PSYCO405 Lecture Notes - Donald Marshall, Jr., Premarital Sex, Mangaia
21 May 2018
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Chapters 1, 2, and 3
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CHAPTER 1 – WHAT IS HUMAN SEXUALITY
• From his study of sexuality on the island, here are some of the sexual beliefs, norms,
and practices that Messinger (1993) observed among the Inis Beag. The residents of this
community did not believe that it was normal for women to experience orgasm.
Messinger reported that woman who found sex pleasurable— especially orgasm—were
viewed as deviant.
• Premarital sex was all but unknown on Inis Beag. Prior to marriage, men and women
socialized apart. Marriage came relatively late compared to other cultures— usually in
the middle 30s for men and the middle 20s for women. Mothers taught their daughters
that they would have to submit to their husbands’ animal cravings in order to obey
God’s injunction to “be fruitful and multiply.” But the women of Inis Beag did not need
to be overly concerned about frequent sex, since the men of the island believed that
sexual activity would drain their strength. Consequently, men avoided sexual activity on
the eve of sporting events or strenuous work. Because of taboos against nudity, married
couples had sex with their undergarments on. Intercourse took place in the dark—
literally as well as figuratively. During intercourse, the man was always on top. He was
always the initiator. Foreplay was brief or nonexistent. The honourable man ejaculated
as fast as he could, in order to spare his wife as much as possible from the
unpleasantness of sexual interaction. In sum, rooted in a religious but internally derived
and idiosyncratic understanding of human sexuality, the Inis Beag developed into a
relatively sex negative culture.
• The American anthropologist Donald Marshall conducted field research in the Cook
Islands during the 1950s and spent a year living on Mangaia. Marshall’s (1971) report on
the sexuality of the island’s people indicated a relatively sex posi tive culture. According
to his account of sexual life on the island, from an early age, Mangaian boys and girls
were encouraged to get in touch with their sexuality through sexual play and
masturbation. At about the age of 13, Mangaian boys were given a two-week course of
instruction on techniques of sexual behaviour, including how to perform oral sex, which
was followed by a socially approved sexual experi ence with an older woman in the
community. Girls also received instruction about sex from an older woman. Marshall
(1971) reported that premarital sex among Mangaia adolescents was culturally
approved and frequent. Mangaian parents encouraged their daughters to have sexual
relationships with several men so that they would be sure to choose a husband who was
compatible. Both males and females emerged from adolescence sexually experienced
and skilled. For men, it was important that they were adept in giving their female
partners sexual pleasure, including the ability for him to delay ejaculation in order to
enhance her experience. Bringing his partner to orgasm was not just expected, it was a
principle source of a man’s own sense of sexual pleasure. Perhaps not unexpectedly,
Marshall reported that regularly experiencing orgasm was a nearly universal experience
among women on the island. So what conclusions can we draw from our brief
comparison of sexuality on the islands of Inis Beag and Mangaia? First, although the
people living on these two islands belong to the same species (Homo sapiens), they
have very different, and in some ways opposite, sexual beliefs, attitudes, and
behavioural practices. This tells us that while our biology defines us as human, our
culture—the group specific beliefs, values, social norms and customs passed down from
one generation to the next—plays a central role in shaping human sexuality. Second, as
the title of this book suggests, we can conclude from our brief journey to these two
islands that to study human sexuality is to study diversity. As we will see time and time
again as we examine and investigate the key dimensions of this fascinating topic, human
beings experience and express sexuality in diverse ways. Because our sexuality is a
fundamental part of who we are as individuals and communities, this diversity
contributes to the uniqueness within each of us.
• Sex is a natural function, and our sexuality can be influenced by biological factors, how
we voluntarily express our sexuality is a matter of personal choice.
• In addition to our biology and our capacity for individual decision making, the
expression of our sexuality is also inevitably influenced by the social context in which we
live.
• Many aspects of human sexuality are viewed as moral issues, involving questions of
right and wrong. Issues such as premarital and extramarital sex, contraception, and
abortion, for example, are often subject to moral debate. No single value system defines
us all. Each of us has a unique set of moral values—as a Canadian, as a member of one
of Canada’s hundreds of cultural groups, as an individual. The world of diversity in which
we live is a mosaic of different moral codes and cultural traditions and beliefs. Gathering
information and weighing the scientific evidence will alert you to what is possible in the
contemporary world, but only you can determine which of your options are compatible
with your own moral values.
• Consider the various meanings of the word “sex.” One use of the term refers whether
we’re anatomically male or female or somewhere in between. The words “sex” and
“sexual” also refer to the anatomical structures, called sex organs or sexual organs, that
play a role in reproduction and sexual pleasure. We may also speak of sex when
referring to physical activities involving our sex organs for purposes of reproduction or
pleasure, as in “having sex.” Sex also relates to erotic feelings, experiences, or desires,
such as sexual fantasies and thoughts, sexual urges, and feelings of sexual attraction.
Many researchers reserve the word “sex” for anatomical or biological categories,
preferring the word “gender” to refer to social or cultural categories. For example, one
might say that “reproductive anatomy appears to depend on the sex [not the gender] of
the individual, but in some societies, gender roles [not sex roles] are often seen as polar
opposites and in others they appear more similar or fluid.” The term “human sexuality”
refers to the ways we experience and express ourselves as sexual beings. Our awareness
of ourselves as females or males is part of our sexuality, as is the capacity we have for
erotic experiences and responses. Our knowledge of the gender roles in our culture also
has a profound influence on us.
• Researchers Meaney and Rye (2007), at St. Jerome’s University at the University of
Waterloo, have conceptualized sex as a fun, healthy activity that can be considered
leisure when it is voluntary, is not seen as work, and serves some personal need.
• At its most basic level, sex provides physical pleasure. It’s a fun activity that can be
enjoyed alone or with others. Sexuality can also be a key component of personality
development, as we discover which sexual activities are enjoyable, and with whom.
Sexuality is an important part of identity. This is certainly true for gay, lesbian, bisexual,
or transgender people.
• learning about one’s sexual likes and dislikes through experimentation can lead to
sexual self-actualization, a state in which a person is comfortable with his or her
sexuality.
• Biologists inform us about the physiological mechanisms of sexual arousal and response.
Medical science teaches us about sexually transmitted infections and the biological
bases of sexual dysfunction. Psychologists examine how our sexual behaviours and
attitudes are shaped by perception, learning, thought, motivation, emotion, and
personality. Sociologists consider the sociocultural contexts of sexual behaviour. For
example, they examine relationships between sexual behaviour and religion, race, and
social class. Anthropologists focus on cross-cultural similarities and differences in sexual
behaviour.
• oral–genital sex: slightly more of the students classified this behaviour as “having sex” if
the couple was same sexed than if it was opposite sexed
• most students defined as sex were penile–vaginal intercourse and penile–anal
intercourse. Only about one-fifth defined oral–genital contact as sex, and even fewer
(10%) defined the touching of genitals leading to orgasm as sex. Interestingly, there was
a slight increase in the percentage of students who defined each behaviour as sex if it
resulted in orgasm.
• The students’ definition of “loss of virginity” was more narrow than their definition of
“having sex.” For example, only about half thought penile– anal intercourse qualified as
loss of virginity. Almost all accepted penile–vaginal intercourse as the marker for
virginity loss. However, a small percentage indicated that orgasm had to be experienced
with penile–vaginal intercourse for it to count as loss of virginity.
