Fluent Essays

Over the period of twentieth century, America has undergone a cultural revision and so has its traditional values and attitudes towards sex. This is clearly vindicated through the openness and various forms of discussions carried out at all levels. No longer do we face any intricacy while discussing sex whereas a hundred years ago, polite people never used to talk about it. Nowadays, all mediums of communication explicitly display sexual content in different forms. With this changing world comes a widely prevalent real-time sex activity conducted amongst several Internet users around the world, The Cybersex, where two people remotely connect for the purpose of sexual pleasure. For some cybersex users, this provides a fascinating experience over the Internet whereas for some, it has become an addiction.  express your views on the following: this is not a report but short answering these 6 questions Is there any commonly accepted definition of natural sexual behavior? Why or Why not? Is there a conclusive definition of normal sexual behavior and does this definition of normal get affected by mans perceptions and social factors? What are the factors influencing sexual behavior in the times we live in? How does the mass media portray sexuality? What is the role of the media in establishing culture norms on sexuality? Based on your understanding of the topic, discuss how various forms of advertisements depicts sexuality? To what level are you and your classmates affected by the medias presentation of sex? When examining sexuality, do we make value judgments? Why or why not? Do our opinions, biases, and stereotypes cloud our assessment skills? Why or why not? History of Sexuality.html History of Sexuality  Human sexuality has existed as long as we have had humans. Our ideas about sexuality have changed a lot over time, particularly since the Middle Ages. In the Middle Ages, the Church dictated standards of sexual behavior, particularly chastity, purity, and obedience. This era institutionalized definitions of normal and abnormal behavior, marriage, adultery, and sexual activity. Laws were written to define whoring, patriarchy and the protection and control of female sexuality. Women with greater libidos were perceived as witches or mentally ill, and some were even burned at the stake. During the 1700s and 1800s, masturbation was widely associated with mental and physical deficiencies. However, by the late 19th century, middle-class Americans began to believe that men had strong sexual drives and women had little sexual desire. Female desire was attributed solely to sexual reproduction. At this time, women making sexual advances was unacceptable. If women displayed assertiveness or vivid sexual tendencies, they were often diagnosed as nymphomaniacs. Because sexuality was considered animalist, Victorians specifically separated the idea of love from sex. By the twentieth century, notions of sexual preferences, sexual diseases, and the significance of culture began to be widely researched. The twentieth century witnessed the use of birth control methods and Viagra and the study of sexually transmitted diseases. During the 1950s and 1960s, the idea of sexuality became less taboo and social attitudes toward the subject were no longer conservative. As a result of prolonged medical research on masturbation, the belief that masturbation is associated with medical and mental illnesses dissipated. Theories of Sexuality.html Theories of Sexuality At the turn of the 20th century, sexuality began to be studied scientifically. But scientists mostly focused their studies on abnormal and unusual sexual behavior. It was much later that they began to study normal or healthy human sexual functions. Out of this research, several theories were developed. In 1886, Krafft-Ebing published, Psychopathia Sexualis, which is a collection of case histories of psychosexual variations. According to Krafft-Ebing, the origins of fetishism and other sexual deviations lay in masturbation. Sigmund Freud developed a psychosexual stage theory of childhood development based on sexual impulses. Freud suggested that as children develop through each stage, the experiences and challenges that they face determine their later adult personalities. Havelock Ellis promoted the relativity of sexual values, normality of masturbation, sexual equality between men and women, and the need to re-evaluate homosexuality. Ellis changed the view of masturbation as abnormal. Based on research, he argued that masturbation has positive functions. He also argued that womens sexual drives are just as intense as men’s. Ellis was among the first researchers to insist that homosexuality is not a disease. He argued that homosexuality is congenital rather than chosen, so it should not be considered immoral or criminal. Alfred Kinsey challenged conservative views of sexuality. He examined the idea of normal sexual behavior and promoted tolerance of sexual differences, seeking to eliminate identity-defining terms such as homosexual and heterosexual. While Kinseys study on human sexuality was restricted to interviews, Masters’ and Johnson’s studies were more direct. They studied 700 participants in a laboratory as they engaged in various sexual activities. They corroborated Kinseys findings that masturbation was a common sexual activity. They argued that sexual problems are the result of a lack of information, poor communication, or conflict between partners, rather than neuroses. Sexuality and the Media.html Sexuality and the Media Television is one of the strongest sexual socialization agents in our society. Its influence has prompted debate over whether mass media reflections on sexuality are meant to entertain, exploit, or inform. Every day, we are bombarded with images that define what is sexy. Stop for a moment and think about the sexual images that we see each day and the way they influence our psyches. The next time you turn on the television, pay attention to the tactics commercials use to reinforce sexual stereotypes of men, women, and relationships. Several studies have revealed that the media reinforces gender stereotypes). Exposure to sexual stereotypes in music videos has been found to increase older adolescents acceptance of nonmarital sexual behavior and interpersonal violence. Such exposure also impacts teenagers perceptions of sex, body image, and gender.  In addition to television, the internet also affects our views on sexuality. Cybersex, a real-time event involving two people for the purpose of sexual pleasure, is a widely prevalent sexual activity among internet users around the world. For most cybersex users, the internet provides a fascinating venue for sexual experiences. However, for some, it becomes an addiction. Because of the high volume of sexual discussions and material available on the internet, there is an increasing demand for government regulation. In 1996, the US Congress passed the Communications Decency Act, which made it illegal to use computer networks to transmit obscene materials or place indecent words or images where children might see or read them. There are also laws prohibiting the viewing and sharing of sexual images of children. While the Internet has given us greater access to sexually explicit content, it is also a vital venue for information and education. There are a number of websites devoted to educating the public about sexual health and safety. Sexuality in the 20th Century.html Sexuality in the 20th Century Traditional American attitudes toward sex have undergone changed dramatically over the 20th century. A hundred years ago, “polite” people did not talk about sex. Today, you can find explicit sexual content presented in various formats. Let’s glance through some of the milestones of this sexual evolution. In 1905, Freud, in his work Three Essays on the Theory of Sexuality, claimed through extensive research that our sexual drive is responsible for our actions and the way our very identities are shaped. In 1916, Margaret Sanger started the first US birth control clinic. She encouraged research that led to the development of the birth control pill. In the 1940s and 1950s, Kinsey researched sexual behavior. His resulting books became best sellers. In 1957, Evelyn Hooker promoted the normality of homosexuality based on research showing that people who are homosexual have no more psychopathology than people who are heterosexual. In 1960, the FDA approved the use of the birth control pill. In 1966, Masters and Johnson published the book Human Sexual Response, based on their observation of sexual activities of people in a laboratory. Their work led to the new field of study—sex therapy. In 1969, Dr. David Reuben published his best-selling sex manual Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex (But Were Afraid to Ask). In 1972, Dr. Alex Comfort published the first illustrated sex manual, The Joy of Sex, which focused on the pleasure aspect of sex. In 1973, the American Psychiatric Association removed homosexuality from its manual of mental disorders. In 1976, The Hite Report: A Nationwide Survey of Female Sexuality reported on surveys indicating that many women were not sexually satisfied. In 1980, Dr. Ruth launched the radio show Sexually Speaking, which promoted sex education. In 1998, the FDA approved Viagra for fighting impotence in men.