Adolescent sexuality

The reader is offered a contemporary view of adolescent sexuality, which has evolved into new forms of sexual behavior, in response to current shifts of values and societal realities. The current phenomena of excalating sexually transmitted diseases and teen-age pregnancy and parenthood are examined. The recent developments in clinicians views about homosexuality and heterosexuality are also offered. A case of more optimal adolescent heterosexual activity is presented, depicting the accompanying self questioning, uncertainties, passions and inner musings, regarding a male adolescent's sense of self and self object choices.in private practice     

Risk, sexuality and economy

From the mid 1980s onwards HIV/AIDS became a new subject of work reform, with a range of experts producing new knowledges on work and the worker in regard to HIV/AIDS and workplace organizations putting in place workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programmes. To date, much of the discussion in sociology in regard to such policies and programmes has focused on the issue of effectiveness and has been concerned with making such policy 'better'. In this article however, and with particular reference to sexuality, I suggest that such approaches fail to register that workplace HIV/AIDS policies concern new conceptualizations of worker identities. Specifically, I suggest that such policies may be viewed as part of an assemblage of work reforms which are reworking worker identities as risk identities. Thus I argue that workplace HIV/AIDS policies and programmes are best understood as risk rationalities. Further, I consider the alignment between such rationalities and neo-liberal modes of rule, and in particular consider the ways in which workplace HIV/AIDS policies render both HIV/AIDS and sexuality calculable and governable in terms of notions of risk, self-responsibility and self-management.     

Adolescent sexuality and peer pressure

It appears that adolescents are becoming sexually active at younger ages than in past generations. How much are they influenced by their peers to become sexually active? A study of 89 adolescent girls in a parochial high school in Manhattan showed that adolescent girls are influenced by their peers when they decide to become sexually active; however, they do not see themselves influenced by their peers. Adolescents appear to have internalized their peers opinions. If adolescents are becoming sexually active at younger ages, they need to be given adequate information to allow them to make informed decisions about their behavior; thus balancing the influence of peer groups.     

Medicalizations and demedicalizations of sexuality therapies

This article complicates recent discussions about the expanding zones and influences of medicalization and biomedicalization on sexuality and sex therapy by contextualizing them with competing nonmedicalizing trends. These latter developments include an escalating nonexpert commercial sexuality sector on the Internet, as well as a long history of anarchic and democratizing social politics, such as "the counterculture" and "free love movements." What these nonmedicalizing trends have in common is the view of sexual problems and solutions as far broader than sexual dysfunctions and sex therapies, a belief in the social determinants of individuals' sexual experiences, and a deep concern regarding the socially harmful consequences of medicalization. With the quantity of sexuality information and advice available to the public through the Internet only likely to expand, a long era of clashing claims about relations between sexuality and health and about the role of expertise in sexual life can be foreseen.     

巴勒斯坦非政府组织:类别与功能

20世纪六十年代以来,巴勒斯坦非政府组织得到很大发展并且日渐成熟.它们不仅在巴勒斯坦的社会和经济发展中扮演重要角色,而且在巴勒斯坦建国.巴民主进程以及巴以和平进程中都发挥着重要作用.在特殊的政治和社会环境下,巴非政府组织面临一系列挑战.但在推动国内政治和解以及巴以和平的进程中,巴非政府组织必须而且也有可能发挥更加积极和重要的作用.     

巴勒斯坦非政府组织：类别与功能

20世纪六十年代以来,巴勒斯坦非政府组织得到很大发展并且日渐成熟。它们不仅在巴勒斯坦的社会和经济发展中扮演重要角色,而且在巴勒斯坦建国、巴民主进程以及巴以和平进程中都发挥着重要作用。在特殊的政治和社会环境下,巴非政府组织面临一系列挑战。但在推动国内政治和解以及巴以和平的进程中,巴非政府组织必须而且也有可能发挥更加积极和重要的作用。     

The sociological construction of gender and sexuality

This essay considers how we might come to understand social constructionism sociologically. It examines a number of related approaches to gender and sexuality that speak to sociological concerns and might be termed social constructionist: historicism, symbolic interactionism, ethnomethodology and materialist feminism. By recognising that social constructionism is multifarious rather than unified, we find that each social constructionist approach offers particular strengths for analysing the complexities of gender and sexuality. Through closely analysing these approaches and some of the criticisms of them we can reassert sociology's specific contribution, and embrace social constructionist analyses which address the multilayered characteristics of the social in general and gender and sexuality in particular.     

Adolescent sexuality: gay and lesbian issues

Dynamics and interventions with adolescents who express concern regarding gay/lesbian issues are described, with a focus both intrapsychic and social. Both psychological and emotional aspects of sexual preference, and cultural and social expectations for those who identify themselves as gay or lesbian are considered.     

Eunuchoid sexuality in four syndromes

Using HTDM and SAM Questionnaires, heterosexual development and sexual activity were investigated in the following patients: two men with a Klinefelter syndrome associated with developmental anomalies of the penis, two patients with testicular agenesis, 14 men with hypogonadism, and three “fertile eunuchs.” Through comparison with a control group of 204 adult well‐developed, fertile, and potent men it was ascertained that the heterosexual development of the patients was distinctly retarded and that their sexual activity was lower. These insufficiencies in sex life were of the same character regardless of the diversity of etiopathogenetic mechanisms which had led to the disturbance of somatosexual development.     

Mass media influences on sexuality

The mainstream mass media (television, magazines, movies, music, and the Internet) provide increasingly frequent portrayals of sexuality. We still know relatively little about how this content is used and how it affects sexual beliefs and behaviors. The few available studies suggest that the media do have an impact because the media keep sexual behavior on public and personal agendas, media portrayals reinforce a relatively consistent set of sexual and relationship norms, and the media rarely depict sexually responsible models. More longitudinal research, especially with early adolescents is needed to learn more about how media content is attended to, interpreted, and incorporated into developing sexual lives.     

Biological factors in human sexuality

This paper considers a number of key concepts relevant to biological determinants of human sexuality, including sexual differentiation, brain mechanisms involved in sexual response, the role of sex hormones, and the sexual effects of drugs. The paper concludes with consideration of how little is known about the interaction between biology and culture in shaping human sexuality, and the need for research in this area.     

The relation between early abuse and adult sexuality

One thousand and thirty‐two (566 non‐Asian; 466 Asian) undergraduates were assessed in a confidential laboratory setting regarding levels of physical abuse, emotional abuse, sexual abuse, neglect, and a wide range of sexuality variables. The purpose was to examine relationships between specific forms of early abuse and later adult sexuality, and to assess potential gender and ethnic differences in these associations. Independent of other forms of abuse, sexual abuse in females was significantly positively related to sexual drive and experience, range of sexual fantasies, liberal sexual attitudes, frequency of intercourse and masturbation, and likelihood of engaging in unrestricted sexual behaviors and fantasies, and was negatively related to virginity status. Among males, emotional abuse was significantly associated with poor body image and sexual dissatisfaction, independent of the other forms of abuse. There were no significant differences in associations between early abuse and sexuality between persons of Southeast Asian and European ancestry.     

Methodology issues in studies of sexuality and hysterectomy

Eighteen studies concerning hysterectomy and female sexuality, published between 1950 and 1982, were critically analyzed. Inconsistent findings among the studies led to a search for an explanation for these discrepancies. Methodological and measurement problems, including definition of terms, data collection instruments and procedures, sampling approaches, and other factors were studied. Further research is needed to build a solid base of knowledge concerning the relationship between the variables of sexuality and hysterectomy.     

Predictors of father-son communication about sexuality

Examining the factors that influence adolescents' sexual behaviors is crucial for understanding why they often engage in risky sexual behaviors. Using social cognitive theory, we examined predictors of father-son communication about sexuality. Fathers (N=155) of adolescent sons completed a survey measuring 12 variables, including self-efficacy and outcome expectations. We found that (a) son's pubertal development, father's sex-based values, father's education; father's communication with his father, outcome expectations, and general communication accounted for 36% of the variance in information sharing communication and (b) son's pubertal development, outcome expectations, general communication, and father-son contact accounted for 20% of the variance in values sharing communication. Study findings can aid professionals in designing guidelines for programs to promote father-son general communication and sex-based communication.     

Categories of control: Foster children and ADHD

This paper explores the ways in which foster children and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) intersect as social and medical categories. Through the method of interpretive biography based on the official case file, this paper shows how the experiences of violence and ADHD become linked in the child's life through the emotion of anger. In this way, it is possible to see how the power dynamics of the medical, educational and welfare systems lock the diagnosis with its embedded meanings into the child's life. It is also possible to see how counter forces like a caring foster family can challenge medical and welfare authorities.