Sociology

Sociology Study Guide

norms andreal behavior. The 1960s and 1970s brought a sexual revolution and increased permissive behaviors. Ideas concerning premarital sex, the double standard, teenage pregnancy, pornography, and sexually transmitted diseases were changing. Since the sexual revolution, many changes have occurred: • An increase in premarital sex • Greater participation by women in sexual activities • Erosion of the double standard • Increase in teen pregnancy o Many think this is due not only to the increase in permissiveness but also to the lack of readily available contraceptive measures. • Increase in pornography • More intense and controversial pornographic content o Many believe that pornography, directly or indirectly, causes sex crimes. o Evidence has shown men who view pornography to act more callous toward women. • Increase in the occurrence of STDs At the end of the sexual revolution, public opinion had actually shifted to show: • More tolerance for sexual diversity • Less tolerance for promiscuity • More commitment to marital fidelity • Judgment concerning sexual behavior to be more greatly based on affection and respect Incest The incest taboo, as mentioned earlier, is a cultural universal. However, it is not instinctive; it is sociological. According to the most recent studies, the incest taboo has evolved over time as a vital need to the health and survival of families. Three reasons for this development across cultures are evidenced here: • Early societies, to form alliances, encouraged marriage across borders, so to speak, in order to strengthen the ties between the two allied groups. • Family roles confusion would ensue without an incest taboo. Which role was that woman to play, the wife, the mother, the child? • It also prevented sexual jealousies between family members, which could reasonably tear apart a family. Rape Rape is considered to be the forcible act of sexual intercourse with an unwilling victim. Rape is a crime of violence, not passion. It has been deemed a demoralizing humiliation and power ritual. It is viewed as socially inappropriate, but it originates in approved patterns of interaction between the genders.

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