of Gender Studies, Indiana University
| |
Collapse
|
6
|
Stelzl M, Lafrance MN. “Damned if you do, damned if you don’t”: Women’s accounts of feigning sexual pleasure. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2020. [DOI: 10.1177/0959353520963967] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Faking orgasm has been identified as a common practice among women and feminist scholars have probed the connections between the socio-cultural meanings associated with faking and heterosex. Expanding on this line of inquiry, feigning sexual pleasure was explored in interviews with 14 women who reported having sex with men. Using a feminist critical discourse analytic approach, we attend to the dilemma that was frequently evoked in women’s accounts. Participants explained that feigning sexual pleasure was done in order to protect their partners’ ego. However, participants also talked about faking orgasm as being problematic in the sense that it was “deceitful” and “dishonest”. These contrasting discursive patterns created a dilemma whereby faking was situated as “necessary” but “dishonest”. As a way of negotiating this dilemma, participants made a distinction between exaggerating sexual pleasure and faking orgasm. We posit that exaggeration can be interpreted as a form of material (during the sexual encounter) and discursive (during accounting of the encounter) disruption of dominant discourses of heterosex such as the orgasmic imperative. Drawing on Annamarie Jagose’s and Hannah Frith’s problematizations of the prevailing tendency to position orgasm as either “authentic” or “fake”, we discuss women’s negotiation of the limited constructions of “real” pleasure.
Collapse
|
7
|
Shah-Beckley I, Clarke V, Thomas Z. Therapists' and non-therapists' constructions of heterosex: A qualitative story completion study. Psychol Psychother 2020; 93:189-206. [PMID: 30456851 DOI: 10.1111/papt.12203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2017] [Revised: 07/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Little research has examined the discourses that shape therapists' sense-making around heterosex. This paper explores the discourses of sexuality and gender underpinning therapists' and non-therapists' responses to a sexual experimentation scenario in a heterosexual relationship. It also considers the value of the novel technique of story completion (SC), in which participants are asked to write a story in response to a hypothetical scenario, for qualitative psychology and psychotherapy research. DESIGN This research used a comparative SC design (Kitzinger & Powell, 1995). Participants were sequentially presented with and invited to complete two story stems: one in which a male character suggested 'trying something new' to his female partner and one in which the female character made the suggestion. The stems were otherwise identical. METHODS A total of 100 SCs were written by 49 (28 female; 21 male) therapists and 51 (29 female; 22 male) non-therapists. Participants were recruited mainly via UK-based email lists and Facebook groups, and therapeutic training organizations, and the data were analysed using a feminist post-structuralist thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). RESULTS Both groups of participants drew on heteronormative discourses of sexuality and gender to make sense of the stem. Engaging in sexual experimentation was often depicted as a demonstration of being normal. In some stories written by women, sex was framed as a site for negotiating 'equality' and reciprocity in relationships. Therapists were more likely than non-therapists to frame 'difficulties' within relationships as opportunities for personal growth and increased emotional depth, and their stories included greater emotional complexity. CONCLUSION These findings raise questions about practitioner training and whether it results in therapists drawing on narrow and restrictive discourses of heterosex in clinical practice. PRACTITIONER POINTS Training on sexual issues is largely absent from non-specialist practitioner training courses, which potentially means therapists are ill-equipped to respond to clients' anxiety about sexual issues. Evidence from this and other research indicates that therapists' sense-making around heterosexual sexual relationships is underpinned by narrow and restrictive discourses that entrench traditional gender relations and limit sexual agency. Psychologists are increasingly taking up positions of clinical leadership and are looked to for models of best practice. Drawing on theorizations of sexual difficulties, and of anxieties about sexual practice, that challenge traditional gender and heteronorms, and the commodification and medicalization of sex, is important for effective psychological leadership relating to the treatment of sexual issues and the furthering of social justice agendas.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
| | - Victoria Clarke
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, The University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| | - Zoe Thomas
- Department of Health and Social Sciences, Faculty of Health and Applied Sciences, The University of the West of England, Bristol, UK
| |
Collapse
|
8
|
Huysamen M. "There's Massive Pressure to Please Her": On the Discursive Production of Men's Desire to Pay for Sex. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2020; 57:639-649. [PMID: 31408363 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2019.1645806] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/22/2023]
Abstract
This article presents a discursive analysis of 43 men's narratives about paying for sex, collected using a combination of online and traditional face-to-face interview methods. It argues that the societal pressures placed on men to "perform" sexually help to produce conditions that make paying for sex desirable. Paying for sex provided men with a "safe" space where they felt exempt from expectations to display sexual experience, skill, and stamina. Moreover, men valued paid sexual encounters with experienced sex workers as spaces where they could acquire sexual experience and skills to better approximate idealised versions of heteronormative male sexuality. The article explores the emotional aspects tied up in men's desires to pay for sex and attends to the question of power within the paid sexual encounter, shedding light on the complexities, nuances and multiplicities within client-sex worker relationships. In conclusion, this paper discusses the value of addressing the broader social structures, sites such as media, online spaces, and medical industries, where heteronormative discourses on male sexual "performance" continue to be reproduced and maintained.
Collapse
|
9
|
Tirone V, Katz J. When Do Motives to Sexually Please a Male Partner Benefit Women’s Own Sexual Agency? SEX ROLES 2019. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-019-01057-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
|
10
|
Maczkowiack J, Schweitzer RD. Postcoital Dysphoria: Prevalence and Correlates Among Males. JOURNAL OF SEX & MARITAL THERAPY 2019; 45:128-140. [PMID: 30040588 DOI: 10.1080/0092623x.2018.1488326] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/08/2023]
Abstract
Consensual sexual activity is believed to be associated with a positive emotional experience, however, postcoital dysphoria (PCD) is a counterintuitive phenomenon characterized by inexplicable feelings of tearfulness, sadness, or irritability following otherwise satisfactory consensual sexual activity. Prevalence of PCD has been reported among females, but not among males. The present study utilized an anonymous online questionnaire to examine the prevalence and correlates of PCD among an international sample including 1,208 male participants. Forty-one percent reported experiencing PCD in their lifetime and 20.2% reported experiencing PCD in the previous four weeks. Between 3% and 4% of the sample reported experiencing PCD on a regular basis. PCD was found to be associated with current psychological distress, childhood sexual abuse, and several sexual dysfunctions. Results indicate that the male experience of the resolution phase may be far more varied, complex, and nuanced than previously thought and lays a foundation for future research investigating PCD among males. Findings have implications for therapeutic settings as well as the general discourse regarding the male sexual experience.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Joel Maczkowiack
- a School of Psychology and Counselling , Queensland University of Technology , Kelvin Grove , Australia
| | - Robert D Schweitzer
- a School of Psychology and Counselling , Queensland University of Technology , Kelvin Grove , Australia
| |
Collapse
|
11
|
|
12
|
Matthews SJ, Giuliano TA, Thomas KH, Straup ML, Martinez MA. Not cool, dude: Perceptions of solicited vs. unsolicited sext messages from men and women. COMPUTERS IN HUMAN BEHAVIOR 2018. [DOI: 10.1016/j.chb.2018.06.014] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/14/2022]
|
13
|
Pergolotti M, Doll KM, Fawaz EO, Reeve BB. Adaptation of the Possibilities for Activity Scale for women encountering cancer (PActS-W). Aust Occup Ther J 2018; 66:154-163. [PMID: 30178883 DOI: 10.1111/1440-1630.12520] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 08/02/2018] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND/AIM The original Possibilities for Activity Scale (PActS) examined the internalised societal pressures of older adults with cancer. Previous research found that scores from the original PActS scale were associated with participation in meaningful activity. Women of working age may have different societal pressures than older adults, which could impact their quality of life. Our aims were to (i) adapt the scale specifically for women, (ii) test convergent and structural validity and (iii) test internal consistency reliability. METHOD First, we completed a literature review to add new items, then measured psychometric properties of PActS-W. FINDINGS A total of 186 women, one month after cancer surgery completed PActS-W. PActS-W demonstrated convergent-related (physical health r = 0.40, mental health r = 0.30, P < 0.01), structural validity (CFI, 0.96; RMSEA, 0.10; IFI, 0.96, NFI, 0.94) and high internal consistency reliability (stratified coefficient α = 0.90). CONCLUSION The PActS-W may be useful for measuring women's internalised societal pressures after encountering cancer, which relates to their quality of life, but further testing is needed.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Mackenzi Pergolotti
- Cancer Outcomes Research Group, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Kemi M Doll
- Cancer Outcomes Research Group, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| | - Emily O Fawaz
- Department of Occupational Therapy, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, Colorado, USA
| | - Bryce B Reeve
- Cancer Outcomes Research Group, Lineberger Comprehensive Cancer Center, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Chapel Hill, North Carolina, USA
| |
Collapse
|
14
|
Farvid P, Braun V. "You Worry, 'cause You Want to Give a Reasonable Account of Yourself": Gender, Identity Management, and the Discursive Positioning of "Risk" in Men's and Women's Talk About Heterosexual Casual Sex. ARCHIVES OF SEXUAL BEHAVIOR 2018; 47:1405-1421. [PMID: 29600396 DOI: 10.1007/s10508-017-1124-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2017] [Revised: 11/17/2017] [Accepted: 11/24/2017] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Heterosexual casual sex is routinely depicted as a physically, socially, and psychologically "risky" practice. This is the case in media accounts, psychological research, and other academic work. In this article, we examine 15 men's and 15 women's talk about casual sex from a discursive psychological stance to achieve two objectives. Firstly, we confirm the categories of risk typically associated with casual sex but expand these to include a domain of risks related to (gendered) identities and representation. Men's talk of risk centered on concerns about sexual performance, whereas women's talk centered on keeping safe from violence and sexual coercion. The notion of a sexual reputation was also identified as a risk and again manifested differently for men and women. While women were concerned about being deemed promiscuous, men displayed concern about the quality of their sexual performance. Secondly, within this talk about risks of casual sex, the participants' identities were identified as "at risk" and requiring careful management within the interview context. This was demonstrated by instances of: keeping masculinity intact in accounts of no erection, negotiating a responsible subject position, and crafting agency in accounts of sexual coercion-in the participants' talk. We argue that casual sex, as situated within dominant discourses of gendered heterosexuality, is a fraught practice for both men and women and subject to the demands of identity representation within co-present interactions.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Panteá Farvid
- Department of Psychology, Auckland University of Technology, Private Bag 92006, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand.
| | - Virginia Braun
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, Private Bag 92019, Auckland, 1142, New Zealand
| |
Collapse
|
15
|
“Stroppy Bitches Who Just Need to Learn How to Settle”? Young Single Women and Norms of Femininity and Heterosexuality. SEX ROLES 2018. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-017-0881-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
16
|
Abstract
Women faking orgasm has been identified as a common and widespread practice, particularly in the context of heterosexual sex. While feigning pleasure has been the subject of extensive scholarly inquiry, almost no research attention has been applied to women’s experiences of resisting this normative practice. We adopted a discourse analytic approach to explore the question: If faking orgasm is often compulsory, how do women resist this practice and what does it mean when they do? Participants were 15 undergraduate students who ranged in age from 19 to 28. We identified the mobilization of several discursive patterns in their accounts. First, participants mobilized a “future pleasures” discourse to highlight the importance of resisting faking orgasm in order to increase their chances of experiencing genuine pleasure. Second, they positioned sexual satisfaction as an “equal right” to which they were entitled. In some instances, this was discussed in terms of reciprocity, in which pleasure is given and received. In others, it was positioned as a feminist issue of gender and power. Third, participants highlighted the importance of deflecting blame for absent orgasm in order to avoid hurting one’s partner. Fourth, participants described the role of pain as either a factor that prevented them from faking pleasure or that motivated them to fake orgasm in order to end painful sex. We conclude that an equal rights discourse, framed as a feminist issue, holds the most promise as a means of discursive resistance. At the same time, we highlight the significant risks for women of both faking orgasm and not faking orgasm and the delicate discursive work required when an expected orgasm is not experienced. We suggest that efforts to support women’s sexual health and equality are enhanced by better understanding the emancipatory potential of various discursive constructions as well as their limitations and risks. The merits and challenges of each pattern of accounting are discussed in the context of broader scholarship in the area of discursive resistance.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Michelle N. Lafrance
- Department of Psychology, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | - Monika Stelzl
- Department of Psychology, St. Thomas University, Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada
| | | |
Collapse
|
17
|
Farvid P, Braun V. Unpacking the "Pleasures" and "Pains" of Heterosexual Casual Sex: Beyond Singular Understandings. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2017; 54:73-90. [PMID: 27049595 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2016.1143442] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/10/2023]
Abstract
Discussions of heterosexual casual sex are often imbued with (gendered) assumptions regarding the motives for, and drawbacks of, such a practice. The pulls of casual sex are often depicted as sexual gratification and the drawbacks relayed in terms of physical risk, for example, sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. Most of the research in this area has largely focused on undergraduate university students or "emerging adults" in North America, using primarily quantitative methodologies. We build on this work and a small but growing amount of qualitative research to unpack the complex psychoemotional and experiential dimensions of casual sex. We report on a critical thematic analysis of interviews with 30 ethnically diverse women and men (aged 18 to 46) in New Zealand about their experiences of heterosexual casual sex to achieve two things. First, we demonstrate the complexity with which women and men discussed their casual sex experiences, highlighting how the practice was varied, contradictory, and multifaceted, and played in a localized way during the conversation. Second, we illustrate how this talk was governed by contemporary Western discourses of intimate relationships and the shape of (gendered) heterosexuality. We conclude that casual sex research must always consider the broader sociocultural context, as well as the interpersonal context, within which any sexual relating is situated.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Panteá Farvid
- a Department of Psychology , Auckland University of Technology
| | | |
Collapse
|
18
|
Giaccardi S, Ward LM, Seabrook RC, Manago A, Lippman J. Media and Modern Manhood: Testing Associations Between Media Consumption and Young Men’s Acceptance of Traditional Gender Ideologies. SEX ROLES 2016. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-016-0588-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
|
19
|
Conroy NE, Krishnakumar A, Leone JM. Reexamining issues of conceptualization and willing consent: the hidden role of coercion in experiences of sexual acquiescence. JOURNAL OF INTERPERSONAL VIOLENCE 2015; 30:1828-1846. [PMID: 25246435 DOI: 10.1177/0886260514549050] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
This study problematizes the literature's conceptualization of sexual compliance, predominantly defined as willing participation in, and consent to, unwanted sexual activity in the absence of immediate partner pressure. Using a feminist theoretical framework, we argue that covert forms of social coercion, including normalized expectations for heterosexual women to participate in sexual activity and maintain relationship satisfaction, ultimately pressure women into participating in unwanted sexual activity. In other words, immediate partner pressure is not necessary for a sexually coercive experience to occur. Results of the current study indicate that relationship control and media influence significantly predict sexual acquiescence, and women acquiesce to unwanted sexual activity in an effort to maintain relationships and partner satisfaction as well as to avoid negative outcomes. Women cite various forms of social coercion, such as fulfilling sexual scripts and relationship obligations, as primary reasons for participating in unwanted sexual activity without resisting their partners.
Collapse
|
20
|
Brown-Bowers A, Gurevich M, Vasilovsky AT, Cosma S, Matti S. Managed Not Missing. PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN QUARTERLY 2015. [DOI: 10.1177/0361684314567303] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Our article describes findings from a project exploring sexual agency and desire among young women, focusing on the negotiation of sexuality within relationship contexts. Adopting a social constructionist framework, we used discourse analysis to examine semi-structured, audio-taped interviews with 39 Canadian young women (aged 18–26). Three related interpretive repertoires were identified, namely, (a) Sex as Relationship Hygiene (i.e., beneficial to the health of one’s relationship), (b) Sex as Exercise-esque (i.e., part of a wellness regime), and (c) Sex as Economy Exchange (i.e., a commodifiable practice within the heterosexual marketplace). Desire was not absent from participants’ accounts, however, it was channeled into specific forms of sexual expression and mediated by multiple and competing cultural imperatives. The interpretive repertoires provided spaces for agentic sex within which subjective sexual desire was not the primary motive but rather was subordinate to a rhetoric of self- and relationship improvement as a key register of sexuality. We discuss these findings in the context of postfeminist directives about sexual desirability and proficiency that young women must traverse as they develop ideas about successful female sexuality within heterosexual relationships.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Amy Brown-Bowers
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Maria Gurevich
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | | | - Stephanie Cosma
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| | - Sarde Matti
- Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada
| |
Collapse
|
21
|
Huysamen M, Boonzaier F. Men's constructions of masculinity and male sexuality through talk of buying sex. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2014; 17:541-554. [PMID: 25287270 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2014.963679] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Commercial sex is an everyday occurrence across a range of contexts in South Africa. In this paper we turn our attention to the often-marginalised role of the buyers of sex by drawing on narrative interviews with male clients of female sex workers recruited through online advertisements in order to explore the ways in which heterosexual men construct, negotiate and perform their masculinity and sexuality through talking about their experiences of paying for sex. We highlight parallels between men's narratives of paying for sex and dominant discourses of gender and heterosexuality. We show how men draw on heteronormative sexual scripts in constructing and making sense of paid sexual encounters and how men are simultaneously able to construct and enact a particular idealised version of masculinity and male sexuality through their talk on paying for sex. Finally, we discuss how online resources could be used more extensively in future research with the male clients of sex workers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Monique Huysamen
- a Department of Psychology , University of Cape Town , Cape Town , South Africa
| | | |
Collapse
|
22
|
Carpenter LM, Kettrey HH. (Im)perishable Pleasure, (In)destructible Desire: Sexual Themes in U.S. and English News Coverage of Male Circumcision and Female Genital Cutting. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2014; 52:841-856. [PMID: 25258244 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2014.950720] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/03/2023]
Abstract
Under what conditions do sexual pleasure and desire get addressed in news coverage of sexual health issues like female genital cutting (FGC) and male circumcision (MC)? In this study we employed an embodied ethnosexuality approach to analyze sexual themes in 1,902 items published from 1985 to 2009 in 13 U.S. and 8 English newspapers and news magazines. Journalists' discussions of sexual pleasure, desire, control, problems, and practices differed in quantity and quality depending on the practice and nation to which they pertained. News coverage in both nations presented FGC as impeding female sexual pleasure, desire, and activity in ways that reinforce (hetero)sexist understandings of sexuality. The English press depicted MC as diminishing male sexuality, whereas U.S. papers showed it as enhancing male sexuality. These patterns are influenced by, and serve to reinforce, cultural norms of embodiment and ethnosexual boundaries based on gender, race, and nationality. They may, in turn, shape public understandings of FGC and MC as social problems.
Collapse
|
23
|
|
24
|
Clarke V, Braun V, Wooles K. Thou Shalt Not Covet Another Man? Exploring Constructions of Same-Sex and Different-Sex Infidelity Using Story Completion. JOURNAL OF COMMUNITY & APPLIED SOCIAL PSYCHOLOGY 2014. [DOI: 10.1002/casp.2204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Victoria Clarke
- Department of Health and Social Sciences; University of the West of England; Bristol UK
| | - Virginia Braun
- School of Psychology; The University of Auckland; Auckland New Zealand
| | - Kate Wooles
- Department of Health and Social Sciences; University of the West of England; Bristol UK
| |
Collapse
|
25
|
Yeung TH, Horyniak DR, Vella AM, Hellard ME, Lim MSC. Prevalence, correlates and attitudes towards sexting among young people in Melbourne, Australia. Sex Health 2014; 11:332-9. [DOI: 10.1071/sh14032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 45] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/13/2014] [Accepted: 07/02/2014] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Background
‘Sexting’ is the exchange of sexually explicit material via communication technologies. Despite significant media attention, there has been little examination of sexting in the Australian setting. This study aimed to provide insight into sexting behaviours and attitudes among young Australians. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with a convenience sample of people aged 16–29 years attending a music festival (n = 1372). Correlates of lifetime sexting were determined using multivariate logistic regression. Attitudes towards and perceived consequences of sexting were explored in focus group discussions (FGDs) with 39 young people. Results: Forty percent of survey participants reported that they had ever sent or received a sext (48% of males, 36% of females), most commonly with a regular partner. Lower levels of education, greater recreational spending, greater number of sexual partners, inconsistent condom use with a regular partner, identifying as being nonheterosexual and risky alcohol consumption were all independent correlates of sexting. FGD participants made a clear distinction between consensual creating, sending and possessing of sexts, and nonconsensual sharing of sexts. Positive outcomes of consensual sexting included flirting and sexual experimentation, with sexting perceived as a normalised aspect of sexual interaction. Conclusions: Sexting is a common and normalised practice among young Australians. Our findings highlight the distinction in young people’s minds between consensual sexting and the nonconsensual sharing or circulation of sexts, which is not currently well recognised in sexuality education, the media or the law.
Collapse
|
26
|
|
27
|
Frith H. Accounting for orgasmic absence: exploring heterosex using the story completion method. PSYCHOLOGY & SEXUALITY 2013. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2012.760172] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
28
|
Gupta K, Cacchioni T. Sexual improvement as if your health depends on it: An analysis of contemporary sex manuals. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/0959353513498070] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
Adding to a small but growing feminist literature, this article critically examines popular, contemporary American sex manuals from a feminist social constructionist perspective, focusing specifically on how these manuals construct gender and sexual norms. With notable exceptions, the majority of these manuals are geared toward white, heterosexual, middle-class, able-bodied, and cisgendered audiences. We argue that in addition to positioning sexual activity as a biological, essential (albeit gendered) human need, and as the ultimate path to individual fulfillment and empowerment, a new rationale for the importance of sex (and working on sexual improvement) is now prominent in contemporary sex manuals. Reflecting the “healthicization” of sex in the post-Viagra era, authors frame frequent pleasurable sexual activity as an important factor in the maintenance of health and wellness, an argument that gives further weight to the importance of “sex work” as a fundamental aspect of particularly women’s work in heterosexual relationships. These findings are in keeping with a growing body of literature that highlights the rise of the “sex as health” discourse as well as literature examining the growing pressure to master, improve, and work on sex.
Collapse
|
29
|
Braun V, Tricklebank G, Clarke V. “It Shouldn’t Stick Out from Your Bikini at the Beach”. PSYCHOLOGY OF WOMEN QUARTERLY 2013. [DOI: 10.1177/0361684313492950] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Women’s and men’s bodies and sexuality can be understood as socially situated and socially produced. This means they are affected by, and developed in relation to, patterned sociocultural meanings and representations. We aim here to understand a recently emergent, and potentially gendered, body practice—pubic hair removal—by examining the meanings people ascribe to pubic hair and its removal. Extending the widespread hairless bodily norm for Anglo/Western women, pubic hair removal is an apparently rapidly growing phenomenon. Men, too, are seemingly practicing pubic hair removal in significant numbers, raising the question of to what extent pubic hair removal should be understood as a gendered phenomenon. What we do not yet know is what people’s understandings and perceptions of pubic hair are, and how they make sense of its removal. Using a qualitative survey, the current study asked a series of questions about pubic hair and its removal, both in general and related to men’s and women’s bodies. In total, 67 participants (100% response rate; 50 female; mean age 29, diverse ethnically, predominantly heterosexual) completed the survey. Thematic analysis identified five key themes in the way people made sense of pubic hair and pubic hair removal that related to choice, privacy, physical attractiveness, sexual impacts, and cleanliness. Meanings around pubic hair and its removal were not consistently gendered, but it was still situated as more of an issue for women. With potential impacts on sexual and psychological well-being, sexuality education provides an important venue for discussing, and questioning, normative ideas about pubic hair.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Virginia Braun
- School of Psychology, The University of Auckland, New Zealand
| | | | - Victoria Clarke
- Department of Psychology, University of the West of England, UK
| |
Collapse
|
30
|
Frith H. Labouring on orgasms: embodiment, efficiency, entitlement and obligations in heterosex. CULTURE, HEALTH & SEXUALITY 2013; 15:494-510. [PMID: 23464744 DOI: 10.1080/13691058.2013.767940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Women's orgasms have long been subject to vociferous scientific debate, but over the last 10-15 years a small but growing body of largely feminist qualitative research has begun to explore how the sociocultural construction of orgasm finds contemporary articulation in popular culture and in lay accounts of heterosex. This work is explicitly concerned with gendered power relations and how these operate. This paper provides a critical review and synthesis of this work by exploring three discursive imperatives: (1) orgasm and the coital imperative (2) efficient orgasms and hard work (3) and the ethic of reciprocity. Drawing on these insights, this paper outlines how a focus on embodiment, on situated meaning-making and on everyday sexual practices would further extend our understanding of the social construction of orgasm. Finally, the paper argues for the importance of locating these processes of meaning-making in relation to socially structured material realities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Hannah Frith
- School of Applied Social Science, University of Brighton, Brighton, UK.
| |
Collapse
|
31
|
Griffin C, Szmigin I, Bengry-Howell A, Hackley C, Mistral W. Inhabiting the contradictions: Hypersexual femininity and the culture of intoxication among young women in the UK. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2012. [DOI: 10.1177/0959353512468860] [Citation(s) in RCA: 117] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
This paper contributes to debates on post-feminism and the constitution of contemporary femininity via an exploration of young women’s alcohol consumption and their involvement in normative drinking cultures. We view femininity as a profoundly contradictory and dilemmatic space which appears almost impossible for girls or young women to inhabit. The juxtaposition of hyper-sexual femininity and the culture of intoxication produces a particularly difficult set of dilemmas for young women. They are exhorted to be sassy and independent – but not feminist; to be ‘up for it’ and to drink and get drunk alongside young men – but not to ‘drink like men’. They are also called on to look and act as agentically sexy within a pornified night-time economy, but to distance themselves from the troubling figure of the ‘drunken slut’. Referring to recent research on young women’s alcohol consumption and our own study on young adults’ involvement in the culture of intoxication in the UK, we consider the ways in which young women manage to inhabit this terrain, and the implications for contemporary feminism and safer drinking initiatives .
Collapse
|
32
|
Gilbert E, Ussher JM, Perz J. Embodying sexual subjectivity after cancer: a qualitative study of people with cancer and intimate partners. Psychol Health 2012; 28:603-19. [PMID: 23137124 DOI: 10.1080/08870446.2012.737466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
Research has increasingly recognised the profound impact that cancer can have upon embodied subjectivity. However, there has been little acknowledgement of the centrality of sexuality to subjectivity, and marginalisation of the experiences of intimate partners of people with cancer. This Australian qualitative study explores the post-cancer experiences of embodied sexual subjectivity for 44 people with cancer (23 women and 21 men) and 35 partners of people with cancer (18 women and 17 men) across a range of cancer types and stages. Semi-structured interviews were analysed with theoretical thematic analysis, guided by a post-structuralist approach to sexual subjectivity as a dynamic process of becoming that can change over time, and by Williams' [(1996). The vicissitudes of embodiment across the chronic illness trajectory. Body and Society, 2, 23-47] framework on post-illness embodiment. Participants took up the following post-cancer subject positions: 'dys-embodied sexual subjectivity' - characterised by bodily betrayal, sexual loss, lack of acceptance, depression, and anxiety; 're-embodied sexual subjectivity'--characterised by greater sexual confidence, acceptance, the exploration of non-coital sexual practices and increased relational closeness; and 'oscillating sexual subjectivity'--involving a shift between states of sexual dys-embodiment and sexual re-embodiment. The findings point to the importance of focusing on the sexual health of people with cancer and partners across the cancer trajectory.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Emilee Gilbert
- Centre for Health Research, University of Western Sydney, Penrith South DC, NSW, Australia
| | | | | |
Collapse
|
33
|
Moran C, Lee C. Women’s constructions of heterosexual non-romantic sex and the implications for sexual health. PSYCHOLOGY & SEXUALITY 2012. [DOI: 10.1080/19419899.2012.715588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/27/2022]
|
34
|
Abstract
Contemporary women’s magazines are replete with scripts about sexual relationships and sexual roles for women. Our study used an experimental design to assess whether short-term exposure to a women’s magazine affected young women’s endorsement of sexual scripts commonly found in this genre, including scripts framing sexual intercourse as risky and portraying women’s sexual assertiveness as serving men’s sexual fantasies or women’s own sexual desires. Undergraduate women ( N = 160) were randomly assigned in groups to read articles either depicting scripts about sexual relationships in a popular women’s magazine (experimental) or containing no scripts about sexual relationships in a general entertainment magazine (control). Compared to women in the control group, women who were briefly exposed to a women’s magazine were less likely to believe that sexual intercourse is a risky activity and more likely to believe that women should be assertive in prioritizing their sexual desire for their own sake, but not for a male partner’s. Individual and cultural differences in women’s acceptance of magazines’ sexual scripts also emerged based on factors such as regular frequency of magazine reading, level of sexual experience, and ethnic background. Our results suggest that the complex and sometimes conflicting representations of female sexuality proliferating in the mass media and popular culture could potentially have both empowering and problematic effects on women’s developing sexual identities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Janna L. Kim
- Department of Child and Adolescent Studies, California State University, Fullerton, CA, USA
| | - L. Monique Ward
- Department of Psychology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| |
Collapse
|
35
|
“I'd be just as happy with a cup of tea”: Women's accounts of sex and affection in long-term heterosexual relationships. WOMENS STUDIES INTERNATIONAL FORUM 2012. [DOI: 10.1016/j.wsif.2012.01.003] [Citation(s) in RCA: 72] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
|
36
|
Tolman DL. Female Adolescents, Sexual Empowerment and Desire: A Missing Discourse of Gender Inequity. SEX ROLES 2012. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-012-0122-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 175] [Impact Index Per Article: 14.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
37
|
Diamond LM, Huebner DM. Is Good Sex Good for You? Rethinking Sexuality and Health. SOCIAL AND PERSONALITY PSYCHOLOGY COMPASS 2012. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1751-9004.2011.00408.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
|
38
|
Horvath MAH, Hegarty P, Tyler S, Mansfield S. “Lights on at the end of the party”: Are lads’ mags mainstreaming dangerous sexism? Br J Psychol 2011; 103:454-71. [DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-8295.2011.02086.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
|
39
|
Braun V. Petting a snake? Reflections on feminist critique, media engagement and ‘making a difference’. FEMINISM & PSYCHOLOGY 2011. [DOI: 10.1177/0959353511427089] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
|
40
|
Bay-Cheng LY, Fava NM. Young women's experiences and perceptions of cunnilingus during adolescence. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2011; 48:531-542. [PMID: 21128154 DOI: 10.1080/00224499.2010.535221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/30/2023]
Abstract
Recent studies indicate that cunnilingus may be as prevalent as fellatio among American adolescents. Despite this approximate equivalence in rates, there is an imbalance in the amount and type of attention paid to fellatio and cunnilingus. Furthermore, there has been little empirical examination of young women's experiences and perceptions of cunnilingus during adolescence. Two studies in response to this gap in knowledge were conducted. In Study 1, regression analyses indicated that a young woman's sexual assertiveness was linked to having more lifetime cunnilingus partners, as well as more cunnilingus experiences in the past three months. Study 2 explored young women's perceptions of cunnilingus and their speculations about their male partners' perceptions thereof. Linear mixed modeling revealed that participants had highly favorable impressions of cunnilingus, which they believed their male partners shared. These findings are considered in terms of positive adolescent sexual development and cultural norms regarding female sexuality.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Laina Y Bay-Cheng
- School of Social Work, University at Buffalo, Buffalo, NY 14260-1050, USA
| | | |
Collapse
|
41
|
Scripts of Sexual Desire and Danger in US and Dutch Teen Girl Magazines: A Cross-National Content Analysis. SEX ROLES 2011; 64:463-474. [PMID: 21475649 PMCID: PMC3062029 DOI: 10.1007/s11199-011-9941-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/27/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this comparative quantitative content analysis was to investigate how US and Dutch teen girl magazines cover sexual desire (i.e., sexual wanting, and pleasure) and sexual danger (i.e., sexual risk, and negative physical/health consequences of sex). Relying on the sexual scripts framework and Hofstede’s cultural dimension of masculinity/femininity, we examined (a) how the coverage varied for boys and girls, (b) how it differed between the United States and the Netherlands, and (c) how gender differences varied by country. The sample comprised 627 sex-related feature stories from all 2006–2008 issues of three US (i.e., Seventeen, CosmoGirl! United States edition, and Teen) and three Dutch teen girl magazines (i.e., Fancy, CosmoGirl! Netherlands edition, and Girlz!). Overall, sexual wanting occurred more frequently in the US magazines than in the Dutch magazines. In the US coverage, boys’ sexual wanting received more attention than girls’ sexual wanting, whereas in the Dutch coverage sexual wanting was depicted equally often for boys and girls. The depiction of sexual pleasure did not vary by gender in either country, but was generally more visible in the Dutch magazines than in the US magazines. Sexual risks and the negative consequences of sex were associated with girls more than with boys, and were primarily depicted in the US magazines rather than in the Dutch magazines.
Collapse
|
42
|
A Tale of Two Standards: An Examination of Young Adults’ Endorsement of Gendered and Ageist Sexual Double Standards. SEX ROLES 2010. [DOI: 10.1007/s11199-010-9896-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
|
43
|
Muehlenhard CL, Shippee SK. Men's and women's reports of pretending orgasm. JOURNAL OF SEX RESEARCH 2010; 47:552-67. [PMID: 19707929 DOI: 10.1080/00224490903171794] [Citation(s) in RCA: 56] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Research shows that many women pretend or "fake" orgasm, but little is known about whether men pretend orgasm. The purpose of this study was to investigate (a) whether, how, and why men pretend orgasm and (b) what men's and women's reports of pretending orgasm reveal about their sexual scripts and the functions of orgasms within these scripts. Participants were 180 male and 101 female college students; 85% of the men and 68% of the women had experienced penile-vaginal intercourse (PVI). Participants completed a qualitative questionnaire anonymously. Both men (25%) and women (50%) reported pretending orgasm (28% and 67%, respectively, for PVI-experienced participants). Most pretended during PVI, but some pretended during oral sex, manual stimulation, and phone sex. Frequently reported reasons were that orgasm was unlikely, they wanted sex to end, and they wanted to avoid negative consequences (e.g., hurting their partner's feelings) and to obtain positive consequences (e.g., pleasing their partner). Results suggest a sexual script in which women should orgasm before men, and men are responsible for women's orgasms.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Charlene L Muehlenhard
- Department of Psychology and Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies Program, University of Kansas, Lawrence, KS 66045-7556, USA.
| | | |
Collapse
|
44
|
|
45
|
Roy SC. 'Taking charge of your health': discourses of responsibility in English-Canadian women's magazines. SOCIOLOGY OF HEALTH & ILLNESS 2008; 30:463-477. [PMID: 18194356 DOI: 10.1111/j.1467-9566.2007.01066.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 37] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
This article presents an examination of the ways in which responsibility for health is constructed in popular English-Canadian women's magazines. Women's magazines are a unique media form, acting as guidebooks for women on matters relating to feminine gender roles and are important to examine as part of the corpus of societal discourses which frame our understandings of what it means to be healthy and how good health is achieved. Using discourse analysis several techniques were found which reinforce women's individual responsibility to create and maintain good health for themselves and their families. The magazines instruct women/readers directly about their health-related responsibilities and outline the negative consequences of inaction or incorrect action. The magazines also use the traditional discursive technique of women's personal accounts as both cautionary tales and inspirational stories to encourage readers to actively pursue healthy behaviours. Reflecting and reinforcing the discourse of healthism, women's magazines consistently present health as an important individual responsibility and a moral imperative which creates an entrepreneurial subject position for women. The article concludes by discussing the implications for women's magazine audiences within the ongoing feminist debate about this cultural industry.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Stephannie C Roy
- Faculty of Physical Education and Health, University of Toronto, Canada.
| |
Collapse
|
46
|
|