SOC324 Unit 7 DB: Taboos and Sexual Norms
U.S. Society has many taboos and norms around sexuality and sexual behaviors. Identify three of these and discuss how these taboos and norms assist in determining "appropriate" sexual behaviors and deviant ones.
1. Homosexual couples and same sex marriage and adopting children
Same sex marriage is legal in all 50 states in the United States. Despite this being legal, there are still many people do not agree with this practice.
“Lesbian and gay parented families may have concerns about discrimination in parenting and custody arrangements. A parent’s minority sexual orientation and/or gender identity status may be brought up in custody disputes as a reason to restrict or deny custody by the children’s other parent and/or by the courts.” (No author given, 2023)
2. Transgender
I think that more open and forward-thinking societies have come to accept transgender people in general society.
“Roughly eight-in-ten U.S. adults say there is at least some discrimination against transgender people in our society, and a majority favor laws that would protect transgender individuals from discrimination in jobs, housing and public spaces. At the same time, 60% say a person’s gender is determined by their sex assigned at birth, up from 56% in 2021 and 54% in 2017.” (Parker, K., Brown, A., 2022)
There are still many people who don’t think that people should be transgender, especially in sports.
“Antitransgender sports legislation often requires that all students be on sports teams and compete in sports competitions based on their gender assigned at birth. These efforts assume that transgender girls—often framed as cisgender boys claiming to be girls—hold biological advantages in girls’ sports, effectively undermining fairness in sports.” (No author given, 2023)
3. Extra Marital Affairs
It appears that the acceptance or unacceptance of extra marital affairs seems to depend on location, historical timeframe, whether it is a man or a woman having the affair or if there is a religious beliefs involved.
“Social sanctions against extramarital sex are found in the majority of societies. In some, such as modern Islam, the punishment for offenders can be severe. In certain states of the USA adultery, to use the legal term, is still a criminal offence, though rarely prosecuted as such. Most primitive societies restrict extramarital sex and in the exceptions limits are usually set as to who can be involved (Ford & Beach 1952). In general, the taboo against extramarital sex is greater than that against premarital sex. Another manifestation of the ‘double standard’ is that extramarital activity by husbands tends to be more accepted than that by wives.” (Bancroft, J., 2009)
How have sexual taboos or norms transformed over time?
It appears that American have become more accepting of many behaviors that were frowned upon or considered taboo in the past. Examples of these behaviors are:
Gay and lesbian relations; Having a baby outside of marriage; Sex between an unmarried man and woman; Divorce; Polygamy; Sex between teenagers
“Over the past two decades, Gallup has documented a significant increase in the percentage of Americans who say that sexual behavior outside of marriage, divorce, polygamy, and gay and lesbian relations are morally acceptable. The reasons for these changes are not clear, and the consequences for society and America's future are also not fully determinable. Certain real-world changes such as the decline in marriage and birth rates are, however, clearly measurable, and it's reasonable to assume that shifts in normative expectations about sexual behavior and marriage are part of these shifts.”
Question to classmates: If you found out that a good friend or family member was transgender, what would your reaction be?
References
Bancroft, J., 2009, Science Direct, Extramarital Sex, https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/extramarital-sex
Newport, F., 2024, Gallup Polls, Continuing Change in the US Views on Sex and Marriage, https://news.gallup.com/opinion/polling-matters/351326/continuing-change-views-sex-marriage.aspx
No author given, 2023, AAMFT, Same Sex Parents and Their Children, https://www.aamft.org/AAMFT/consumer_updates/same-sex_parents_and_their_children.aspx
No author given, 2023, American Psychological Association, Transgender Exclusion in Sports,
https://www.apa.org/topics/lgbtq/transgender-exclusion-sports
Parker, K., Brown, A., 2022, Pew Research Center, American’s Complex Views on Gender Identity and Transgender Issues, https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2022/06/28/americans-complex-views-on-gender-identity-and-transgender-issues/
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