When it's time for the sex talk, words matter

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Gender uncoupled: Asexual people making sense of high school sex talk

Sociologists have documented sex talk as a crucial mechanism in the reproduction of heteronormativity in schools. In this highly sexualized context, how did asexual people make sense of sex talk? Drawing upon 21 retrospective interviews with asexual adults (between 18 and 31 years of age), I examined their accounts of sex talk in high school. Contrary to expectation, most of my respondents did not link sex talk to issues of masculinity/femininity, but instead framed it as about discovery of asexual identity, friendship, immaturity and inappropriate conduct, and/or simply meaningless noise. I suggest that the diverse range of gender ideologies and abundance of gender-coded symbols in our society enabled many respondents to assert asexuality-compatible femininities/masculinities, foreclose potential gender dilemmas, and retain a sense of security in their gender subjectivity. While the diverse narratives of sex talk encounters remind sociologists to appreciate asexual people’s heterogenous experiences, the possibility of subjectively degendering sex talk and desexualizing gender challenges sociologists to adopt a multidimensional approach to understand gendered sexuality.

Delectable pleasures: Alcohol, Drinking and Subversive Masculinities in the Comedies of Etherege and Wycherley

The year 1660 not only meant the return of the English monarchy, but it also signalled the return of parties and feasts, of drinking and eating in excess after eleven years of Puritanical abstinence. Both the tavern and the banquet halls were prominent spaces of homosocial male sociability at the time, intended for male bonding, sex talk and discussion of sexual prowess, three essential stages in the manhood-acquiring process. This paper argues that Etherege and Wycherley, two of the most prominent Restoration playwrights, not only present us with instances of banqueting and drinking in their plays, but also that their representations of drinking subvert the manhood-affirming nature of alcohol and drinking, thus questioning and subverting established gender roles. Keywords: Gender performativity, Drinking, Alcohol, Masculinity, Sexuality, Homosocial relations.

Young Women’s Sex Talk Online: Roles of Anonymity, Social Closeness, and Cultural Background on Perceived Appropriateness and Behavioral Intention

In this study, we examined the roles of anonymity and social closeness in predicting young women’s perceptions of “sex talk” (i.e., communication about sexual interests, enjoyment, and experiences) and intentions to post such content in cyberspace. We also examined cultural differences among Asian, Latina, and European Americans. A total of 466 undergraduate women from the three cultural groups participated in the online experiment. Participants were randomly assigned to either a low anonymity condition (i.e., Facebook) or a high anonymity condition (i.e., an anonymous online forum) where they were exposed to identical sex talk stimuli. The main findings showed that greater anonymity increased both the level of perceived appropriateness of sex talk posted by other female users and participants’ intentions to post sex talk online themselves. Compared to European American women, Asian and Latina Americans reported greater intentions to post sex talk online and perceived other female users’ sex talk posts as more appropriate. The results of this study prompt educators and practitioners to help young women strategically manage their impressions of sex talk online while being sensitive to women’s cultural backgrounds. They also suggest the need for further support from practitioners, educators, and parents to construct safe spaces for young women to engage open conversations about sexual matters in the digital space.