Exploring Personal Identity, Morality, and Sexuality

BPS Profile

Identity is shaped by biological, psychological, and social factors.

Environment

The culture, upbringing, and social circles you grow up in.

Choices

Actions and decisions that shape identity over time.

Cultural Norms

People internalize cultural norms (e.g., gender roles, moral values).

Culture

Influences behavior, desires, and social expectations.

Interaction with Culture

Interaction is not one-sided—individuals can resist or reshape cultural norms.

Personal Character

Concerns of morality related to virtues and vices.

Right & Wrong Actions

Ethical decision-making based on moral considerations.

Justice & Relationships

How morality affects society.

Virtue

Positive traits (e.g., honesty, compassion, courage).

Vice

Negative traits (e.g., greed, selfishness, dishonesty).

Good Character

Formed by cultivating virtues and avoiding vices through conscious choices.

Consequences (Utilitarianism)

Does it cause more good or harm?

Intentions (Kantian Ethics)

Is the action done from a moral duty?

Context (Virtue Ethics)

Does it reflect good character?

Self-focused

Prioritizing personal growth over societal expectations.

Identity Exploration

Experimenting with careers, relationships, and beliefs.

Moral Relativism

Rejecting absolute moral rules, focusing on personal values.

Secure Attachment

Comfortable with intimacy; balanced approach to relationships and sex.

Anxious Attachment

Craves closeness but fears rejection; may use sex for validation.

Avoidant Attachment

Fear of dependence; may engage in detached, emotionless sex.

Disorganized Attachment

Mixed signals, often tied to past trauma; can have erratic sexual behavior.

Intimacy

True intimacy requires intentional effort and emotional risk.

Spiritual but Not Religious

Young adults reject organized religion but still seek personal spirituality.

Rabbi Volpe's Critique

This lacks structure, accountability, and depth; religion provides community and moral frameworks that personal spirituality often lacks.

Evangelical Schools

Strong religious identity; emphasize traditional morality.

Catholic Schools

Catholic identity varies; mix of tradition and modern secular views.

Spiritual Schools

Students explore spirituality but reject religious institutions.

Secular Schools

Little to no religious emphasis.

Dominant Feelings

Disinterest, skepticism, or rejection of religious authority.

Overlooked Ideas

Religion offers community and shared values.

Overlooked Ideas

College experiences shape moral and spiritual beliefs.

Overlooked Ideas

Many had not considered how religion could play a positive role in identity formation.

Emotional Sex

Seeking intimacy, love, or connection (linked to secure attachment).

Physical Sex

Driven by pleasure, attraction, or biological urges (can be seen in all attachment styles but especially avoidant).

Goal-Oriented Sex

Sex for status, revenge, stress relief, or validation (often linked to insecure attachment, especially anxious attachment).

Insecure Sex

Sex due to pressure, fear of loss, or low self-esteem (common in anxious and avoidant attachment styles).

Foucault on Sexuality

Foucault argues that sexuality is not just biological but socially constructed.

Regulation of Sexuality

Institutions (church, government, medicine) regulate and define what is 'normal' or 'deviant' sexuality.

Sexuality as Power

Sexuality is a site of power—who controls discourse on sex controls people's behaviors and identities.

Catherine MacKinnon's Critique

She argues Foucault ignores gendered power dynamics.

Male Dominance in Sexuality

Sexuality, under patriarchy, is shaped by male dominance; men define female sexuality.

Women's Sexual Agency

Women's sexual agency is constrained by systemic oppression (e.g., laws, media, and social norms).

Secret Sexual Self

Your personal and unconscious attitudes about sex, shaped by upbringing, experiences, and culture.

Formation of Secret Sexual Self

Family, religion, media, and personal experiences shape it.

Effects of Secret Sexual Self

Impacts sexual confidence, choices, and relationship satisfaction.

Three Spheres of Girls' Sexualization

Media & Advertising - Hypersexualized portrayals of women in movies, TV, and magazines.

Three Spheres of Girls' Sexualization

Interpersonal Relationships - Pressure from peers, romantic partners, or even parents to conform to sexualized norms.

Three Spheres of Girls' Sexualization

Cultural Messages & Institutions - Schools, religion, and social norms dictating female worth based on appearance and sexuality.

Depiction of Women in Advertising

Women are often portrayed as passive, sexually available, and flawless.

Beauty Standards

Push unattainable ideals, leading to self-esteem and body image issues.

What Advertising Sells

Sells ideals (e.g., beauty, success, power, desirability).

Gender Roles in Advertising

Sells gender roles (e.g., women as caretakers, men as dominant).

Cultural Constructions of Masculinity

Masculinity - Strength, dominance, independence.

Cultural Constructions of Femininity

Femininity - Nurturing, submissive, appearance-focused.

Impact of Gender Constructs

These constructs shape desires and behaviors (e.g., men pursuing casual sex, women prioritizing emotional connection).

Double Bind

Men are expected to be dominant but also emotionally available—a contradiction.

Nice Guys

Struggle because society values confidence & assertiveness in men, not passivity.

Attraction and Dominance

Women may associate dominance with attraction, making some 'nice guys' seem less appealing.

Impact of Porn

Unrealistic sexual expectations, desensitization to real-life intimacy, reinforces male dominance and unrealistic portrayals of female pleasure.

Messages to Males

Men: Be dominant, pursue sex, suppress emotions.

Messages to Females

Women: Be attractive, sexy, but not 'too sexual.'

Sexual Experiences Women Don't Want

Sex driven by obligation, pressure, or societal expectations, performative sex, sex lacking emotional connection or consent.

Consequences of Girls' Sexualization

Low self-esteem, depression, anxiety, increased risk of sexual harassment and abuse, internalized objectification.

Effects of Girls' Sexualization on Society

Reinforces toxic masculinity, encourages unrealistic relationship expectations, perpetuates rape culture.

Effects of Male Sexualization

Body image issues, steroid use, eating disorders, pressure to be dominant, emotionless, hyper-masculine.

Harm of Sexual Harassment

Creates fear & anxiety in victims, reinforces gender power imbalances, normalizes hostile environments.

Plasticity of Human Sexuality

Human sexuality is fluid and shaped by experience & culture; desires and sexual orientations can shift over time.

Cross-Cultural Similarities in Sexuality

Most cultures regulate sex (e.g., marriage, taboos), gender norms influence sexual expectations worldwide, sexual double standards exist.

Farley's Procedural Clues

Ethical sexual norms exist across cultures (e.g., consent, mutual pleasure); many societies reject coercion, exploitation, and harm.

Purity Culture vs. Hookup Culture

Students struggle with purity culture vs. modern hookup culture in Catholic colleges.

Catholic Identity

Often cultural, not deeply religious; guilt & shame around sex are common.

Characteristics of Evangelical Colleges

Strong religious identity, moral expectations, emphasis on saving sex for marriage.

Community Support in Evangelical Colleges

Students have community support for resisting secular norms.

Learning from Evangelical Colleges

Evangelicals have clear moral frameworks; community & open dialogue about sex help shape healthier sexual identities.