Concept of Sex



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Conception of Sex

I. Society's concept of sex

A. Robert Baker says the way we identify something is descriptive of our conception of that thing.

B. Our use of he/she (gender pronouns)

1. Our use of gender defined pronoun shows our obsession/preoccupation with sex.

2. This suggests that knowing the gender of the person is one of the most important things we can know about them.

a. First thing we ask about a new baby is the gender.

C. Terms for Men and Women

1. Man is synonymous with human

a. Humankind, mankind

b. Woman cannot be used in the same context

2. Terms for woman

a. Neutral terms

• Lady, gal, girl, broad

b. Animal

• Chick, bird, fox, vixen, filly, broad

c. Plaything

• Babe, doll

d. Gender

• Skirt

e. Sexual

• Snatch, cunt, twat, ass, lay, pussy

3. Neutral vs. Non-Neutral terms for women

a. Only men use non-neutral terms

b. Animal names refer to servitude, conquests, or beauty

i. Servitude - broad (pregnant cow), filly, chick (chicken)

ii. Conquests or hunted - fox, vixen

iii. Bird - generally refer to cannery, dove, and parakeet

c. Playthings

i. Doll -- refers to mindless object of entertainment

d. Gender names not often used

e. Sexual names used in vulgarity

4. Terms for men

a. Prick - means to hurt

5. Terms for sex

a. Screwed, laid, fucked, banged, had

b. Mostly males play the active role

c. Many terms associated with harming or being conned

d. Implies the man is hurting or taking advantage of the woman

D. "Men ought not to think of women as sex objects"

a. Basic theme of section

b. Has a lot to say about it - simplify

c. If any change is to be made, society must change thinking

II. Complete Sex

A. Both Thomas Nagel and Sara Ruddick talk about it

B. Both more or less agree on definition

C. Components of complete sex

1. Mutual desire

a. Desire for partner

b. Desire to be desired by partner

c. One's desire for partner to be aroused by one's desire

2. Embodiment of desire - more Sara Ruddick

a. To be "taken over" by desire

b. Submit to sexual desire

i. Almost as is it controls us

D. Both more or less agree on what is complete and what is incomplete

1. Heterosexual intercourse, oral sex, homosexual experiences are complete

2. Masturbation, necrophilia, sex with inanimate objects, sleeping partners is not complete sex - no mutual sexual embodiment

3. Animals, children, rape - still not much desire from "partner/object"

4. Voyeurism, exhibitionism still one sided

5. Group sex not complete

a. Analogous to having two conversations at once

b. Tendency to move toward voyeurism or exhibitionism

b. May inevitably become mutual, impersonal stimulation

E. Ruddick's benefits of complete sex

1. Promotes psychological well being

2. Satisfies desire to be recognized as a "real" person by "real" people

3. Conducive to emotions that may become love

4. Involve respect for each other

5. Leads toward affection, gratitude, tenderness, pride, appreciation

5.

6. 6. Leads away from guilt, anger, and shame

III. Sexual Perversion

A. Thomas Nagel believes that only incomplete sex is perverted

1. Complete sex involves mutual desire and embodiment of that desire

2. Oral sex and homosexual sex is not perverted

3. Masturbation, voyeurism, exhibitionism, rape, sex with children & animals, inanimate objects, necrophilia, and sleeping partners is perverted is perverted.

B. Sara Ruddick believes sex is perverted if it not "natural"

1. Could not serve the evolutionary and biological function (i.e. reproduction)

2. Desire for heterosexual genital intercourse is natural, even if participants are sterile

3. Some forms of complete sex are not "natural" and thus perverted (homosexual activity and oral sex)

4. Says evaluations of "complete" and "perverted" sex are on a completely different order

5. Says Nagel's separation of perversion as psychological and reproduction as physiological is a sign of his male bias

D. Neither makes judgments about what is "right"

1. Both Nagel and Ruddick make it clear that there are benefits to "perverted" sex

a. Nagel and Ruddick agree that if sexual pleasure is important, then the sexual embodiment and mutual desire are not necessary.

c. Ruddick says that there may be social circumstances in which perversion may be favorable

i. Limiting population - oral or homosexual sex

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