RELS 161 Lecture : Islam, Mysticism - Sexuality

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chocolateweasel885

5 May 2012

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Prophet mohammed: visited by angel gabriel, was told the word of god. Ethical monotheism: right living stems from one god. Allah: one god unites everyone, there is only one god, mohammed is his messenger. Women do not hold roles of authority: obligation to provide their bodies to their husbands. Men are lustful, aggressive: women provide satisfaction to husbands, passive. Marriage: people coming together to raise children and for wife to provide for her husband, women were expected to be virgins, sex is regulated to heterosexual marriage, approve of polygamy. Birth control is allowed to avoid pregnancy: female genital manipulation. Hijab, burkkah: problematic in the west. Women can choose whether or not they want to veil: varies in religions. Veils do not mean one is conservative: not exclusive to islam. Means to hide to conceal : issues with femininity, eliminating the gaze . Directed towards cultural views on sex: heightens intimacy and desire, women"s free will.

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2. Critics of the above theory demand: show me the physiological evidence. Evolutionary theory is rooted in biology hence there must be physical evidence to substantiate a claim. Feminist evolutionary psychologists say: It's not men who want sleep around, in fact, it is women who are hard-wired to want to take on as many mates as possible. This is why society has spent so much energy trying to regulate female sexuality. What is the evidence? One: only maternity is 100%. Everyone knows for certain the identity of their mother, yet before the recent advent of testing, paternity was never 100%. In a communal living situation, all the men in the tribe would have to provide for a child because the possibility could be that child was their own. Two: women are multi-orgasmic, while men only have one orgasm and then their brain releases a chemical which causes them to fall asleep. As many know, women become active post-coitus. They want to talk and cuddle, while men want to nap. The suggestion here is that while men are sleeping it off on the bear skin rug, the women go to the next tent and have sex again with someone else. Finally, women have an organ designed specifically for sexual pleasure: the clitoris. Men do not have such an organ. The existence of the clitoris is a strong physiological indicator that supports the above assertion. How can you explain the existence of the clitoris?

Learning Objective: Compare and contrast two approaches of evolutionary psychology on human behavior

Best practice to participate in the discussion boards is to read the articles and consider the following questions. Then go to the discussion board and talk amongst yourselves; don't forget to post a minimum of a paragraph and reply to a colleague.

1. Some evolutionary psychologists, such as David Buss, suggest that men are more promiscuous than women. Man are hardwired for sex, wanting to have sex with as many women as possible. This is an evolutionary advantage, which gives men the opportunity to impregnate as many women as possible (i.e. to spread their seed). In addition, men prefer to have sex with women that are younger and have an hourglass shape. Both youth and a curvy figure are evolutionary signifiers of reproductive health. Buss also suggests that women are more selective in their mating and dating preferences. While men have a tendency to want to sleep around, women are choosier. Why? Because men have the ability to impregnate many women, while women can only have one offspring at a time. It is evolutionarily advantageous for women to be picky about their mates. What kind of mate to women prefer? They prefer mates with power and resources; men who can provide for the survival of their offspring. For our early ancestors this meant a man who could "bring home the bacon" now this means a man who brings home the money. Feminist evolutionary psychologists think this is just ridiculous. This type of thinking just portrays men and women as stereotypes.

2. Critics of the above theory demand: show me the physiological evidence. Evolutionary theory is rooted in biology hence there must be physical evidence to substantiate a claim. Feminist evolutionary psychologists say: It's not men who want sleep around, in fact, it is women who are hard-wired to want to take on as many mates as possible. This is why society has spent so much energy trying to regulate female sexuality. What is the evidence? One: only maternity is 100%. Everyone knows for certain the identity of their mother, yet before the recent advent of testing, paternity was never 100%. In a communal living situation, all the men in the tribe would have to provide for a child because the possibility could be that child was their own. Two: women are multi-orgasmic, while men only have one orgasm and then their brain releases a chemical which causes them to fall asleep. As many know, women become active post-coitus. They want to talk and cuddle, while men want to nap. The suggestion here is that while men are sleeping it off on the bear skin rug, the women go to the next tent and have sex again with someone else. Finally, women have an organ designed specifically for sexual pleasure: the clitori. Men do not have such an organ. The existence of the clitori is a strong physiological indicator that supports the above assertion. How can you explain the existence of the clitori?

On the Edge: A Traditional Business section on page 23 of the Velasquez textbook

In over 28 countries, mostly north African nations, female circumcisionâor female genital mutilation, as its critics call itâis generally accepted.58 Female circumcision is normally per- formed when a girl is between 7 and 12 years old. It involves cutting the girlâs external genitalia. In most countries, the pro- cedure is done by a female âpractitionerâ who uses a small knife or razor blade but no anesthesia. A young girl will often resist, so several women must hold her down while the practi- tioner works. The women who perform circumcisions charge for their services and see their work as a business. It is esti- mated that in countries where the practice is widely accepted, the annual fees collected by all the businesses that provide circumcision services total tens of millions of dollars.
Mothers in these countries feel they must have their daugh- ters circumcised because otherwise no âgoodâ man will marry them. Many believe that circumcision controls a womanâs sex- ual desires and cleanses her spiritually so that others can eat what she cooks. Although the practice is not mentioned in the Koran, many North African Muslims believe that female circum- cision is required by certain sayings they attribute to Muham- mad, the founder of Islam. However, Muslim scholars dispute both the authenticity and the interpretation of these sayings.
Many Americans and Europeans feel strongly that female genital mutilation is an immoral assault on a helpless and unwilling girl, an assault that provides her no medical benefit, risks serious infection, and permanently deprives her of the ability to feel sexual pleasure. They have pressured foreign governments to outlaw the practice and to crack down on the women who make a business of it because they are violating the human rights of thousands of girls.
Practitioners claim that Westerners who w want to prohibit female circumcision are trying to impose their own morality on others. A Somali practitioner said: âThis is a great offence and a great interference with our lives and our lifestyle. For too long Europeans have come into our countries and told us how to live our lives and how to behave and we believe that is totally unac- ceptable. We will not allow foreigners to tell us how to behave or put our businesses at risk any longer. In order for our daugh- ters to be free they must have this procedure. It is their right as women and our obligation as adults to make them into the best young women we can. Circumcision is a fundamental part of becoming a young woman and we will not deny them that because of some misplaced sense of morality from foreigners.â
Phillip Waites, a doctor and medical analyst for a news service noted, âThe core issue here is whether or not Europe- ans have the right to step into another country and demand that they change their traditions and culture.â Remarking on the many practitioners for whom female circumcision is a busi- ness, he said: âThere arenât a whole lot of jobs in Somalia. There really isnât a whole lot of anything in Somalia frankly, and these women have a specialty that not only garners them a good living but also gives them a certain status in the country that they might not otherwise have.â

Is the business of providing female circumcision services morally wrong? Why?

If a practitioner asks for a small business loan from a Western "micro-finance lender" like www.kiva.org (Links to an external site.) would it be wrong for the lender to refuse?

Would it be wrong for the lender to agree? Explain.

Is it wrong for Westerners to pressure North African governments to prevent practitioners from doing female circumcisions?

Does the case support ethical relativism or does it suggest that there are certain things that are wrong no matter what, or neither of these positions?

RELS 161 Lecture : Islam, Mysticism - Sexuality

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