Sexuality

Definition

Sexuality is a broad term that encompasses an individual's sexual identity, orientation, and expression. It involves the biological, psychological, and sociocultural aspects of sexual desires, behaviors, and relationships. Sexuality is a fundamental part of the human experience and is closely tied to concepts of sex and gender in anthropology.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Sexuality is influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors, including hormones, brain structure, personal experiences, and cultural norms.
2. The concept of sexuality in anthropology challenges traditional binary notions of gender and embraces a spectrum of gender identities and sexual orientations.
3. Anthropologists study how cultural beliefs, practices, and social structures shape and are shaped by human sexuality across different societies.
4. The study of sexuality in anthropology examines topics such as sexual behaviors, sexual health, gender roles, and the social construction of sexuality.
5. Anthropological research on sexuality has highlighted the diversity of human sexual expression and challenged Western-centric assumptions about normative sexuality.

Review Questions

• Explain how the anthropological study of sexuality differs from traditional Western perspectives.
  • The anthropological study of sexuality moves beyond the Western binary view of gender and sexuality, recognizing that gender identity and sexual orientation exist on a spectrum. Anthropologists examine how cultural beliefs, practices, and social structures shape and are shaped by human sexuality across diverse societies, highlighting the rich diversity of sexual expression and challenging assumptions about normative sexuality.
• Describe the key factors that influence an individual's sexuality according to the anthropological perspective.
  • Anthropologists view sexuality as influenced by a complex interplay of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors. This includes hormones, brain structure, personal experiences, and cultural norms. Anthropological research has emphasized how these various elements intersect to shape an individual's sexual identity, orientation, and expression, which may differ significantly from traditional Western models.
• Analyze how the anthropological study of sexuality contributes to our understanding of human diversity and the social construction of gender and sexuality.
  • The anthropological study of sexuality has been instrumental in challenging Western-centric assumptions about normative sexuality and gender. By examining the diverse range of sexual and gender expressions across cultures, anthropologists have highlighted how sexuality is socially constructed and deeply influenced by cultural beliefs, practices, and social structures. This perspective has contributed to a more nuanced understanding of human diversity and the fluidity of gender and sexuality, moving beyond rigid binary categorizations.

Related terms

Sexual Identity: An individual's internal sense of their own gender and the gender(s) to which they are attracted.

Sexual Orientation:

An individual's enduring physical, romantic, and/or emotional attraction to other people.

Gender Expression:

The way an individual expresses their gender identity through clothing, behavior, interests, and other external characteristics.