Textbook Chapters 5-7

Question 1

What is monosexuality?

Answer 1

the idea that everyone is or should be attracted to one and only one sex

imposes a binary distinction on people, supporting the view that we are all either attracted to members of a different sex or to our same sex, with no other options to be had.

Question 2

What is plurisexuality?

Answer 2

broader context. People might identify as bisexual, pansexual, omnisexual, bi+, fluid, or queer, in each case drawing attention to the idea that there are individuals who are attracted to others acc=ross a wide spectrum of genders and identities

Question 3

What is asexuality?

Answer 3

refer to lack of sexual desire and sexual attraction

Question 4

Is asexuality distinct from celibacy?

Answer 4

yes

celibate people do experience sexual attraction but are sexually inactive, either by choice or by circumstance, though they could presumably resume their sex life at some later point

asexual people do not experience sexual desire, have no choice in the matter, and experience their lack of desire as an intrinsic characteristic of who they are

Question 5

How was asexuality determined not a medical disorder?

Answer 5

Because asexual people do not necessarily find their low level of desire to be personally troubling or bothersome

Question 6

Does sexual arousal motivate sexual behaviours for asexual people?

Answer 6

No. instead a sense of physical tension or physical urge can lead to masturbation, and a desire to please one’s intimate partner can motivate sexual intercourse

Question 7

Does sexual orientation have a genetic component?

Answer 7

yes, there is a heritable component

twin studies comparing the sexual orientations of monozygotic twins (who share all their genes) and dizygotic twins (who share half their genes) consistently demonstrate a greater shared likelihood of being gay or lesbian among the monozygotic

Question 8

What is the simplest explanation for the persistence of same-sex attraction?

Answer 8

gay people often do pass their genes on through their biological offspring

Question 9

Higher levels of what foreshadow the development of same sex attraction, notably for women

Answer 9

testosterone

for example, women exposed prenatally to unusually high levels of testosterone as a result of a rare genetic condition known as congenital adrenal hyperplasia, go on to show a dramatically increased likelihood of identifying as lesbian later in life

Question 10

What is gender nonconformity?

Answer 10

The extent to which an individual’s appearance, behaviour, and interests differ from what is considered typical or common for their gender

Question 11

What does being exposed to higher levels of testosterone prenatally predict?

Answer 11

lower levels of emotional sensitivity and higher levels of sterotypical asculine forms of play

Question 12

Does parenting practices influence sexual orientation?

Answer 12

no

Question 13

Social and environmental factors are what to biological causes

Answer 13

secondary (such as, boys with surgery end up losing their genitals, and end up being raised as girls, and treatments to reduce their same sex attractions (such as for religious reasons)

Question 14

Twin studies demonstrate that same-sex attraction is heritable. Nevertheless, only what fraction of the variability in sexual orientation is caused by genes?

Answer 14

1/3

Question 15

biological factors are likely to be more important in determining (blank) while social and environmental influences may affect if and how

Answer 15

same sex attraction and sexual orientation

sexual attraction and orientation are pursued, expressed, and labeled

Question 16

What is heteronormativity?

Answer 16

the mistaken idea that heterosexuality and marriage, because they are common, typical, and the norm, are also necessarily ideal, optimal, or desirable

Question 17

What is internalized homonegativity?

Answer 17

the gay person’s direction of negative social attitudes toward the self, leading to a devaluation of the self and resultant internal conflicts and self regard

this involuntary tendency to accept and endorse harsh stereotypes about sexual minorities extends to couples as well (such as gay partners believing that their relationship and other relationships like theirs are less valuable in society than a straight relationship)

Question 18

How is division of labor difference in same sex relationships than different sex relationships?

Answer 18

emphasize equality and fairness