UNDERSTANDING THE SEXUAL NORMS OF A CULTURE
Every culture has cultural norms about sex and sexuality. To understand the sex life of any culture, including our own, we look at the culture’s sexual norms. No two cultures have the same sexual norms.
People often express ethnocentric views by thinking that their culture is better than other cultures or that their culture’s norms are the “right” ones. Arguing that one culture is better than another is of little value. It is important to understand that there is great cultural diversity in the world and that we can learn a great deal about ourselves and others by understanding that diversity.
There are basic sexual issues around which sexual norms develop in all cultures. To understand a culture’s sexual norms, we need to understand how the culture deals with:
• gender roles
• marriage, partnerships, and family
• childhood sexuality
• sex laws and the punishment of unapproved sexual behavior
• prostitution
• homosexuality
• birth control
• sexual assault, abuse, and incest
• sexuality education
• sexual taboos
• sex customs
We do not have the space in this book to compare the sexual norms of various cultures with ours. But here are the considerations we would include if we were to do so.
Gender Roles
The social roles assigned to women and men are the foundation of any culture. The answers to these and other questions about gender role will reflect a culture’s sexual norms:
• What are the roles of the women and men in the society?
• Do women do the domestic work while the men work outside of the home for food or income?
• Do women and men share equally in the duties of the family and the community? Who raises the children? Who gets an education?
• Who assumes leadership and powerful roles in the society? Men or women?
• Is there a sexual double standard?
• Do both genders have equal opportunities and access to resources?
Marriage, Partnerships, and Family
Our family relationships have a great impact on our sexuality. The answers to these and other questions about relationships will reflect a culture’s sexual norms:
• Do people choose their spouses, or do their parents arrange their marriages for them?
• Are wives and husbands considered equal partners?
• Is divorce common, rare, accepted, or taboo?
• Are same-sex couples allowed to marry?
• Can a man have more than one wife? Can a woman have more than one husband? Can people live together without marrying?
• How do other family members relate to the wife and husband?
• Do grandparents or elders live with the family? What is their role?
• Are unmarried, same-sex, or interracial couples allowed to become parents?
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