Exam 9: Sexuality

The stereotype that men have an excessive, sometimes abusive, sex drive is often blamed on testosterone. In light of this, what does physical anthropologist Helen Fisher believe is important to note about this neurochemical?

When discussing sexual behavior, biologist and zoologist Alfred Kinsey is quoted as saying, "The world is not to be divided into sheep and goats." To what would he likely have been referring when he said this?

Discuss the influence of international campaigns for gay and lesbian rights on local practices using the case study of Nigeria as an example. Compare and contrast the masu harka and 'yan daudu sexual beliefs and practices with ideas about Western homosexuality. How does globalization affect ideas about sexual norms?

In Kano, Nigeria, Rudolf Gaudio found that men who have sex with other men use a special "code word" to describe themselves. What is that word?

The spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), such HIV/AIDS, is a global challenge. Some areas of the world are experiencing higher rates of STIs than others. What might be one of the reasons for these increases?

In which ways does scientist and author Jared Diamond suggest that human sexuality is distinct from other mammals? Identify three ways in which humans differ from most other mammals, and discuss the possible implications of these distinctions as they intersect with other areas of interest for cultural anthropologists (e.g., kinship, gender, class, and religion).

Some envision sex workers walking on the street, trying to solicit strangers for money in exchange for sex. The account of the hostess bars in Japan offers a different portrait of sex workers. What are these hostesses selling that makes them part of the sex industry and, thus, sex workers?

What is one result of the anti-gay rhetoric found in many countries, including the United States?

How did Margaret Mead's work contribute to a greater understanding of human sexuality?

How did sexology contribute to establishing heterosexuality as the dominant erotic ideal in the United States? Despite his findings that human sexuality is marked by diversity, flexibility, and fluidity, in what two ways did Kinsey's research contribute to the establishment of heterosexuality as the dominant erotic ideal? Do you think this ideal remains in U.S. culture today? Why or why not?

Among college students, what percentage said that oral sex constituted "having sex"?

The work of early sexologists such as Kinsey tended to reinforce the idea of heterosexuality. In spite of this, what was one of the surprising results that Kinsey and his research revealed about sexual behavior in the United States?

Gloria Wekker's work in Suriname has led her to suggest that the imposition of our "Western folk knowledge" places limits on how we understand sexuality. What does she urge students of sexuality to do instead?

The wedding industry appeared in part due to the intense growth of capitalism and the appearance of social institutions that celebrate marriage. Where has the idea of the wedding become a particularly powerful force?

How does Mignon Moore's work describe the experience of being a middle-class black lesbian?

According to contemporary cultural anthropologists, why do humans in most cultures seem to engage in sexual activity?

Partly as a result of the "Carry That Weight" project by Emma Sulkowicz at Columbia University, colleges now have sexual-offense policies that describe their expectations for how men and women are expected to act toward each other. Discuss the underlying problem, the nature of sexual assault on campus, and some aspects of the outcome of Ms. Sulkowicz's work.

Where does the dual categorization of sexuality as either homosexual or heterosexual come from?

Sociologist Mignon Moore found that openly gay sexuality among minority communities was seen as an affront to what?

What was one of the main outcomes of Emma Sulkowicz's "Carry That Weight" project?