Women’s Psychology Unit 7

Unit Seven: Sexuality and Sexualization Sexual Scripts ● Sexual scripts ○ Descriptions of behaviors that reflect beliefs about what is “normal;” sexual behavior in a given culture ● How sexual scripts influence the types of sexual behaviors we deem normal, acceptable, and okay ○ Because it is represented most commonly, people come to understand it as typical, and even expected. ○ The script as a whole has a powerful effect because they convey information about what counts as sex, how to act in the context of a sexual encounter, who can be sexual, and when one can engage in sexual activity. ○ One key assumption is that heterosexuality is the default sexual identity and that all other sexual identities are “other”. ○ According to compulsory heterosexuality, the only “appropriate” or “normal” romantic and sexual behaviors are heterosexual. ○ Performative bisexuality has surfaced as one non-heterosexual script. In this script, heterosexual women make out and engage in sexual activities with other women for the enjoyment of men who are watching them. ○ “Sex” is described as penis into vagina and penis ejaculates indicating sex-end. ○ The heterosexual sexual script centers on the idea that men are focused on sex and are likely to initiate sexual encounters, whereas women are supposed to ward off sexual attention from men and keep their “purity”. ■ When women have sex, they’re supposed to be more focused on making their partner satisfied. ■ Compulsory heterosexuality contributes to the oppression of girls and women by reinforcing beliefs that boys and men should prioritize their sexual desires and act on their sexual needs and that hormones are the primary factors driving male sexual urges. ■ Girls and women are expected to manage male sexual urges by being the gatekeepers of sex. ○ Women are described as sluts when they are desiring and initiating sex ■ This reflects a sexual double standard by which women are judged more harshly than men for engaging incomparable sexual behaviors. ● This negatively impacts women in several ways. ○ Example: teen girls with many sexual partners were less likely to be accepted by their peers than were boys with many partners. ○ Women who are--or are perceived to be--more sexually active are explicitly targeted through slut-shaming. ○ The heterosexual sexual script doesn’t focus on women actively wanting, enjoying, and initiating sex, but if a woman doesn’t want sex enough to please her partner, that’s also considered problematic. ○ Sexual socialization: the process of learning about sexuality ■ Technically begins far earlier than adolescence. It starts with people talking to young children about their body parts, romantic and sexual relationships, and so on. Many parents take the approach of answering questions when asked but not initiating discussions about sex and sexuality. This approach results in less information being shared. ■ Media contributes to the sexual scripts that people develop. The sexual script that dominates popular media reinforces heteronormativity and largely ignores the sexual desires of girls and women. Types of Programs that Teach about Sex ● Abstinence-only sex education: focuses on teaching that abstaining until marriage is the only way to avoid pregnancy, STIs, and negative psychological consequences ○ This program has received significant funding from the federal government ● Talking About Sex ○ “Private parts”, “pee-pees”, “down there”, “coochies”, “down there”. ○ Vulva: Women’s external genitals. This includes hair, folds of skin, and the openings of the urethra, and the vagina. ○ Labia Majora: Outer lips of the vulva. Made up of fatty tissue covered in pubic hair, they begin next to the thigh and extend inward to surround the labia minora as well as the urethral and vaginal openings ○ Labia Minora: Sometimes referred to as the inner lips of the vulva. Hairless and sensitive folds of skin that extend from the clitoris past the urinary and vaginal openings ○ Clitoris: A highly sensitive genital structure that has the sole function of providing sexual pleasure ● Birth Control and other contraceptives ○ Hormonal contraceptives include birth control pills, rings, patches, injections, implants, and intrauterine devices ○ Barrier methods include female and male condoms, vaginal spermicides, diaphragms, and sponges ○ Fertility awareness methods involve tracking menstrual cycles, tracking body temperature, and monitoring for changes in cervical mucus ○ Non-hormonal IUDS and sterilization ○ Abstaining from penetrative sex or engaging in outercourse ○ Emergency contraceptives (Plan B) after a sexual encounter ○ Commonly adopted forms of contraception are birth control pills, female sterilization, male condoms, and long=acting reversible contraceptive. ○ Birth control and other contraception options ■ Birth Control ■ Condoms ■ Sponge ■ Patch ■ IUD ■ Barrier options vs. hormonal options ● Virginity: “Losing it” ○ Vaginal-penile intercourse for the first time would constitute losing virginity ○ Women reported lower levels of satisfaction with their first experiences of vaginal intercourse than did men. ○ Virginity loss was experienced differently for women and men. ■ For men: achieving status ■ For women: managing loss ○ Casual Sex: Sex outside of the context of a committed relationship. ■ “Hooking up”: Involves sexual activity between two people with no expectation of commitment. ● Masturbation ○ Masturbation: Involves stimulating oneself sexually, usually through touching one’s genitals, to result in sexual pleasure. ○ Orgasm: Many people regard orgasm as the ultimate sign of sexual pleasure. ■ Men do report higher rates of orgasm when engaging in sexual activity with partners than women do. ■ Experiencing emotional closeness, bonding, love, affection, and acceptance are also reasons women may enjoy sexual activity with a partner, even without an orgasm. ○ Women report being less satisfied with their sexual encounters than men are mainly due to expectations. ■ If women believe that satisfaction in sexual relationships result from pleasing one’s partner sexually, they would likely report sexual satisfaction whether or not they orgasm. However if women expect to have an orgasm, they’ll be dissatisfied if they don’t. ● Types of Sexual Dysfunction ○ Hypoactive sexual desire disorder: Consists of a lack of interest in sexual activity or the complete absence of sexual desire, including thoughts and fantasies, prior to and/or during sexual experiences. ○ Dissatisfaction with levels of sexual desire may also reflect a desire discrepancy between oneself and a partner. ○ Sexual Arousal Disorder: Occurs when the desire for sex is normal but women have difficulty achieving or maintaining physiological sexual arousal. This is typically experienced as low levels of vaginal lubrication, but it can also include decreased engorgement and/or sensation in the clitoris and labia. These symptoms can cause pain during intercourse and a difficulty achieving orgasm. ○ Female Orgasmic Disorder: Absence, delay, or decreased intensity of orgasm after experiencing “sufficient” sexual stimulation and arousal. ○ Women may fake an orgasm for several reasons: ■ Want sexual encounter to end ■ Want to validate their partner’s sexual skills ■ Want to appear “normal” ○ Dyspareunia (painful intercourse) is the third category for women’s sexual dysfunction. The specific experiences of pain can differ but individuals with this dysfunction all report pain during at least some instances of vaginal penetration. ○ Many studies on women’s sexual dysnfction of heterosexual but little on homosexuals. Body Concerns ● Body dissatisfaction is very common among women. When they’re concentrating on how their bodies look rather than on how sex feels, it’s hard to enjoy sex. ● Body image self-consciousness: Engaging in body surveillance during sex ● Cognitive Distraction occurs when a person shifts to a secondary focus, which then interferes with the ability to focus on the primary task, experience, or goal. ○ Leads to spectatoring or an “out of body” experience in which a women’s focus is on things other than the sexual encounter. ● Sexualization: Selling Women’s Bodies ○ Sexualization occurs when sexuality is imposed on others, when people are regarded as sex objects, and/or when their value is reduced to their sexual appeal or sexual beahvior. ○ Objectification is understood as one component of sexualization . ○ Sex Work: Umbrella term that refers to the exchange of sexual services, performances, or products for compensation (pornography, prositution). ■ Pervasive workplace discrimination can make sex work the most viable option fo transgender women to support themselves. ■ Sex work is often illegal because it’s very dangerous; it exposes people to sexually transmitted diseases, drug use, and incarceration. ■ Transwomen report a high level of physical abuse from law enforcement as a result of working in the sex industry. ○ Self-sexualization: women embrace sexualization and use their sexuality to gain male attention and/or power. Unclear whether it is empowering. ○ Sexual agency: Being comfortable with and in control of one’s own sexuality. ○ Sexual assertiveness: The ability to ask for what one wants and to refuse what one doesn’t want within a sexual encounter.