Chapter 9 – Heterosexual Deviance

Premarital sex

Generally accepted for adults (20+) but deviant for teens (<20)

Sexual revolution

Since the 1960s, increased acceptability of premarital sex for adults

Teen sexual activity

Considered deviant due to immaturity and fear of “illegitimate” pregnancies

Changes in teen sexual behavior

Younger sexual debut, more partners, more one-night stands; over half of teens 15–19 sexually active

Abstinence

Programs emphasize preventing teen pregnancy and STDs

Abstinence-only consequence

Teens may delay sex but less likely to use contraception; “technical virginity” may occur

Teaching health benefits of abstinence

Helps teens understand physical risks (HPV, STDs) and encourages delaying sex

Sexual double standard

Boys praised for sex (“studs”), girls stigmatized (“sluts”)

Girls’ dilemma

Virginity may label “tease”; sexual activity may label “slut”; many have sex within relationships to avoid stigma

Comprehensive sex education

Teaches abstinence and contraception; most effective at reducing teen pregnancy and STDs

Distribution of sex education in U.S.

51% teach contraception but prefer abstinence, 35% teach abstinence only, 14% teach both equally

Parent and government preference

Support comprehensive approach (both abstinence and contraception)

Extramarital sex

Sex a married person has outside marriage; adultery, infidelity, affair

Extramarital sex perception

~90% men and 94% women consider it always or almost always wrong

Myth: men and extramarital sex

Belief that it is more satisfying than marital sex (false)

Orgasm rates in extramarital sex

53% married women orgasm with husbands, 39% with extramarital partners; married men prefer marital sex

Infidelity and sexual activity

Adulterers usually less sexually active than monogamous couples

Gender motivation for extramarital sex

Men: sexual escapade; Women: love/emotional reasons

Kinsey report

Over 70% married men had wished for extramarital affair

Cultural factors in adultery

Incidence varies by social norms, religion, and culture

Legitimate adultery

Socially approved, openly practiced in certain cultures

Illegitimate adultery

Condemned by culture/religion; secretive and infrequent

Example of illegitimate adultery

Lozi of eastern Africa: walking with a married woman or giving beer counts

Conservative Christian adultery

Divorce and remarriage considered adultery if copulation occurs (Mark 10:11)

Gendered punishment

Women historically punished more harshly than men for adultery

Example of legitimate adultery

Kofyar of Nigeria: spouses openly take lovers while living in marital home

Italian Adriatic towns adultery

Men may have lovers; discussion taboo to protect family/community cohesion

Swinging (comarital sex)

Husband and wife exchange partners consensually for sex only

Swinging prevalence

~1–2% of married couples; traditional infidelity ~20%

Technology and swinging

Internet and sex clubs facilitate finding partners

Swingers demographics

Middle-class, suburban, ages 25–45, mildly conservative, often Protestant

Swingers vs nonswingers

Similar in age, occupation, income, children, social involvement; differ in religion, childhood experience, sexual history, community involvement

Swingers and social control

Less subject to religion/family/community influence but not alienated

Swinging as sexual revolution

Some see as promoting gender equality, though largely male-initiated

Swinging marital impact

Positive: increases intimacy, communication, affection, marital sex; Negative: emotional individuals may feel used

Pornography

Sexually explicit media; legal status varies; most Americans oppose distribution/consumption

Porn industry size

U.S. revenue ~$97B; video rentals 75M (1985) to 665M (1996)

Porn formats

Videos, magazines, cable, peep shows, live acts, phone sex, computer porn

Feminist view on porn

Harmful to women; encourages male aggression; lab studies show violent porn exposure increases aggression

Conservative view on porn

Threatens family values; exposure leads to seeking deviant sexual acts

Liberal view on porn

Opposes censorship; generally harmless; increased porn did not raise rape rates in US or Denmark

Porn harm context

Harmful: violent or for sexually aggressive men; Harmless: nudity/nonviolent acts for most men

Phone sex operator

Sells sexual fantasies; maintains safety; avoids meeting callers; treats callers impersonally

Types of phone sex callers

Quick-sex, psychos, lonely/lovelorn, sexually possessive, likable

Quick-sex callers

Seek fast sex acts; short calls; majority

Psychos

Violent or angry callers; discuss harming women

Lonely/lovelorn callers

Repeat callers; emotionally attached; propose marriage; avoid sexual talk

Sexually possessive callers

Infatuated; demand exclusive attention; jealous

Likable callers

Attractive, professional, curious rather than sexual desire

Phone sex operator goal

Make money by keeping callers on the line

Nude dancing

Focus on sexual display over artistry; earns $25k–$75k; mostly working-class male customers

Customer demographic

Working-class men who fantasize about attention from attractive women

Dancer motivation

Primarily money; maintain conventional identity; separate work from self

Dancer empowerment

Control customer attention and behavior; earn tips; stop inappropriate touching

Sexual harassment

Conduct making workplace hostile; Teresa Harris vs Charles Hardy (1987–1991)

Harassment prevalence

~50% working women, 40% college women, 70% junior/high school girls; up to 10% K–12 harassed by staff

Harassment power dynamics

Men maintain dominance; more in male-dominated workplaces or societies

Prostitution myths

Not oldest profession; not nymphomaniacs; not sexually frigid; most not drug addicts/emotionally disturbed

Types of prostitutes

Streetwalkers, child/adolescent, house prostitutes, call girls

Streetwalkers

Lowest status, less educated, higher risk drug/arrest, short services

Child/adolescent prostitutes

Ages 8–17, abusive/poor families, may be coerced/runaways, more in poor countries

House prostitutes

Work in brothels/escort agencies; split earnings; safer; fixed hours

Call girls

Highest status; educated; high income; affluent areas; independent; use internet to find clients

Prostitution social background

Most similar to conventional women; reasons mainly economic (support family, pay for education/travel)

Prostitution subculture

Belief in moral superiority; sees society/customers as hypocritical

COYOTE

Organization advocating full decriminalization of prostitution

Madam

Manages brothel; recruits/trains prostitutes; maintains clientele; deals with law

Pimp

Controls prostitutes; collects earnings; dominates women; not client management

Clients/Johns

Seek sexual services; occasional, habitual, compulsive

Untangled sex

Prostitution strictly commercial; separates emotional attachment

Societal reaction to prostitution

Stigmatization, criminalization, moral outrage; mixed views on legalization/decriminalization

Decriminalization

Removes criminal penalties; treats prostitution like other work

Legalization

Regulated prostitution under law (e.g., Nevada brothels)

Functionalist theory (Davis)

Prostitution exists to protect “feminine virtue” and preserve sexual morality

Social-psychological theory

Predisposing factors: childhood trauma; attracting factors: money/easy life; precipitating factors: social pressure/unemployment

Emotional detachment

Childhood abuse teaches withholding affection, facilitates prostitution entry

Oppression theory

Prostitution as negative social phenomenon; domination, exploitation, violence

Empowerment theory

Prostitution as potentially positive and empowering work

Polymorphous theory

Recognizes diversity: work organization, workers’ experiences, client motives, third-party roles