Women's Studies 2163A/B Study Guide - Midterm Guide: Essentialism, Sex Education, Heterosexuality

• School: Western University
• Department: Women's Studies
• Course: Women's Studies 2163A/B
• Professor: Nichole Edwards

Document Summary

Women studies 2163 midterm notes lectures 1 notes on brief history of sex. The essentialist argument - heterosexuality is something we are born with. Biological stance says heterosexuality is natural if we focus on mating and reproduction. Comes from idea that if we come from animals then our goal is to reproduce. The moral stance says there is just one natural and normal sexuality and anything else is sinful and wrong and deserving of punishment. Used to say that it is not natural, right, ok. We live in a binary world where there needs to be polars * People saying i was born this way and this isn"t a choice. The criticisms are that it ignores changes over time and place. Different meanings can attach themselves to the same sexual acts. E. g. boy giving oral to older man is a rite of passage in some societies not homosexual act. Its constructed through institutions like law, government, media, education, family.