Sexology Lecture Summaries

Lecture 1

Introduction and History
 Sexuality = encompasses sex, gender identities, roles, sex orientation, eroticism, pleasure, intimacy and
reproduction
 Sexual Health = the ability to sexually adapt and self-manage in the face of life’s physical, psychological and
social challenges
 Sexual rights
 Bio-psycho-social model of sexuality




 History of sexology
o Masturbation:
 Tissot (1766) book Onanism, the disorders produced by masturbation
 Heiman & Piccolo (1988) book directed masturbation, treatment for female orgasmic disorder
o Sigmund Freud
 First to make transition to scientific study of sexuality
 Human behaviour determined by LIBIDO (physical need for sex; fuelled by sexual
instincts/drives) and THANATOS
 Psycho-sexual development  Pre-genital stages (1-6 years) - oral, anal, phallic; Latency
stage (6-12 years); Genital stage (12+ years)
 “mature female sexuality” healthy woman experiences vaginal orgasm; clitorial orgasm as
sign of mental problems
o Haldan’s clitoris relocation
o Early 1900:
 Havelock Ellis: Liberal view on female sexuality and deviations
 Krafft-ebbing: Classification of deviations (psychopathia sexualis)
 Bloch: methods and insights of sexology must correspond with natural and cultural sciences
o Magnus Hirschfeld: institute of sexual research; pioneer of gay rights
o 20th century:
 Clinical methodology based on case studies
 Need for scientific research
 Belief in universal sexual instinct
 Divergencies result of (medical) disease
o Alfred Kinsey: Institute of Sex Research  course on marriage, interviews about sexual behaviour
o John Money: study of development of gender identity in children
 Nature-Nurture Controversy  genes / environment as determinator of gender identity
 Masters & Johnson (1960-70): first to conduct psychophysiological lab research
o “human sexual response cycle”




o basis for new behavioural therapy: “sensate focus”
 restore natural sexual response with (surrogate) partner (non-genital touching, genital
touching, coitus position and movement)
 Helen Singer Kaplan: concept of “desire phase”, integration of psycho-dynamic orientation with behavioural
therapy

 Key themes in sexology
o Sex = biological function
o Sexually normal = consenting partners
o Different dimensions of sex (behaviour, gender, sex. Orient., sexual response)

, o Empirical methodology and interdisciplinary approach
 Homosexuality was disorder in DSM-3 (1970ies)
 Sexual Myths (e.g. men always want sex; arousal makes men lose self-control and responsibility; sooner orgasm
as predictor of masculinity, bigger penis = better; both partners have to have simultaneous orgasm)
 Sexual Scripts  influenced by social role behaviour, specified roles and actions
o Interpersonal dimension (interaction)
o Intrapsychic dimension (psychological schema, „love map“)
 Evolutionary Psychology: Sexual Strategy Theory
o Sex- and gender-specific qualities give evolutionary benefits as they are attractive to opposite sex
 Media
o Cultivation (people think what they see represents reality and mainstream)
o Agenda setting (reporters select what they show)
o Social learning (imitation and identification)
 (Bio)medical approach to sexuality
o medication for dysfunction (e.g. Viagra for erectile problems)

Religion & Culture
 culture and religion influence social components of bio-psycho-social approach to sexuality
 religion ≠ culture
 religion has various subcultures
 Abramic religions
o Monotheistic (one god)
 Dharmic religions
o Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism
 Taoist religions
o “Tao”/ yin-yang, follow fate, flow of life
 Different opinions/norms regarding sex between religions and cultures
o Sex out of marriage, homosexuality, sex during menstruation, abortion, sex bw teenagers
 Judaism:




 Catholicism:




 Islam:




 Hinduism:
(kama sutra)

 Professionals need to be aware and consider cultural and religious differences
o Cultural Formulation Interview