The History & Future of Sex: Marty Klein, Ph.D - SexEd.org

[Ivan Seeking]

The History & Future of Sex
Marty Klein, Ph.D
www.SexEd.org
Adapted from the opening plenary at the SSSS Western Region conference, April 22, 1999.

Researching this paper, I realized how much I don't know about many things important to sexology. I realized how little I know about Prohibition, the Civil War, the Depression, segregation, and the history of technology, to name just a few. And I realized anew how important topics like those are for our field.

I also realized that the field of sexology knows a lot more about the phenomenology of sex than it does about social science. We know more about what individual people say they do and how they feel than about the role sexuality plays in the pageant of world events. While this is legitimate knowledge, it means that sexology has a limited perspective. History, economics, law, technology, religion, and other large-scale social forces dramatically shape people's sexual consciousness and behavior--which is what we sexologists purport to study. And so examining the past and looking toward the future are essential for sexological sophistication. Doing so demonstrates, as we are always saying, just how critical an interdisciplinary perspective is for our work. As we seek to understand sexuality, there is very little that is irrelevant.

Let's start with some examples of how technology in general drives history in unexpected ways...

...How are these things shaping our sexual future? And what else is currently shaping our sexual future in ways we don't realize?

http://www.ejhs.org/volume2/history.htm

 

[verty]

Why do you call it the future of sex? It seems to concern the attitude of sexologists, whoever they are.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Why do you call it the future of sex? It seems to concern the attitude of sexologists, whoever they are.

How are these things shaping our sexual future? And what else is currently shaping our sexual future in ways we don't realize?

.....

 

[verty]

Well I hope the future of sex is that people stop caring about the consentual acts that adults indulge in, but I don't see that happening.

 

[Astronuc]

...How are these things shaping our sexual future? And what else is currently shaping our sexual future in ways we don't realize?

It's pretty much up to my wife.

I bet Ivan is just waiting for his first homework assignment. :rofl:

 

[Ivan Seeking]

It's pretty much up to my wife.

:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: Yes, for us old married guys the question is rhetorical.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Considering that PF is a website populated with many young people, this really amazes me. This is the second time that I have started a thread about sex, and neither took off. However, when I start a thread about something like a giant whale fart, the thread takes off like a rocket.

I think there is a paper in this.

 

[verty]

Well sex or sexual attraction is the protocol that binds partners, it is nature's way of encouraging procreation, but it serves nature for much more than just procreation because it also what most relationships revolve around. If you think that's not true, consider how almost all relationships are sexually monogamous and you'll see the truth.

People now take sex out of context so it no longer plays that binding role, and as a result relationships don't have a good foundation anymore. If relationships are to work, another basis must be found to fill the void that liberated sex has left behind.

In an era of liberal sex, marriage is pretty much out of place. More than ever, one should find a good reason to get married, and one should build relationships on something other than sex. We must move on from these old habits.

So in the future I see sex and sexual diversity becoming more accepted, hopefully to the point where people start to see it for the commodity it is. It will then become common and tacky, not worthy of polite conversation. Relationships will hopefully find an intellectual basis and this lie of 'sexual compatibility' will die as it should. I suppose if this is the information age, we might call that the postsexual age, or even the intellectual age.

 

[SF]

Considering that PF is a website populated with many young people, this really amazes me. This is the second time that I have started a thread about sex, and neither took off. However, when I start a thread about something like a giant whale fart, the thread takes off like a rocket.

I think there is a paper in this.

One explanation is that the young people on PF don't really have sex :)

So in the future I see sex and sexual diversity becoming more accepted, hopefully to the point where people start to see it for the commodity it is. It will then become common and tacky, not worthy of polite conversation. Relationships will hopefully find an intellectual basis and this lie of 'sexual compatibility' will die as it should. I suppose if this is the information age, we might call that the postsexual age, or even the intellectual age.

Well, one example to ilustrate "the sex of the future" (LOL!) is Japan, where the young average joe is more into all the information technology progresses and stuff than Americans and Europeans are.
There was a movie running on the Internet a couple of months ago about a 500-people-orgy in japan, going on in this huuuge room or warehouse.

I do think tabus will indeed fade off and there won't be much "sexual incompatibility" since everyone will get to have a lot of "training" so they'll eventually get good at it.

We will still have a sexual hierarchy though. Sexuality is an instinctive feat and not a conscious decision (like marriage or relationships) and it's totally different from "romance".
"Alpha males" will still be "good with the chicks" (even better), but more "beta" and "omega" (emo) males will have sex with their corresponding females.

 

[Astronuc]

51% of Women Are Now Living Without Spouse

For what experts say is probably the first time, more American women are living without a husband than with one, according to a New York Times analysis of census results.

In 2005, 51 percent of women said they were living without a spouse, up from 35 percent in 1950 and 49 percent in 2000.

Coupled with the fact that in 2005 married couples became a minority of all American households for the first time, the trend could ultimately shape social and workplace policies, including the ways government and employers distribute benefits.

NYTimes, Jan 16, 2007 - Well there is the matter of statistics.

“A lot of my friends are divorced or single or living alone. I know a lot of people in their 30s who have roommates.” - EMILY ZUZIK, who has lived with a boyfriend twice.

Of course, lots of people just cohabit.

 

[baywax]

http://www.ejhs.org/volume2/history.htm

Valid concerns. Often scientists are not the most sociable of people. There is really nothing more social that sex. And, as Marty Klein, Ph.D points out the social practices of a society certainly have important implications on the variety of ways in which sex is practiced. The laboratory or the artifical environment created by sexologists where they study sex can never match the social environments where sexual encounters are initiated. These guys need to get out more.

 

[tehno]

Always interesting to talk about sex.
How the song goes?
"Let's talk about sex baby,let's talk about you and me,all the good things..."
or something like that (I forgot the rest of it (the song was very popular in my time when I was looking for a female (of any age between 15 and 55) to give me ,for the first time ,what all men want )).

It is strange I agree,if true,what Ivan said, about PF members being reluctant to post about this beautiful subject.
I can't explain that.They are all geeks and dorks?Not interested?I hope not!
Sex evolved during last 10 years into the new dimension->Cybersex .
That's the completely new aspect of the sex never seen before in the hystory of a mankind.
So what do you think about cybersex folks?
I would like to see your opinion on it.
I'm not interested about flow of informations ( who is doing with whom,where and how,etc) but more about global phenomenon.
Is it bad,is it good,is it good for your relationship in the reality,or is it sick (virtual partners)...
One way or another ,significant percentage of people consume it.

 

[verty]

It's good in that it separates sex from nature, but it isn't good in and of itself.

 

[JasonRox]

To be honest, I think sex topics don't thrive because most younger people here probably don't get it.

I've seen topics such as "I can't get a girl." and "I'm anti-social." strive, which basically means that most members don't get laid. So, a sex topic is just something they can't connect to.

Personally, I think the world of sex, at my age, is just about perfect. Of course there are girls who do lots of guys, and same for guys. The thing is that there is also a lot of strong respectful girls and guys with integrity who are open sexually. Before, if you were one of them and wanting to explore and take part in the act, you had a hard time finding a good strong girl to do it with. It's not like that anymore really. They still don't hand it out like candy. You have to prove yourself worthy. Unlike before, it seemed like you had to wait a year atleast even though you might have proved your worthinesss in the first month.

The scary part is that girls much younger than I seem a lot easier. I can meet one that is like 17-18, and basically, you can do them that night if you wanted too. Lots more are leaving high school with more sexual experience than ever. I don't consider that a good thing. Having sex as a teenager is fine by me, but like 5-10 partners before graduating. That's just ridiculous.

Note: I would not touch those girls because I am much older. The best thing to do is ignore them really. You can tell them you're much older, but it goes from one ear and out the other.

 

[cristo]

I think you've got a very valid point, Jason, although your choice of words may be a bit blunt in places! I think the main reason for more people being sexually open in their university years, is that they have grown up seeing that there is nothing wrong with sex, and are encouraged more to talk openly about the subject. Like you say, though, the majority of girls don't hand it out that easily, but when you have "proven yourself" they're less likely to take a long time. I think this is because, again, nowadays, our age group (I'm guessing you're twenty-something here!) realize that there is nothing wrong with casual sex, and one doesn't get frowned upon from ones peers for partaking in the act.

I join your worry about the fact that younger girls are a lot easier! 17/18 year old girls seem more and more attracted to older guys (I remember when I was in school, at about 16/17, a lot of girls were with guys 3 or more years older than them). I don't know whether this has always been the case, but nowadays girls don't seem afraid of expressing, and acting upon it! But like you said; it's best to ignore them!

 

[baywax]

You want to know more about sex? Join a band man!

Actually I thought about this thread and realized the perhaps the question can be bent to encompass the fear of STDs. What is the future of sex if these STDs are to continue cramping everyone's style?

 

[JasonRox]

You want to know more about sex? Join a band man!

Actually I thought about this thread and realized the perhaps the question can be bent to encompass the fear of STDs. What is the future of sex if these STDs are to continue cramping everyone's style?

This is exactly why I talked about my generation isn't going around with anyone. Well, some people are, but that group of people that respect themselves.

I'd hate to see how fast STD's grow in the new generation.

 

[pf21avs]

I'm 17 and sadly not a virgin anymore and I agree that sex is becoming more accepted by society. In part I think that's because especially in my neck of the woods it is a lot more liberal of a city. Conservative minding folks and towns probably have diffferent points of views and there's nothing wrong with taht. But this new generation of kids are ushering in this sense of feeling that everything is acceptable and you should be ashamed of anything. I know for a fact taht atleast 60-70% of kids are now leaving high school devirginated I think that's proof of sex being more accepted by society starting with the LCD (or in this case the future... TEENS).

 

[JasonRox]

I'm 17 and sadly not a virgin anymore and I agree that sex is becoming more accepted by society. In part I think that's because especially in my neck of the woods it is a lot more liberal of a city. Conservative minding folks and towns probably have diffferent points of views and there's nothing wrong with taht. But this new generation of kids are ushering in this sense of feeling that everything is acceptable and you should be ashamed of anything. I know for a fact taht atleast 60-70% of kids are now leaving high school devirginated I think that's proof of sex being more accepted by society starting with the LCD (or in this case the future... TEENS).

Why do you say "sadly not a virgin"?

You regret it? If not, don't act like it.

 

[pf21avs]

Why do you say "sadly not a virgin"?

You regret it? If not, don't act like it.

What makes you think I don't regret it. Yeah it felt great and everything but there's a certain part of me that's sad that I am apart of the IMO sinful majority and that's why I put sadly not a virgin. I see you have an excellent talent at nitpicking.

 

[light_bulb]

the future of sex before or after marriage, because if it's before it's the same as it ever was as far as i know. after well let's just say if you can't keep your man satisfied you've or rather he has the internet. the first thing EVERY guy I've known who's gotten a computer does is check out the porn.

lol

 

[JasonRox]

What makes you think I don't regret it. Yeah it felt great and everything but there's a certain part of me that's sad that I am apart of the IMO sinful majority and that's why I put sadly not a virgin. I see you have an excellent talent at nitpicking.

Make it clear that you are regretful of it, which you did.

It's totally fine to be regretful, but it say it proudly like you have values and are respectful of yourself.

Be proud that you acknowledge your mistake, and have reflected on it. To be scared to share it with people and yourself. People are proud to love their virginity, then why not be regretful about it and be proud of yourself for acknowledging that.

 

[baywax]

This is exactly why I talked about my generation isn't going around with anyone. Well, some people are, but that group of people that respect themselves.

I'd hate to see how fast STD's grow in the new generation.

You mean your generation isn't going around with each other?

I'm not sure what you mean but I know there are many who have come up through the trenches of STD warfare. They're armed with condoms, spermacides, Lysol and latex body suits filled with bleaching powder.
This is enough to put anyone off what some view as a 'traditional" form of sex. In fact preventative measures could be dictating future traditions of fetishes and social interactions that no one could have predicted.

STDs appear to have a tendency to bloom then back-off for a while then bloom again in the human population. This could be in accordance with how educated and communicative a generation, nation or culture is during any given moment or political term.

The worst scenario is to have a religiously fanatic group genetically engineer STDs to stop any "forbidden" sex acts from taking place. There is a conspiracy theory that blames AIDS on a similar scenario. What if all the religions and morality police started pumping out viruses that scare or even kill sexually active people? It wouldn't be so surprising these days. There's all sorts of little Hitlers running around.

 

[verty]

Okay, let me reign this in. The future of sex is that it becomes accepted to the point of being mundane, something not worth talking about. In the past, kissing a girl was something to brag about, now it is incredibly mundane.

When it becomes mundane, it will be okay to have it or not to have it. There shouldn't be pressure on young people to indulge in it, but of course that is not to say they won't, but just to say that it won't be a big deal. But hopefully people will see relationships as not having much to do with sex; this will be infinitely better than what happens now.

Every time I hear another stupid love song I get annoyed. It's like "baby, you make me hot, I want to marry you". I can't wait to see the back of it.

 

[JasonRox]

Haha, yeah I know what you mean. Relationships can be really dependent on sex these days. If it's only for fun, that's fine. It's better than switching partners every weekend. This is a safe out to enjoy the act. By taking someone you're attracted to and enjoy doing it with.

 

[baywax]

Okay, let me reign this in. The future of sex is that it becomes accepted to the point of being mundane, something not worth talking about. In the past, kissing a girl was something to brag about, now it is incredibly mundane.

When it becomes mundane, it will be okay to have it or not to have it. There shouldn't be pressure on young people to indulge in it, but of course that is not to say they won't, but just to say that it won't be a big deal. But hopefully people will see relationships as not having much to do with sex; this will be infinitely better than what happens now.

Every time I hear another stupid love song I get annoyed. It's like "baby, you make me hot, I want to marry you". I can't wait to see the back of it.

Cool take on this.

The evolution of attitudes toward sex and the general intermingling of genders seems to progress toward less restriction after some time. When you look at Victorian values and morals you see a lot of similarities to Middle Eastern practices. Veils were a part of everyday dress in Victorian times, hiding the exciting features of the eyes, lips, jawline and everything. This continues today in many towns throughout the middle east. The origin of these traditions may b e the same and may be different. Seeing a women's ankles was almost like viewing pornography.

It might be a sign of a healthy society when restrictive gender separation policies are rejected by it. But you can also see that there might be an increase in violations that can come with lax attitudes toward sex and a individual expression. And there's always the money motive that seems to supercede morals, rights and everything else.

While socially accepted restrictions on sexual practice may hurt a society's progress there is also truth in the saying "haste makes waste". Children are the ultimate, lasting result of sex. When a society's morals and values have relaxed to the point of abandoning the results of sex (children) in pursuit of more sex, progress basically stops and begins to slide backward.

 

[light_bulb]

i detect some snide... anyhow i don't know about you but I'm old enough to know what's right and i do respect myself, as far as i know i have no kids running around and no stds and after 21 no sex partners and the few i did were for experimentation/ breaking me in lol. the thing in life i would take back are a few small moments in time.

 

[JasonRox]

i detect some snide... anyhow i don't know about you but I'm old enough to know what's right and i do respect myself, as far as i know i have no kids running around and no stds and after 21 no sex partners and the few i did were for experimentation/ breaking me in lol. the thing in life i would take back are a few small moments in time.

Old enough to know what's right?

I don't think age is a pre-requisite.

 

[Averagesupernova]

Let me take this thread a step back. Ivan, exactly what direction do you want this thread to take? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I seriously want to know. I'm not afraid to talk about ANYTHING when it comes to sex, although there are quite likely things out there that are new to me. I find in real day to day life that those who offer stories about their experiences are in fact quite inexperienced. I don't mind talking, but I'd prefer to be asked.

 

[baywax]

The majority of marrages offer a good example of "the future of sex".
Non-existent.

 

[verty]

Experience is not everything, of course. It isn't a competition (well perhaps it is but for the wrong reasons).

 

[SF]

http://www.snopes.com/weddings/newlywed/advice.asp
Women of PF, follow the advices on that page and you can't miss! :D:D

 

[tehno]

Okey,It's just 99%

Experience is not everything, of course.

Uh..I find the practice much more important than theory.

 

[Ivan Seeking]

Let me take this thread a step back. Ivan, exactly what direction do you want this thread to take? I'm not trying to be a smart ass, I seriously want to know. I'm not afraid to talk about ANYTHING when it comes to sex, although there are quite likely things out there that are new to me. I find in real day to day life that those who offer stories about their experiences are in fact quite inexperienced. I don't mind talking, but I'd prefer to be asked.

Oh, threads tend to take on a life of their own, which is fine, so I didn't have a set idea of where this would go, but I was wondering what most influences your ideas and attitude about sex, what you see influencing others, and where you think technology and the age of information will take us, sexually.

 

[SF]

Let's face it, physics fans just aren't having enough sex to talk about it :D. Natural selection will rule physicists out :p