Syllabus -- [PDF Download]
January 20 -- [PDF Download]
What do we mean by sex? By culture?
What factors make it difficult to appreciate the degree of diversity that exists? What surprised you in this reading?
January 23 -- [PDF Download]
Tackle the first 7 pages for today, and the remaining 8 pages are for Jan. 26.
January 25 -- [PDF Download]
Today tackle the remaining 8 pages from the chapter from last time. The link for today is for the same chapter as Jan. 24.
January 27 -- [LINK]
Read this page, then click on the photographic history link and read those captions.
Last, play the extremely brief video
clip of Dr. Kinsey from the original page where you started.
January 30 -- [PDF Download]
This is a somewhat lengthy chapter, but it provides explanation of the theories we will be using throughout the remainder of the semester to
better understand the various sexuality topics we will tackle.
February 1 -- [PDF Download]
[LINK]
Start with the PDF file, then tackle the first three pages at the link (up to the section "My Experiences with Hooking Up"). Do you agree with the author
when it comes to "hooking up"? How have attitudes toward dating, sex before marriage, and finding a mate changed over the past few generations?
February 3 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
The first link is to a brief article on a females, virginity, and being called sluts.
The second link is to the "Top 10 Double Standards of Dating" written by a male. What is your reaction to each?
February 6 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
The first link is about drag queens, the second about drag kings. As you read these, work on an answer to the question, "Why
do individuals participate in drag, both as performers and as an audience?"
February 8 -- [PDF Download]
This article was written to provide an overview to both male and female genitals and related bodily systems. We'll introduce diagrams in class.
What questions do you have?
February 10 -- [LINK]
This page provides a nice overview of ambiguous genitalia. If you plan to have children, think about how you might respond as a parent of an infant born
with ambiguous genitals.
February 13 -- [LINK]
This link is to a page containing various video clips. Watch at least the two segments at the top from the Dr. Oz show. The two clips run a total of
about 15 minutes and feature children who have transitioned to living as the other gender. Imagine being a parent of these children.
Also, view as many of the other clips as you can given your available time and interest.
Febraury 15 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
Links 1 and 2 are to brief news clips about discrimination experienced by transgendered individuals. What do you think?
February 20 -- [Link 1]
[LINK 2]
The first link is to a brief newspaper article about low sexual desire among women. What is your reaction, as a woman? The second link is to a page
containing links to video clips on asexuality (from the site www.asexuality.org). Feel free to watch any and all, but if you're limited to about 15 minutes
view the second and fifth clips in the vertical list.
February 22 -- [LINK]
This is a link to a handout by Sex & Love Addicts Anonymous as to the signs and symptoms of sexual addiction. What do you think?
February 24 -- [PDF Download]
[LINK]
The PDF is a brief chapter on sexual arousal. The link is to an article and brief video clip about women who constantly experience sexual arousal, and
cannot find relief. The PDF is required reading, whereas the link is optional (but very interesting). These cases of persistent sexual arousal point out the
difference between physiology and subjective experience.
February 27 -- [LINK]
This is a link to an article from the satirical news outlet The Onion. In it's humorous presentation, this article does
raise some interesting questions about what constitutes paraphilia, including: Why is one attraction deemed deviant whereas another is not?
February 29 -- [LINK]
This link is to an article from The Onion, a satirical newspaper. However, the article raises the issue of how paraphilia
intrigues people because of the taboo nature of deviant activities. What if people were more open about their unusual interests?
What might happen? Read the article to find out. :)
March 2 -- [PDF Download]
[LINK]
The PDF contains some brief material I wrote pertaining to orgasm. The Link is to a question-and-answer post about an alternative to sex with
the goal of orgasm. What do you think about this unconventional alternative?
March 12 -- [LINK 1] [LINK 2]
For LINK 1, view each of the 10 "offenders" along with the written commentary on the left-hand side of the page.
Do you agree? Do you think the claims are exaggerated? How might ads like these affect women's experience of sexual activity with a partner? LINK 2 is a traditional article about a very non-traditional topic. What do you think?
March 14 --
[LINK 1] [LINK 2]
Link 1 is to an article about the danger of the Internet for children, but it has a very different view than what we're used to encountering. What do you think?
Link 2 TBA.
March 16 -- [LINK 1] [LINK 2]
Link 1 is a video news segment on whether there is a double standard when it comes to adults who have sex with minors. Do you agree?
March 19 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
Link 1 is to a 2-page article about abstinence only education (be sure to remember the second page). What do you think?
Link 2 is to a video that contains two programs back-to-back, but we're interested in the first one, which runs about 15 minutes.
The program shows how western European cultures handle teen sexuality, sex ed, and reducing unwanted pregnancy, STIs, etc.
You may be shocked at how different things are there. Why would it be impossible at this point in our history to treat teen sex this way in the U.S.?
March 21 -- [LINK]
This brief (6-minute) clip from Dr. Drew provides a nice basis for discussing possible male-female differences in what sexually attracts
particular people to other individuals. You have to move the cursor over the bottom edge of the video clip to access the controls for
volume, etc.
March 23 -- [PDF Download]
[LINK]
For the link about bisexuality, read the first 4 pages, up to the section about AIDS.
March 26 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
Link 1 is the most accurate yet concise article I've found that relays what research has revealed about possible factors influencing sexual orientation. Compare the info in the article with the explanation provided in the 7-minute video by the Gay Christian Network at Link 2. Were there discrepancies? What questions do you still have?
March 28 -- [LINK]
This link takes you to a blog entry from a mother of a preschooler. How do gender role expectations, especially for males, lead to stigma
against some gay males? Also, here is the LINK
for the optional Implicit Association Test (IAT) described in class. Follow the instructions and select the Sexuality IAT. The entire process takes
10-15 minutes and all questions have to be answered for scoring to occur.
March 30 -- [LINK]
TBA
April 4 -- [LINK]
This link takes you to a frank portrait of typical sex lives after the arrival of children. What do you think?
April 9 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
The material at LINK 1 is meant to bust some myths about swingers, whereas the second link is to material meant to do the same regarding
polyamory. How are these two alternative types of relationships similar and different? What surprised you?
April 11 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
LINK 1 takes you to a "news" article at the satirical newspaper The Onion. Athough it is satire, what does the article imply about infidelity and
faithfulness? The second link takes you to an article about handling jealousy in open relationships. Read through the section that contains the "Core Beliefs" behind jealousy. What do you think?
April 13 -- [LINK]
This link takes you to a very informative page about sexual harassment in educational settings. What parts surprise you? What
do you agree and disagree with?
April 16 -- [LINK]
This link takes you to the page concerning definition of rape at the Rape, Abuse, and Incest National Network (RAINN). If you desire any other information
on rape and other forms of sexual abuse, this is a good site to explore.
April 18 -- [LINK]
TBA
April 20 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
These links take you to two distinct editorials by student authors writing for the Yale University newspaper. With what points do you agree and disagree?
April 23 -- [LINK 1]
[LINK 2]
Link 1 is to an article that attempts to answer some of the basic questions about prostitution. What was surprising to you?
Link 2 is to an article from The Onion, a satirical newspaper. However, the article raises the point about where do
we draw the line when it comes to exchanging sex for material support? What do you think? What is the difference with professional prostitution?
April 25 -- [LINK]
This link is to an article by a sex worker. Read up to the section labeled "2010 in Review." Consider carefully what she is saying. What do you think?
