Human Sexuality

Module 3 Psychological and Social Dimension of Sexuality PSYC 360 Human Sexuality Seminar

Objectives At the end of the module the student will:

Distinguish between social and psychological factors that influence sexual behavior.

To relate the sexual development of the individual to the social programming we receive, and the multiple stimuli that are present in the different stages.

 Reflect for a moment on the messages we receive on a daily basis related to sexuality.

 What examples come to mind? Perhaps you saw an advertisement, read a joke, or heard a sexual comment. Perhaps you are thinking about sexual issues right now as you read this paragraph and associating it with some personal experience. This example reiterates that the topic of human sexuality is present in many of the stimuli and messages we are exposed to from different sources or reasons.

 This module begins to delve deeper into the topic of human sexuality and how it relates to psychology through a look at social influences, our psychological interpretation and its influence on behavior.

Introduction

 Social factors are factors that affect thinking or behavior in social contexts or

that affect self-concept vis-à-vis other individuals or groups.

 Psychological factors are functional, as opposed to biological, factors that

contribute to personality development, maintenance of health and well-being,

and the etiology of mental and behavioral disorders.

 Examples of psychological factors include the nature of important

relationships in childhood and adulthood, the experience of reassurance or

stress in social settings (e.g., school, work), and the experience of trauma.

Social and Psychological

 Culture refers to the specific customs, values, beliefs, knowledge,

art and language of a society or community. These values and

concepts are passed from generation to generation and are the

basis for everyday behaviors and practices.

What Is Culture According to Psychology?

What Is Culture According to Psychology?

CultureBeliefs

Customs

Values

Knowledge

Language

 In Western culture, the emphasis of sex education has been mainly

on reproduction until the 1980's, and the clitoris (pleasure-only

organ) was not discussed.

 Some Caribbean cultures view sex as taboo and little is said about

sexuality. Religion and patriarchal society have been associated

with such attitudes.

 Social programming about human sexuality is related to race,

culture, ethnicity and gender.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 Some of the oldest artifacts recovered are believed to be fertility totems.

 The Hindu Kama Sutra, for example, is an ancient text that discusses

desire, pleasure and love, and includes instructions on how to have sex.

It includes instructions on how to have sex. The Muslim Koran, Jewish

Torah and Christian bible include advice, rules and stories about sex.

 There are cultures that place great emphasis on a woman's virginity

before marriage, especially in Japan and the Middle East.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 Some of the oldest artifacts recovered are believed to be fertility totems.

 The Hindu Kama Sutra, for example, is an ancient text that discusses

desire, pleasure and love, and includes instructions on how to have sex. It

includes instructions on how to have sex. The Muslim Koran, Jewish

Torah, and Christian bible include advice, rules and stories about sex.

 There are cultures that place great emphasis on a woman's virginity before

marriage, especially in Japan and the Middle East.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 The macro sexological system refers to broader systems

that influence without the individual necessarily having

direct contact with them: culture, social norms, attitudes

and beliefs, and laws. Examples:  The way sex as a business is regulated (Legal in some places, but not in

others).

 The historical oppression of the LGBTIQ+ community.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 Social interactions are among the first experiences that shape our perceptions of gender and sex.

 When we tell a boy or girl that a particular color or toy is for boys or girls, it's a message that lingers. These are gender stereotypes that begin to have an effect on the way we define these concepts.

 It is important to recognize that we adults have already been influenced in many ways and have much to unlearn in order to learn.

 The interaction between the child and parents, teachers, relatives, the media, among others, are key to their development.

The Role of Social Interactions

 The decision to become a mother/father o Reproducing is a complex decision and is not always planned. Some

cultures place a high value on the ability to reproduce and others do

not. The pressure to reproduce is part of the message we receive from

social and psychological influences, in addition to biological ones.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

 Abortion o This is a controversial topic in constant public debate. When it is discussed, it must be done in an

objective and inclusive manner, as it is not as simple as for or against. There are valid points on both

sides.

• Some of the reasons that have been identified for women to resort to abortion are economic

problems, not wanting children or more children, being in an unstable relationship, being too young

or emotionally immature, having health problems, among others. A 2012 study included over 9,000

women in the United States who were considered to be at high risk for pregnancy in a longitudinal

study. They were provided with different contraceptive methods. The results were that there were

far fewer teenage pregnancies and abortions over the 3 years of the study. This study supports

what has been proposed by many human rights groups, that the availability of contraceptive

methods and sex education can have an effect of reducing abortions and unwanted pregnancies.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

LGBTQI+ Community Sexual orientation can take many forms and should be studied in terms of attraction,

behavior and identity.

Although most studies of non-heterosexual orientation focus on homosexuality or

bisexuality, there are different sexualities. Consider the following additional categories,

such as pansexuality and asexuality. Same-sex couples' express satisfaction and

commitment as do heterosexual couples, but there is evidence of a greater tendency to

break up. But it is important to interpret this finding with the knowledge that non-

heterosexual couples have less social support, have been marginalized, and do not

have the same right to marriage in some countries as heterosexual couples.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

 Monogamy, No monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, polygyny  The commitment to be with one person or more is a conscious decision but influenced by various social forces.

Love is not directly related to sexual fidelity or monogamy; such ideas are reinforced by culture, and other social and psychological factors. o Some examples of consensual non-monogamy:

o Monogamy: the commitment of emotional and sexual fidelity to one person. • No-monogamy:

 Open relationships-They are together but have the ability to have other intimate relationships.  "Swinging"- A sexual practice in which married couples exchange partners for a short time.  Polyamory- The practice of having multiple emotional and/or sexual partners simultaneously. The

difference is that it does not occur only in marriage and the emphasis is not purely sexual, more on intimate relationships.

• Polygamy- A type of marriage in which one has multiple husbands or wives. Polygamy has been found to be permitted in approximately 84% of human cultures. Although it is permitted, it is rare.

• Polyandry- A woman has multiple husbands/Polygyny- A man has multiple wives.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

Myths and Realities Myth Reality Sex manuals originated in modern times.

In Chinese culture, one of the first sexual manuals is known, approximately 200 years BC. This manual discusses how the male should extend the time of intercourse as long as possible in order to absorb more of his wife's natural essence (yin) to increase his masculine essence (yang). Importance was given to the female orgasm and the role of the male in helping the woman to achieve it.

In the history of mankind, homosexual sex has always been rejected.

In ancient Greece, the Greeks believed that people were equally capable of sexual activity between a man and woman, or between a man and another man. In addition,

Reflection: Your Macro Sexual System

Think about the attitudes toward sex in your culture and how they have affected your development.

o What are your attitudes about how people of either gender are supposed to act in a sexual relationship?

o What are your beliefs about the place of sexuality in a person's life?

o How does culture impact the type of sex education offered to minors? Think about the most popular movies for infants and children. How many gender and sex stereotypes are present in those movies?

o Do you think most sex differences in attitudes and personality are a function of biological differences between males and females or the result of different social interactions and expectations?

.

 One module is not enough to explore all the different areas of sexuality that are

affected by social customs and psychological factors. Some of the major related

issues were discussed, taking into consideration current topics of discussion. The

student is encouraged to continue reading and learning about these topics

through the pursuit of academic resources.

 This third module is aimed at exploring the ways in which social programming

influences our sexual behavior and the way we perceive sexuality.

Summary

Recommended resources American Psychological Association [APA]. (2020). APA dictionary of psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/

Crowell, C., Mosley, D. V., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2017). Studying Sex: A Content Analysis of Sexuality Research in Counseling Psychology. The Counseling psychologist, 45(4), 528–546. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576496/

Hussein, J., & Ferguson, L. (2019). Eliminating stigma and discrimination in sexual and reproductive health care: a public health imperative. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 27(3), 1–5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7887974/

Makleff, S., Wilkins, R., Wachsmann, H., Gupta, D., Wachira, M., Bunde, W., Radhakrishnan, U., Cislaghi, B., & Baum, S. E. (2019). Exploring stigma and social norms in women's abortion experiences and their expectations of care. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 27(3), 1661753. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7887901/

Papalia, D. E. & Feldman, R. D. (2012). Desarrollo humano (12a ed.). México, D. F.: McGraw- Hill Education.

Paris, J., Ricardo, A., & Rymond, D. (2019). Child Growth and Development. College of the Canyons.

References

Consultation text (Suggested) Dodd, S. (2020). Sex-positive social work. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com Lehmiller, J. J. (2017). The Psychology of Human Sexuality. Second edition. Chichester: John Wiley &

Sons. Links to publications and/or articles on the Web: Lucas, D. & Fox, J. (2021). The psychology of human sexuality. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener

(Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. http://noba.to/9gsqhd6v Potki, R., Ziaei, T., Faramarzi, M., Moosazadeh, M., & Shahhosseini, Z. (2017). Bio-psycho-social factors

affecting sexual self-concept: A systematic review. Electronic physician, 9(9), 5172–5178. https://doi.org/10.19082/5172

Britannica. (2020). Social and Cultural Aspects. In Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/human- sexual-activity/Social-and-cultural-aspects

Vázquez, S. (2021). Módulo 3: Dimensión psicológica y social de la sexualidad. [Diapositivas de PowerPoint]. Universidad Ana G. Méndez Recinto Online. Seminario de Sexualidad Humana. Blackboard. http://uagm.blackboard.com

References

Module 3 Psychological and Social Dimension of Sexuality PSYC 360 Human Sexuality Seminar

Objectives At the end of the module the student will:

Distinguish between social and psychological factors that influence sexual behavior.

To relate the sexual development of the individual to the social programming we receive, and the multiple stimuli that are present in the different stages.

 Reflect for a moment on the messages we receive on a daily basis related to sexuality.

 What examples come to mind? Perhaps you saw an advertisement, read a joke, or heard a sexual comment. Perhaps you are thinking about sexual issues right now as you read this paragraph and associating it with some personal experience. This example reiterates that the topic of human sexuality is present in many of the stimuli and messages we are exposed to from different sources or reasons.

 This module begins to delve deeper into the topic of human sexuality and how it relates to psychology through a look at social influences, our psychological interpretation and its influence on behavior.

Introduction

 Social factors are factors that affect thinking or behavior in social contexts or

that affect self-concept vis-à-vis other individuals or groups.

 Psychological factors are functional, as opposed to biological, factors that

contribute to personality development, maintenance of health and well-being,

and the etiology of mental and behavioral disorders.

 Examples of psychological factors include the nature of important

relationships in childhood and adulthood, the experience of reassurance or

stress in social settings (e.g., school, work), and the experience of trauma.

Social and Psychological

 Culture refers to the specific customs, values, beliefs, knowledge,

art and language of a society or community. These values and

concepts are passed from generation to generation and are the

basis for everyday behaviors and practices.

What Is Culture According to Psychology?

What Is Culture According to Psychology?

CultureBeliefs

Customs

Values

Knowledge

Language

 In Western culture, the emphasis of sex education has been mainly

on reproduction until the 1980's, and the clitoris (pleasure-only

organ) was not discussed.

 Some Caribbean cultures view sex as taboo and little is said about

sexuality. Religion and patriarchal society have been associated

with such attitudes.

 Social programming about human sexuality is related to race,

culture, ethnicity and gender.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 Some of the oldest artifacts recovered are believed to be fertility totems.

 The Hindu Kama Sutra, for example, is an ancient text that discusses

desire, pleasure and love, and includes instructions on how to have sex.

It includes instructions on how to have sex. The Muslim Koran, Jewish

Torah and Christian bible include advice, rules and stories about sex.

 There are cultures that place great emphasis on a woman's virginity

before marriage, especially in Japan and the Middle East.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 Some of the oldest artifacts recovered are believed to be fertility totems.

 The Hindu Kama Sutra, for example, is an ancient text that discusses

desire, pleasure and love, and includes instructions on how to have sex. It

includes instructions on how to have sex. The Muslim Koran, Jewish

Torah, and Christian bible include advice, rules and stories about sex.

 There are cultures that place great emphasis on a woman's virginity before

marriage, especially in Japan and the Middle East.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 The macro sexological system refers to broader systems

that influence without the individual necessarily having

direct contact with them: culture, social norms, attitudes

and beliefs, and laws. Examples:  The way sex as a business is regulated (Legal in some places, but not in

others).

 The historical oppression of the LGBTIQ+ community.

How Does Culture Influence Sexuality?

 Social interactions are among the first experiences that shape our perceptions of gender and sex.

 When we tell a boy or girl that a particular color or toy is for boys or girls, it's a message that lingers. These are gender stereotypes that begin to have an effect on the way we define these concepts.

 It is important to recognize that we adults have already been influenced in many ways and have much to unlearn in order to learn.

 The interaction between the child and parents, teachers, relatives, the media, among others, are key to their development.

The Role of Social Interactions

 The decision to become a mother/father o Reproducing is a complex decision and is not always planned. Some

cultures place a high value on the ability to reproduce and others do

not. The pressure to reproduce is part of the message we receive from

social and psychological influences, in addition to biological ones.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

 Abortion o This is a controversial topic in constant public debate. When it is discussed, it must be done in an

objective and inclusive manner, as it is not as simple as for or against. There are valid points on both

sides.

• Some of the reasons that have been identified for women to resort to abortion are economic

problems, not wanting children or more children, being in an unstable relationship, being too young

or emotionally immature, having health problems, among others. A 2012 study included over 9,000

women in the United States who were considered to be at high risk for pregnancy in a longitudinal

study. They were provided with different contraceptive methods. The results were that there were

far fewer teenage pregnancies and abortions over the 3 years of the study. This study supports

what has been proposed by many human rights groups, that the availability of contraceptive

methods and sex education can have an effect of reducing abortions and unwanted pregnancies.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

LGBTQI+ Community Sexual orientation can take many forms and should be studied in terms of attraction,

behavior and identity.

Although most studies of non-heterosexual orientation focus on homosexuality or

bisexuality, there are different sexualities. Consider the following additional categories,

such as pansexuality and asexuality. Same-sex couples' express satisfaction and

commitment as do heterosexual couples, but there is evidence of a greater tendency to

break up. But it is important to interpret this finding with the knowledge that non-

heterosexual couples have less social support, have been marginalized, and do not

have the same right to marriage in some countries as heterosexual couples.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

 Monogamy, No monogamy, polygamy, polyandry, polygyny  The commitment to be with one person or more is a conscious decision but influenced by various social forces.

Love is not directly related to sexual fidelity or monogamy; such ideas are reinforced by culture, and other social and psychological factors. o Some examples of consensual non-monogamy:

o Monogamy: the commitment of emotional and sexual fidelity to one person. • No-monogamy:

 Open relationships-They are together but have the ability to have other intimate relationships.  "Swinging"- A sexual practice in which married couples exchange partners for a short time.  Polyamory- The practice of having multiple emotional and/or sexual partners simultaneously. The

difference is that it does not occur only in marriage and the emphasis is not purely sexual, more on intimate relationships.

• Polygamy- A type of marriage in which one has multiple husbands or wives. Polygamy has been found to be permitted in approximately 84% of human cultures. Although it is permitted, it is rare.

• Polyandry- A woman has multiple husbands/Polygyny- A man has multiple wives.

Diversity in Sexual Coexistence

Myths and Realities Myth Reality Sex manuals originated in modern times.

In Chinese culture, one of the first sexual manuals is known, approximately 200 years BC. This manual discusses how the male should extend the time of intercourse as long as possible in order to absorb more of his wife's natural essence (yin) to increase his masculine essence (yang). Importance was given to the female orgasm and the role of the male in helping the woman to achieve it.

In the history of mankind, homosexual sex has always been rejected.

In ancient Greece, the Greeks believed that people were equally capable of sexual activity between a man and woman, or between a man and another man. In addition,

Reflection: Your Macro Sexual System

Think about the attitudes toward sex in your culture and how they have affected your development.

o What are your attitudes about how people of either gender are supposed to act in a sexual relationship?

o What are your beliefs about the place of sexuality in a person's life?

o How does culture impact the type of sex education offered to minors? Think about the most popular movies for infants and children. How many gender and sex stereotypes are present in those movies?

o Do you think most sex differences in attitudes and personality are a function of biological differences between males and females or the result of different social interactions and expectations?

.

 One module is not enough to explore all the different areas of sexuality that are

affected by social customs and psychological factors. Some of the major related

issues were discussed, taking into consideration current topics of discussion. The

student is encouraged to continue reading and learning about these topics

through the pursuit of academic resources.

 This third module is aimed at exploring the ways in which social programming

influences our sexual behavior and the way we perceive sexuality.

Summary

Recommended resources American Psychological Association [APA]. (2020). APA dictionary of psychology. https://dictionary.apa.org/

Crowell, C., Mosley, D. V., & Stevens-Watkins, D. (2017). Studying Sex: A Content Analysis of Sexuality Research in Counseling Psychology. The Counseling psychologist, 45(4), 528–546. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5576496/

Hussein, J., & Ferguson, L. (2019). Eliminating stigma and discrimination in sexual and reproductive health care: a public health imperative. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 27(3), 1–5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7887974/

Makleff, S., Wilkins, R., Wachsmann, H., Gupta, D., Wachira, M., Bunde, W., Radhakrishnan, U., Cislaghi, B., & Baum, S. E. (2019). Exploring stigma and social norms in women's abortion experiences and their expectations of care. Sexual and reproductive health matters, 27(3), 1661753. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7887901/

Papalia, D. E. & Feldman, R. D. (2012). Desarrollo humano (12a ed.). México, D. F.: McGraw- Hill Education.

Paris, J., Ricardo, A., & Rymond, D. (2019). Child Growth and Development. College of the Canyons.

References

Consultation text (Suggested) Dodd, S. (2020). Sex-positive social work. ProQuest Ebook Central https://ebookcentral.proquest.com Lehmiller, J. J. (2017). The Psychology of Human Sexuality. Second edition. Chichester: John Wiley &

Sons. Links to publications and/or articles on the Web: Lucas, D. & Fox, J. (2021). The psychology of human sexuality. In R. Biswas-Diener & E. Diener

(Eds), Noba textbook series: Psychology. Champaign, IL: DEF publishers. http://noba.to/9gsqhd6v Potki, R., Ziaei, T., Faramarzi, M., Moosazadeh, M., & Shahhosseini, Z. (2017). Bio-psycho-social factors

affecting sexual self-concept: A systematic review. Electronic physician, 9(9), 5172–5178. https://doi.org/10.19082/5172

Britannica. (2020). Social and Cultural Aspects. In Britannica. https://www.britannica.com/topic/human- sexual-activity/Social-and-cultural-aspects

Vázquez, S. (2021). Módulo 3: Dimensión psicológica y social de la sexualidad. [Diapositivas de PowerPoint]. Universidad Ana G. Méndez Recinto Online. Seminario de Sexualidad Humana. Blackboard. http://uagm.blackboard.com

References