1.6: Sexuality Around the World
Cross-national research on sexual attitudes in industrial nations reveals that normative standards differ across the world. For example, several studies have shown that Scandinavian students are more tolerant of premarital sex than U.S. students are (Grose 2007). A study of 37 countries reported that non-Western societies—like China, Iran, and India—valued chastity highly in a potential mate, while Western European countries—such as France, the Netherlands, and Sweden—placed little value on prior sexual experiences (Buss 1989).
Table 12.1 Chastity in Terms of Potential Mates Source: Buss 1989
| Country | Males (Mean) | Females (Mean) |
|---|---|---|
| China | 2.54 | 2.61 |
| India | 2.44 | 2.17 |
| Indonesia | 2.06 | 1.98 |
| Iran | 2.67 | 2.23 |
| Israel (Palestinian) | 2.24 | 0.96 |
| Sweden | 0.25 | 0.28 |
| Norway | 0.31 | 0.30 |
| Finland | 0.27 | 0.29 |
| The Netherlands | 0.29 | 0.29 |
Even among Western cultures, attitudes can differ. For example, according to a 33,590-person survey across 24 countries, 89 percent of Swedes responded that there is nothing wrong with premarital sex, while only 42 percent of Irish responded this way. From the same study, 93 percent of Filipinos responded that sex before age 16 is always wrong or almost always wrong, while only 75 percent of Russians responded this way (Widmer, Treas, and Newcomb 1998). Sexual attitudes can also vary within a country. For instance, 45 percent of Spaniards responded that homosexuality is always wrong, while 42 percent responded that it is never wrong; only 13 percent responded somewhere in the middle (Widmer, Treas, and Newcomb 1998).
Of industrialized nations, Sweden is thought to be the most liberal when it comes to attitudes about sex, including sexual practices and sexual openness. The country has very few regulations on sexual images in the media, and sex education, which starts around age six, and is a compulsory part of Swedish school curricula. Sweden’s permissive approach to sex has helped the country avoid some of the major social problems associated with sex. For example, rates of teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted disease are among the world’s lowest (Grose 2007). It would appear that Sweden is a model for the benefits of sexual freedom and frankness. However, implementing Swedish ideals and policies regarding sexuality in other, more politically conservative, nations would likely be met with resistance.
A note: As culture shapes our attitudes and beliefs, so does time and place. The following two scenarios were observed by anthropologists over 50 years ago so we imagine things look different presently.
This following information is based on studies undertaken in the 1960s and 1970s by Cultural Anthropologist John Cowan Messenger and anthropologist Donald S. Marshall.
Retrieved from https://en.wikiversity.org/wiki/Cultural_differences_in_sexuality
Inis Beag, a small island off the coast of Ireland, is among the most naive and sexually repressive societies in the world. The islands abhor nudity, with adults washing only the parts of the body that extend beyond their clothing.
Even marital partners keep underclothes on during sexual activity. Premarital sex is essentially unknown, as is female orgasm. The husband invariably initiates sex, foreplay is limited to kissing and rough fondling of the buttocks, and the male-on-top position is the only position used.
The male has orgasm quickly and immediately falls asleep. Men believe that intercourse is hard on their health and will not engage in sex the night before an energy-demanding task. Moreover, they do not approach their wives sexually during menstruation or for months after childbirth.
The island women fear both menstruation and menopause. It is commonly believed that the latter can produce mental disorders. Thus, some women have retired from life in their mid-forties and a few have even confined themselves to bed until death years later.
Sex education is virtually nonexistent. Parents merely trust that, after marriage, nature will take its course.
In sharp contrast, Mangaia, an island in the South Pacific ocean, stands in sharp contrast to Inis Beag. Sex exists for both pleasure and procreation and is a principal interest and activity.
The Mangaian boy hears of masturbation at about 7 and begins the practice at age 8 or 9. At age 13, he undergoes the super incision ritual (a slit is made on the top of the penis, along its entire length) and the expert who performs the surgery gives him explicit sexual instruction.
About two weeks after the operation, the boy has intercourse with an experienced woman who provides him with practice in various acts and positions. She specifically trains him in restraint so that he can have simultaneous orgasms with his partner.
The young girl receives similar expert instruction and will typically have three or four successive boyfriends between the ages of 13 and 20. Mangaian parents encourage their daughters to have sexual experiences with several men so that they can find a marriage partner who is congenial.
Boys aggressively seek out girls, typically having coitus every night. The average boy may have ten or more girlfriends before marriage.
At around age 18, the Mangaians typically have sex most nights of the week with about three orgasms per night. All women apparently learn to experience orgasm. Bringing his partner to orgasm is one of the man’s primary sources of pleasure.
So as you can see from just this one example, attitudes about sexuality vary greatly worldwide and the culture we live in provides us with a sexual script we learn from a very young age. Individually we learn to follow or disregard these rules based on various factors but in either case, we are shaped by cultural norms and values.