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Human Sexuality exam 2
exam 2 review
35
Anthropology
Undergraduate 4
04/11/2012

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Cards

Term
Performativity
Definition
-created byJudith Butler in the 90s
-Gender is something we do, not who we are(reaction to society and culture)
-Rewards/Sanctions for doing it right or wrong
-Learned through dominant discourse
-Stable core self is non-existant
Term
Sexual Culture
Definition
-Gives Sexuality meaning
-Based on cultural history, knowledge, power, sociality, and developement of personhood
different cultures give different meanings to the same sexual act
Term
Ethographic Present
Definition
-culture presents as it is, always has been and always will be
-anthropoligists largely absent from ethnography
-aspect of postmodern critique
-description of a culture as it was prior to contact
Term
Heterosexuality
Definition
-attraction to the opposite sex
-largely unquestioned form of sexuality
-dominant orientation in current discourse
Term
Sexual Orientation
Definition
-sexual preference/desire for members of the same or opposite gender(hetero/homo-sexuality)
-current discourse suggests this is necessary
-one must choose a sexuality, resulting in binary or categorical language
Term
Reflexivity
Definition
-ability to stand back and asses aspects of one's own behavior, society, culture, etc. in relation to such factors as thier motivations, origins, meanings, etc
-Anthropologists including themselves in thier ethnography
-the affect of the environment around them, and vice versa
Term
Onabe
Definition
-Japanese identity
-Biological woman dresses and acts like a man, dating women
-Not seen as women, don't see themselves as women
Term
Same-sex Behavior
Definition
-engaging in sex acts w/ someone of your own sex(biologically male or female- not necassarilly same as same-gender behavior)
-Often called homosexuality
-can occur in a variety of contexts
Term
Erotic Subjectivity
Definition
-idea that anthropologists will be sexual, gendered, desiring player in flieldwork
-part of reflexivity
-allows asking of questions that have never before been asked
Term
Desire
Definition
-often seen as the reason for sexual acts and identity
-desire=identity=behavior
-some cultures don't have links between sexual desire or acts and identity
Term
Postmodernism/Postmodern critique
Definition
-shift in the way people think about the placement of anthropologsts in thier work
-questioning objective reality and discoverable "truth"
-Anthropology questions
~academia's right to do anthropology
~way ethnograpies are written
-Results in more reflexivity
Term
Seman Exchange
Definition
-"Ritualized Homosexuality"> Herdt
-commodity in Sambian culture
-5 types of value exchange
~erotic play, procreation, growth, strength, spirituality
Term
Homosexuality
Definition
-being sexually attracted or engaging in sexual relations w/ members of one's own gender
-Assumes same-sex behavior is the result of homoerotic behavior and desire
Term
Identity
Definition
-identify w/ and/or embracing a particular sexual orientation
-based on sexual behavior/orientation
-dynamic, according to postmodernism
-traditionally static and discoverable
Term
How did the postmodern critique impact antrhopological discussions of sexuality?
Definition
-Antrhopologists began to question objectivity of thier work
-Which is better: objectivity or subjectivity?
-scientific nature came into question and the ethnographer role of observer changed to participant
Term
In what ways do humans use language and communication to negotiate sexual identity?
Definition
-some cultures have strongly gendered language which can shape identity
EX: the Japanese language has various personal pronouns. More than what west would see as "just lesbian"
Term
How do culture notions of the self influence notions of sex and sexuality?
Definition
-if "self" is a static core identity, so is sexuality(something to be discovered)
-If "self" is dynamic so is sexuality
-sex isn't always connected to "self", as it can be an act separate from identity: EX= Sambian seman exchange
Term
What do we mean when we say hetero/homo-sexuality had to be invented?
Definition
-same sex/opposite sex relations and their meanings vary over different cultures
-Westerners create labels and names to categorize, but other cultures do not do the same or play upon the same meanings
-by naming and labeling we create "norms" and things that go against the "norms"
Term
Be able to discuss some of the issues raised by Herdt's work with the Sambia:
Definition
-Homosexuality
-Pedaphelia
-Commodity
-Play,Strength, Growth, Reproduction, Spirituality
Term
Discuss ways anthropolgists have discussed same-sex behavior.
Definition
-question whether it is homosexuality
-idetifier of desire or orientation?
Term
Discuss Butler's notion of performativity.
Definition
-gender isn't something we are, it's what we do
-socially and culturally shaped and projected
-rewarded for doing what is "right"
-suggests ther is no core "self" or gender
-people act in a way that makes this performace seem more organic and real
Term
What does Herdt mean by sexual culture?
Definition
-gives sex and sexuality meaning
-shaped by history, power dynamics, developements of self, etc
-makes certain acts mean different things in different cultures
Term
What are challenges of studying same-sex behaviors cross-culturally?
Definition
-risk of applying own culture and assumptions
-seen when Herdt named the semen exchange in Sambian culture "ritualized homosexuality"
Term
What is the cultural importance of semen exchange practices?
Definition
-provides strength and allows growth, reproduction, and spirituality
-can also be erotic play(note that in western culture semen exchange is for erotic and repreoductive reasons)
Term
Are the semen exchange practices "sex"?
Definition
-appears as "sex" as we know it
-as an exchange of commodity it is not really "sex"
Term
Are the semen exchange practices pedophelia?
Definition
No because:
-in Sambian culture it is expected at a young age(a taken for granted part of life)
-it is a norm as consensual and beneficial
-they would not see it as pedophelia
Term
How do anthropologists demonststrate reflexivity in their work?
Definition
-admitting that they are a part of their work and explaining the affects of their presence
EX: Blackwood and Valentine
Term
Critiques of reflixivity in anthropological writing?
Definition
-it allows too much subjectivity
-should be objective and not inclusive to personal experience
Term
How does Butler's notion of performativity challenge dominant discourse about gender and sexuality?
Definition
-challenges the discourse of the "nature" of gender roles and sexuality and core identity
Term
What might Foucault say about Butler's performativity?
Definition
-agree that gender and sexuality are projected by society and culture
-subject to the forces of these components
Term
How do Onabe understand their gender and sexuality?
Definition
-it is expressed
-see themselves as stright males with female bodies and have relationships with women
-express not being effiminate or having the gender qualities of a woman
Term
Difficulties in understanding same-sex and gender variant behavior cross-culturally?
Definition
-risk of applying own culture
-Herdt
-westerners have a hard time looking outside cultures that go against binary
-result in communication barriers in studies
Term
Should we understand same-sex behaviors cross-culturally as being "homosexuality"?
Definition
-unless the culture under study sees it as homosexuality this can't be percieved as such
-there are different meaning attatched to homosexuality that may not apply cross-culturally
Term
How does the western notion of the self influence our understnadings of sexual behavior?
Definition
-common equation is desire=behavior which functions as an identifier
-result is that "people perform sexual acts based upon their desire which is connected to identity"
Term
Critiques of:
desire=behavior=identity
Definition
-denotes to stable idea of self and linear equation to identity
-often, this process is not so linear
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