Influence of Classical and Medieval Periods Sexual Beliefs Both Classical and Medieval Periods have influenced my outlook on health, and sex education, in the realms of sexuality. The Classical Period’s perspective toward sex were more open and permitted. The Medieval Period’s perspective toward sex is restrictive, sex to be an essential part of bodily health and just another necessary function of the human biological system. Ideas and values formed by civilizations during the Classical Period, such as, ancient Greek sex values are what I am more aware of on a conscious level. Moreover, I am more comfortable accepting the values toward sex that were upheld during the Classical Period because of how open and permissive their view is on sex. …show more content…
After both sexes have completed the stages of puberty it is natural, thanks to the ideas advocated by civilizations in Classical and Medieval Periods, to tend to be more inclined to think about pleasure and longing to have sex. According to both Classical Period and the Middle Ages, sex was perceived as to be normal and a natural part of life. However, it is ideal to have sex in moderation. According to Aristotle, moderation is virtuous. I am consciously aware the more sex an individual partakes in the more likely he/she is prone to sexually transmitted infections. STIs are signs an individual is not taking precautionary steps to maintain their health and health of their body. Also, it shows that an individual is not being moderate in the amount of sexual behavior. So health, is one aspect I adopted by both Classical and Medieval …show more content…
I have learned that wealthy women during the era of Classical Greek preformed acts autoeroticism, such as inserting dildos inside their vaginas, as a substitute of heterosexual intercourse with their respectable partners, and too, to incite pleasure and desire. It is more on a conscious level that not only men, but too, women, masturbate and also, that acts of autoeroticism have existed for many centuries ago. I feel that I would be more comfortable accepting the values of ancient Greek because their values of sex are still prominent today, and also because they were more accepting toward acts of autoeroticism than of societies in the Medieval Periods. Masturbation is a part of life, as far as, an individual discovering what sexual behaviors are pleasurable to them, and too, it is safe alternative than having sexual intercourse with the opposite sex without knowing the consequences that will ensue. So, sex education is another aspect that I adopted from Classical and Medieval Periods. I learned sexual acts as a modern society we do are exactly to ancient societies preformed in the
The sexual lifestyle of women during the medieval time period was quite different among married and single women. Medieval women were not accurately informed of their sexual organs due to bad medical research. They thought they must perform sexual acts on a regular basis to preserve themselves. The third-century writer Galen was looked upon as an authority for medical information on sexual activities. Galen stated that, “a woman’s womb was ‘cold’ and needed constant warming by ‘hot’ sperm” (Time Traveler’s 55). One would assume that hu...
European society drastically changed from the 14th through the 16th centuries. The Thirty Year’s War was drastically significant to reformation and it winded great majority of European Powers involved in constant warfare. In times like these, struggles were of course inevitable, thus igniting a rebellion of religious controversy that eventually led to political complications, clashes between dominating powers, along with the raised spike of conflict due to greed. Wars of religion and the clash of worldviews also ignited rapid social changes along with a just as rapid rapid population increase; these reformations convicted the changes in religion, economic conditions, and the overall disposition of the populace were the main substantial factors
While alleged sex addictions have existed for many years, they have only recently been accepted as valid excuses for sexual deviancy. Attitudes toward sex addiction in the past offer a stark contrast to how it is viewed today, as the constantly medicalizing society insists on putting everything under the technical microscope. Sex addiction is commonly associated with a person’s inability to control his sexual behavior, implying an abnormally high sex drive and obsession with sex which have negative effects on his personal life (MedicineNet 2007, 1). Rather than breaking down the science behind the disorder, a customary practice in today’s medicalized society, older attitudes towards sex addiction placed it under the same light as alcoholism, where a lack of control and unwillin...
Teenage sexual activity is a major problem confronting the nation and has led to a rising incidence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and teenage pregnancy. The existence of HIV/AIDS has given a sense of urgency to the topic of sex education. The issue of sex education in schools especially in the formative years has been a subject of intense debate among parents, school officials, health scientists and religious authorities worldwide for a considerable period of time. The debate centers on comprehensive sex education versus abstinence-only sex education in school. Abstinence only sex education is a sex education model that focuses on the virtue of abstinence from sexual activities; therefore, encouraging sexual abstinence until marriage. This form of sexual education completely ignores all other elements of comprehensive sexual education like safe sex and reproductive health education issues like the use of contraceptives and birth control methods. Comprehensive sex teaching encourages promiscuous sexual activity as “a natural part of life.” Proponents of abstinence only education activists cite several reasons why this type of education is the best. It focuses on the upholding of moral virtues. They also claim that sex outside marriage hat is “encouraged” by the comprehensive sex education which as a result, has some emotional and physical downfall especially when done at a very young age. They blame the comprehensive sex education for failing to discourage premarital sex especially at this time when the HIV pandemic is busy devouring young people in various parts of the world (Deborah 2). In fairness, both programs were designed to decrease the incidence of STDs...
The years between 1890 and 1930 witnessed fundamental changes in sexual mores and practices, the reorientation of marriage toward companionate relationships, the emergence of distinct sexual taxonomies, and a shift from Victorian silence about the body and sexuality to the emergence of a new psychological language about sex. Despite the prevailing social attitude of sexual repression in the Victorian era, the movement towards sexual emancipation began towards the end of the nineteenth century and brought with it profound shifts in the attitudes towards women’s sexuality, homosexuality, pre-marital sexuality and the freedom of sexual expression. New norms of pleasure exposed a rhetoric of regulatory conceptual frameworks posited by “sexologists” who delivered psycho-medicalized sexuality to the masses of largely uninformed readers, thirsty for information and explanation. Men and women, reading the work of sex theorists such as Havelock Ellis and Sigmund Freud had different views on sex than had their parents before them. Victorian sexual counterculture contributed to the awareness of radical change that became the social matrix of sexual liberalism. Sexual liberation, then, can be seen as an outgrowth of a process which witnessed the significant loss of power by the values of early nineteenth century moral tradition, and the rise of a more socially and sexually permissive society. Tolerant attitudes of greater sexual freedom and experimentation spread, and were captured in the concept of modernization.
The Renaissance was a significant, culture movement that began in Italy during the early 1300’s. During the Middle Ages the branch of learning that was most important was theology which means the study of God. Some Renaissance religious leaders had the belief that corrupt cities could be redeemed if their citizens sincerely practiced Christianity. (Hankins Web) During this time of the English Renaissance: Roman Catholicism, Puritanism, and Anglicanism were popular religions that played a major role during this period.
Since these hormones are peaking during the emerging adulthood phase it causes “ frequent orgasms, powerful sex drive, erotic responses being joyful, fertility being optimal, miscarriages being less common and lastly serious birth complications being unusual” (Berger, 2015, p. 394). With some of the positive that come with this increased level of hormone production there are also some negative consequences that arise. “The bodies of emerging adults still crave sex” (Berger, 2015, p. 394). Due to the impulse for wanting sex comes with an increased rate of sexually transmitted infections during this time period. “Most men and women in the US about 80% of sexually active people are infected with an STD at some point in their lives. Half of the 20 million new STDs each year are among young people between the ages of 15 to 24. Despite many schools focusing on abstinence-based sex education, it's not necessarily sex that's the problem, but rather, unsafe sex” (Papisova, 2015). Again during this time we emerging adults are continuously exploring and learning, so this one of the consequences we do seem to face. We can’t blame emerging adults as being the only reason as to why there is a higher risk of STI’s. There are also other various reasons for the growing number of STI cases some of the primary reasons
In his paper which is called Is There A History of Sexuality, Halperin drew a distinction between the topics of sexuality and of sex. He claimed that the two concepts are separate ideas. In Halperin's view, sex is a natural function that has not changed in many years, if ever at all. He says that sex “is a natural fact, grounded in the functioning of the body, and as such, it lies outside of history and culture” (Halperin 416). This means that sex cannot be measured in historical thought, for it has not changed since the beginning of time. As a natural function, it will continue to exist without the influence of culture, for it has always existed inside of the natural body. Sexuality, on the other hand, is a completely different issue to be considered. Sexuality is a socially created phenomenon, or as Halperin says, “sexuality is not a somatic fact, it is a cultural effect” (Halperin 416). This means that sexuality is entirely dependant upon the social world because it is created by the social world. Halperin argues against the prevailing concept that our sexual activities make any statements about our sexuality in and of itself. Halperin claims that “one of the currently unquestioned assumptions about sexual experience which the study of antiquity calls into question is the assumption that sexual behavior reflects or expresses an individual's 'sexuality'” (Halperin 417). With this statement, Halperin raises the issue of what exactly a sexuality is, and how it can be defined. Specifically, Halperin is saying that the modern concept of sexuality can not be applied to the supposed sexualities expressed...
Once William Gibson said “Language is to the mind more than light is to the eye”. I had the privilege of taking English 1301 as a junior student in high school and was a unique experience. I learned important techniques that I will use throughout college. Some personal experience that significantly impacted me while taking English 1301 was learning about the writing process, being responsible, and always be on time. These experiences will be with me throughout my life and college.
Looking at our past, there have been dramatic changes in the way humans view sex. Long before the 1900s individuals framed their views based on the religious institution. Due to the fact that they strongly centered their idea of sexual thought on religion, they believed that the only purpose of having sex was to procreate. As the 1920’s approached, there were various factors that changed the way individuals viewed sex. The “new women” known, as flappers were women who were confident in who they were. They changed their attire as well as their social attitude. In the 1920s, the flappers redefined sex; customs and traditions were broken and new norms were created by society.
This is a fairly short article that gives a brief description of three decades of a larger history of sex education. Of particular importance is the section on the 1940s and how this era demonstrates a shift from moral/ethical interpretations of sex education (1900s) to more accurate, biological interpretation of sex (1940s) that were viewed as necessary for adolescents to understand. The 1940s began to encompass a broad range of ideas regarding sexual activities/thoughts and thus educators needed to assist youths in transitioning into sexual beings as a whole; contributing to the long-term sexual adjustment of individuals. This era worked toward normalizing sex and integrating sex education seamlessly into curriculums and was careful not to
There are a multitude of understandings and interpretations of the concept culture. A common definition may be a, “cumulative deposit of knowledge, experience, beliefs, values, attitudes, meanings, hierarchies, religion, notions of time, roles, spatial relations, concepts of the universe, and material objects and possessions acquired by a group of people in the course of generations through individual and group striving”(Hofstede). An explanation that may be used to discuss the culture of the Middle Ages. Furthermore, it may be used to examine the changes in key aspects, such as, religion, gender roles, and social norms during the time period of approximately the 500s to the 1500s.
Abstinence-only sex education teaches one main concept: to refrain from all sexual activity until marriage. This type of education avoids topics regarding contraceptive use and focuses on the benefits of remaining abstinent and the consequences of having sex before marriage. Some of the consequences of sexual activity before marriage include but are not limited to negative psychological and social impact, pregnancy, and contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). According to a 2010 study from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, about 70 percent of parents and over 60 percent of teenagers agree that sex should be reserved for marriage (Calabrese, 2012). Therefore it can be concluded that many parents and teens would agree with abstinence-only sex education as the preferred method of teaching adolescents about sex. This is one of the few reasons why the government has invested over $1.5 billion in abstinence-only sex education over the last decade (Kunz, 2013, p. 108). One of the highlighted phrases of abstinence-only sex education that educators like to use is “no sex is the safest sex” because not having sex means zero risk of pregnancy or contracting an STI. Proponents argue that while sex before marriage may be the cultural norm, it does not necessarily r...
Before moving on, one must know that sex education is about, but not limited to the discussion of sexual intercourse. As a Buzzle article states, it involves a multitude of topics that introduce human sexual behaviors such as puberty, sexual health, sexual reproduction, sexuality, and more (Iyer). If formally received in school, these topics are brought up and discussed at age-appropriate times over the course of children’s junior high and high school education. Moreover, as I have introduced earlier, the way sex education should be taught is divided into two approaches. It is between taking either a conservative, abstinence-only approach or a more liberal, comprehensive approach. Abstinence-only education, approaches students by stressing the importance of “no sex before marriage” as be...
The sexual revolution occurred in the second half of the twentieth century. It was caused by a variety of reasons such as the weakening of control of adolescent behavior, separation of sexuality from reproduction, and open appearance of different orientation. Furthermore, people ceased to perceive sex as something shameful and immoral. In this regard, there were many problems associated with the ignorance of the majority of people in matters of sexuality; consequently, government decided to impose a duty to explain to pupils basic reproductive processes and precautions on schools. Teaching a class of sex education would have sufficient benefits such as "lower teenage pregnancies, a decline in sexually transmitted diseases, more responsible thinking" (Blanton).