SOC209H1 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Psychosexual Development, Darwinism, Medicalization
Sociology Lecture 2 Notes
Sexology
Upper class of Europeans. Interest in sexual pleasure and the hierarchy of authority had to be
replaced by something. -Emerging ethics of science by discovery
Era of investigating sex as a natural phenomenon
People would come to regulate behaviour as normal and not normal.
Latter 18th century introduced homosexual/ heterosexual ( first invented in German)
Darwinian Evolution: Sexual selection became an important principle around which sexual
investigation went forward/ upon (heredity, race procreation, etc). All centred around sexual
selection.
Moving from sexuality as immoral, we begin to understand sex as being linked to health and
illness.
Sex research: Rather than the church regulating behaviour, secular state began to regulate
sexuality.
Bodies being seen as a closed system of vital energy:
⁃ Health was defined vaguely in terms of the nervous system, equilibrium, energy levels
⁃ Good health was seen as an integration with conformity to broader moral and social
environment. How normal was your behaviour in relations to social norms values. Immoral
behaviours = unhealthy body.
Sexual orgasm: Seen as a release of a finite amount of nervous energy within oneself. It was a
scientific form of moderation.
Every non-procreative/ non-appropriate sexual behaviour was seen as a derivative in late 19th
century ( Example masturbation, titanic sex scene. Certain kinds of sex began to be seen as
more a sickness than as a sin.
Masturbation
Spermatorrehea was a false disease to make people think they will lose all sperm if they
masturbate too much.
find more resources at oneclass.com
find more resources at oneclass.com
Document Summary
Interest in sexual pleasure and the hierarchy of authority had to be replaced by something. Era of investigating sex as a natural phenomenon. People would come to regulate behaviour as normal and not normal. Latter 18th century introduced homosexual/ heterosexual ( first invented in german) Darwinian evolution: sexual selection became an important principle around which sexual investigation went forward/ upon (heredity, race procreation, etc). Moving from sexuality as immoral, we begin to understand sex as being linked to health and illness. Sex research: rather than the church regulating behaviour, secular state began to regulate sexuality. Bodies being seen as a closed system of vital energy: Good health was seen as an integration with conformity to broader moral and social environment. How normal was your behaviour in relations to social norms values. Sexual orgasm: seen as a release of a finite amount of nervous energy within oneself.
