Question 1

Which term describes people whose sexual attraction to others can include both sexes?

Accepted Answer

People who are attracted to both males and females are known as bisexual.

Question 2

What was one of the main outcomes of Emma Sulkowicz's "Carry That Weight" project?

Accepted Answer

One of the main outcomes of Emma Sulkowicz's "Carry That Weight" project was the setting of new consent standards on more than 1,400 college campuses. This was due to the increased attention and awareness that the project brought to the issue of sexual assault on college campuses. However, Sulkowicz's assailant was not punished and she was not expelled from the college. The Title IX Act was already in place prior to the project and did not change as a result of it. The fine of $471 mentioned is not related to the outcome of the project.

Question 3

In contemporary U.S. weddings, one common ritual is the act of the father "giving away" the bride. How does this tend to perpetuate a power dynamic that places women at a disadvantage?

Accepted Answer

The act of the father giving away the bride perpetuates the idea of women as property that can be transferred from one man to another. This reinforces patriarchal norms and the idea of male ownership over female bodies. Furthermore, the tradition often involves the father walking the bride down the aisle, which can be seen as symbolically transferring his control over her to the groom.

Question 4

How do many governments in Africa regard homosexuality?

Accepted Answer

Many governments in Africa believe that homosexuality is a Western import and not a part of traditional African culture, which is why they often oppose or persecute LGBTQ+ individuals.

Question 5

How does Mignon Moore's work describe the experience of being a middle-class black lesbian?

Accepted Answer

Mignon Moore's work describes the experience of being a middle-class black lesbian as a unique status reflecting the intersectionality of race, class, and sexuality. Moore's research highlights how black lesbians navigate and negotiate their identity within different social contexts, including their families, communities, and workplaces. This intersectionality creates a unique experience that differs from the experiences of middle-class white lesbians or black heterosexual women and men.

Question 6

'Yan daudu challenge the dominant norms of what aspect of northern Nigerian culture?

Accepted Answer

Yan Daudu challenges the dominant norms of sexual culture in Northern Nigeria by celebrating and empowering queer and non-binary individuals through art, fashion, and performance.

Question 7

Many different cultural institutions and systems of power interconnect to regulate sexuality, affecting both individual lives and group experiences. How do anthropologists refer to this aspect of overlapping systems and institutions in our daily lives?

Accepted Answer

Anthropologists refer to the overlapping systems and institutions in our daily lives regulating sexuality as intersectionality.

Question 8

Cultural and governmental institutions define the age of consent, how marriage and divorce can be obtained, and reproductive rights such as abortion. In regulating these things, what are cultural and government institutions attempting to do?

Accepted Answer

Cultural and government institutions are attempting to control sexuality by regulating who can do what with whom and when they can do it. This includes setting the age of consent, regulating marriage and divorce, and controlling reproductive rights such as abortion. The aim is to establish social norms and standards that align with cultural and political values and to maintain social order.

Question 9

Recently, the government of China began a crackdown on the practice of hiring strippers to perform at funerals in rural parts of the country, a practice that many see as normal, but to others might seem odd or even bizarre. What effect might such a prohibition have?

Accepted Answer

The prohibition allows the government to regulate sexual behavior norms by discouraging practices they deem inappropriate or non-traditional for funerals.

Question 10

How did European colonial powers use sexuality in their strategy to control colonized populations?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How did European colonial powers use sexuality...

Question 11

Sociologist Mignon Moore found that openly gay sexuality among minority communities was seen as an affront to what?

Accepted Answer

Mignon Moore's research showed that openly gay sexuality among minority communities was often seen as a challenge to respectability politics. This refers to the idea that marginalized groups must conform to mainstream societal norms in order to gain acceptance and social mobility. Openly gay behavior was viewed as deviant and disruptive to this delicate balance of respectability.

Question 12

According to the work of Don Kulick and Jens Rydstrom, how do most governments regard the sexuality of disabled persons when providing them with living assistance?

Accepted Answer

According to the work of Don Kulick and Jens Rydstrom, most governments tend to ignore the erotic lives of disabled persons when providing them with living assistance. They are often viewed as asexual and their sexual needs and desires are largely ignored.

Question 13

Michel Foucault was a gay man whose writing about sexuality was informed by his own lived experience. What was his view about sexuality in every culture?

Accepted Answer

Foucault's view was that sexuality is an arena where relations of power are at play. He believed that sexuality was not just a biological or personal matter, but rather a social construct that is shaped by political and cultural powers in each society. In his view, power relations operate at all levels of society, including in the realm of sexuality, and often function to control and regulate individuals' sexual behaviors and desires.

Question 14

The work of Mignon Moore describes the experiences of lesbian African American women. Why do these women often struggle in their lives?

Accepted Answer

Lesbian African American women often struggle in their lives because they are forced to navigate and reconcile multiple identities of race, class, and sexuality. These intersections can lead to experiences of marginalization and discrimination within both the black community and the LGBTQ+ community.

Question 15

Where does the dual categorization of sexuality as either homosexual or heterosexual come from?

Accepted Answer

The dual categorization of sexuality as either homosexual or heterosexual can be traced back to Western cultural history. This binary view of sexuality was gradually developed in Europe during the 19th and 20th centuries, and it eventually spread to other parts of the world through globalization. This binary view might not be universal across different cultures and societies since there are other ethical and cultural norms about sexuality as well.

Question 16

The text notes that having a term to describe the sexual activities between opposite-sex persons (heterosexuality) is a fairly new concept in the United States. What led to the development of the term heterosexuality?

Accepted Answer

The answer of The text notes that having a term...

Question 17

Some studies have found that 61 percent of men believe women give consent nonverbally through body language, though only 10 percent of women say they give consent through body language cues. To which issue are these finds related?

Accepted Answer

The findings suggest a need for improved consent policies advocating "only yes means yes," which would require explicit verbal consent from both parties before engaging in sexual activities. This would address the misconception that nonverbal cues constitute consent, which could lead to sexual assault and other forms of sexual violence.

Question 18

The work of early sexologists such as Kinsey tended to reinforce the idea of heterosexuality. In spite of this, what was one of the surprising results that Kinsey and his research revealed about sexual behavior in the United States?

Accepted Answer

One of the surprising results that Kinsey and his research revealed was that fantasies and same-sex attraction were much more common than expected. Kinsey's studies found that 37% of men and 13% of women had had at least one homosexual experience, and that 10% of both men and women were predominantly homosexual. These findings challenged the widely accepted idea that heterosexuality was the only normative form of sexuality.

Question 19

Pornography has been attacked, censored, and subjected to legal controls for a long time. Each attempt seems to result in an increase in its dissemination and consumption. Why do governments make such efforts to stop pornography?

Accepted Answer

Governments may make efforts to stop pornography to regulate the discourse around sexuality. This is often seen as an attempt to protect traditional values or uphold certain moral standards. However, as mentioned in the question, attempts to censor or control pornography often have the opposite effect, resulting in increased dissemination and consumption.

Question 20

The wedding industry appeared in part due to the intense growth of capitalism and the appearance of social institutions that celebrate marriage. Where has the idea of the wedding become a particularly powerful force?

Accepted Answer

The idea of the wedding has become a particularly powerful force in the way U.S. society talks about and understands heterosexuality. Weddings are often seen as the ultimate expression of love and commitment in a romantic relationship, and the pressure to get married is particularly strong for heterosexual couples. This reinforces the idea that heterosexual relationships are the norm and that marriage is the ultimate goal of romantic relationships.

Quiz 9: Sexuality