Human Sexuality- Prostitution - Essay Example

HUMAN SEXUALITY: PORNOGRAPHY The focal point of this paper is to ascertain whether if nonviolent pornography harmful to either gender or not. To ascertain this problem it is important to investigate into the psychological variable of the human nature from the social aspects of human sexuality as the variables relating to pornography yields from these two aspects. Out of this the aspect of sociological context is the most important of all because every move made by an individual is done as a part of the social structure and defining the social trends relating to sexuality and intimacy would yield the result concerning pornography. Fundamentally, it could be stated that the answers lies in the different sociological factors that has dominant influence on the human mind in relation to pornography like prostitution, adolescent malfunction, marriage, concept of love, homosexuality and various sexual perversions. It could be stated that the history of pornography can be traced back to the site of prostitution. It should be remembered that during the excavation at the site of Pompeii a roman brothel was found which an all kind of sexual activities depicted on the wall. One of them included a man having sexual act with a goat and several had polygamous scenario. In another site in India near Tamluk several terracotta plates were excavated that has varieties of sexual orientations engraved on it including woman having sexual act with a dog or fox. That site was identified as a brothel. Though the sex manual of 400 AD India (Crooks, 2005) was not pornography but a philosophy concerning sexuality, it should be remembered that the site of this text was a brothel in Pataliputra. Thus the connection between pornography and prostitution could be well established. It is obvious that the establishment of prostitution was often implemented by the local rulers for various motives but it is true at the same time that these prostitutions only yielded detrimental effects on the society by harvesting different sexual disease like syphilis more often than not. The spreading of these diseases is the direct implant of prostitutions and pornography is the indirect effect that instigated the general mass into visiting the brothels. The same is more or less true in modern times as it has been found that almost 90% of the regular visitors of brothels are user of pornography. Thus, pornography, non violent or not is a serious injury to the decency of the society along with prostitution. (Dos, 2006) It is obvious sexuality is a normal course of action of a human body and it is prevalent all along, or most of the life of a human being. In due course of action the emergence of sexual feelings starts with the aspects of puberty and this is the time one gets interested into sexual motifs if not directly into sexual acts. Adolescence is that time of human body when one gets interested into sexual pleasure. But this also the time of development of the mind and intellect that would be so vital for the society in tie to come. Logically, this era should be well nurtured and cared and shaped into a perfect future but it has been found that pornography often instigates these juvenile members of the society into premature indulgence into sexual acts. (Dos, 2006) Adolescences are mostly drawn towards pornography. It has been found that adolescents who are not exactly normal in the context of social structure are the most logical readers of pornography. It is hard to ascertain that Adolescences stuck to pornography are more inclined to abnormal social behaviors or abnormal social behaviors among Adolescences lead to pornography. But it is true that whether, directly or indirectly, there are many short and long term affects of victimization especially in relation to pornography and adolescence. Adolescence carries many different emotional and physical responses to biological changes in children and these changes can be affected by violence and abuse sustained by the adolescent. The statistics that have been formulated in regard to continuations of violence and the sources of the violent behavior have become staggering. Experts amidst researchers and policymakers have managed considerable thought toward understanding how short and long term victimization changes adolescents and influences abuse, including drugs, alcohol, and other substance abuse along with mental health difficulties and most of the links are found to be related to pornography. In other words, surveys show that these Adolescences going through difficult time often find solace in pornography. (Dollard, 2003) Whether this is a good or bad instigation is certainly a different question. However, the understanding of immediate affects abuse would have, how it relates to voluntary behaviors, how victimization translates from adolescence to adulthood, and how it affects adulthood as a whole would be the main focus. Being a victim of crime is a common experience for both adolescents and adults. (Fletcher, 2003) Victimization happens more to adolescents than it does to adults. The outcomes of being a victim of crime tend to be stronger among adolescent victims than adult victims. According to the National Youth Survey study they examined the consequences of adolescent victimization. The survey seems to focus on how being a victim of crime during the adolescent years seems to affect the negative outcomes when they become an adult and about 95% of the population showed affection towards pornography. It was also found that the population among girls with a liking to pornography was about 86% where the ratio of boys showing a liking towards pornography was 98%. These negative outcomes include voluntary behaviors (e.g., committing crime, using illicit drugs) and involuntary outcomes (e.g., mental health problems). Thus, as per as Adolescences are concerned it could be stated that pornography has its effects on these population even though it is uncertain that it is directly ramifying or not. However, it can be well ascertained that even if pornography is not directly linked with the abnormalities among Adolescences it can always be mentioned that it has its indirect affects on this age limit. (Kar, 2006) In the context of pornography and adults it is no different either. But before surveying the influence of pornography within the population of adults it is important to look into the married lives as this portion of activities tends to absorb most of the sexual need of a human being there by causing less intervention of pornography into the strata. Given the fact that romantic love is largely ignored in most of the world, one must wonder why this ideal holds such enormous sway in Western countries. The reason, insist the sociologists, is that it appears to have the following rudimentary functions in preserving the institution of the nuclear family. Here the transfer of loyalties includes Romantic love that allows the young partners to loosen their bonds with their family of orientation. There is also the Emotional support that romantic love offers the couple intimate emotional support needed to persevere through difficult periods. The incentive to marriage is backed by Romantic love and promotes marriage, even though the institution is generally ridden with difficulties. Thus, despite the West’s adoration of romantic love, marriage in these various societies nevertheless abounds with economic, political, and social considerations. (Dollard, 2003) As Hilary M. Lips notes in her work, Sex and Gender: An Introduction, the terms of the marriage contract are not negotiated by the two partners. (Fletcher, 2003) In contrast, they are legal rights and responsibilities mandated by the government. Such terms include how property is shared during the marriage and divided upon divorce, sexual exclusivity, monetary support, inheritance, the duties of the offspring, and even the woman’s right to keep her own name. As a result the aspect of pornography is loosely attached as there is enough indulgence to opt for sexual self satisfaction. Still, it is found that about 38% of the single mothers are attached to pornography. This quite a high number as the average age of single mothers in the survey was around 30 the time sexuality is supposed to come down if there are enough substantial work and environment pressure or involvement. (Kar, 2006) However, it should be mentioned that marriage in the Western culture, in addition, is still laced with patriarchal notions. The idea that women are subordinate to their husbands is even today built into the marriage contract in many jurisdictions. Women in the United States, for example, still do most of the housework, even though a great number of them actually have jobs outside the home. Although the roles of fathers are changing, primary responsibility for the care of children still rests with the mother in Western society. This applies to both women with jobs and without jobs. Apparently, gender roles die hard. Given the many problems that are associated with marriage, it is not so surprising that many young people in Western societies- which, to a great extent, now values individual fulfillment over traditions- have become disillusioned with the institution of marriage. This has resulted in the surging of non-traditional social structures. Divorce used to be quite rare, but now, it is extremely common. In fact, half of all new marriages in the United States will end in divorce. Divorce rates are not just rising in the United States, however. (Fletcher, 2003) In the Soviet Union, for example, only 37 percent of marriages survive three years, and 70 percent break up within a decade. Men and women tend to divorce their spouses for different reasons. Women can claim a variety of reasons for seeking a separation from their spouses. Such reasons include physical, emotional, or mental abuse, heavy substance abuse, infidelity, sexual problems, or lack of support. Men seeking divorce from their wives complain of nagging, a dull sex life, or meddling in-laws. Women usually are more dissatisfied and find more fault with their marriages than men do. It must be added that the majority of men and women do eventually remarry. However, remarriages often fail as well. Divorced women with higher incomes and educations frequently delay remarrying, and many of these successful women never remarry. Remarriages tend to be more gratifying for the husbands than for the wives, just as is the case with first marriages. In cases of divorced women above 35 it was found that the affection towards pornography was quite low. It was estimated that only 225 of the divorced women aging around 35 use pornography for stimulation. But in struck contrast it was found that men of the same marital status of the same age boundary use pornography around the ratio of 77%. (Kar, 2006) Another growing sexual trend is unmarried heterosexual cohabitation. Cohabitation is actually a very old practice. Hundreds of years ago, Peruvian Indians practiced it to give the man’s family time to assess his mate’s ability to handle both household chores and field work. Many Americans, however, view “living together” as being a “less-than-reputable” arrangement. This view is slowly changing as cohabitation becomes more and more common. However, in the present era we can see that this form is well accepted within the society. (King, 2001) Sociologists describe five types of cohabitation relationships. One of them is Temporary, casual, convenience relationships. In this arrangement, a man and a woman share the same residence because it is advantageous do so. The second one is affectionate, going-together relationships. Here, the couple resides together because each partner enjoys the other’s company. The third form is Trial marriage and the fourth one is temporary alternative to marriage. In this scenario, the couple intends to marry. They are simply waiting for a convenient time to do so. The fifth form is permanent or semi-permanent alternative to marriage. Here, the couple has a long-term, committed relationship. Although the relationship is similar to marriage, there are no legal or religious sanctions involved. It could be ascertained that all these marriages end up in satisfying sexual intercourse but the paradox lies here. About 80% of all couples below 30 irrespective of the form of marriage use pornography as a stimulus. On the other hand about 67% of couples around 35 use pornography and only 29% above the age of 45 takes help of pornography. It should be remembered that this use of pornography is mostly targeted towards mutual stimulation with mutual consents. In a way it may appear that pornography is helping the couples to gather momentum in their sexual act but if we keep in mind the sharp decline of sexual frequency in accordance to time we would see that pornography is actually a detrimental factor to sexual life. Survey reported that 67% couples above the age of 30 actually indulge into intercourse only twice a week and 15% only once a week. Thus we can see that there is a sharp fall of sexual act among couples who indulge into sexual acts with the help of pornography during the early stages of their married and sexual lives. (Kar, 2006) Coming back to the demography of marriage, which is so very important for ascertaining the momentum or lack of it caused by pornography, it should be stated that not surprisingly, the young people in the United States are most accepting of cohabiting. Generally, cohabitants have lower rates of religious affiliation, are more likely to be urbanites or suburbanites, are liberal, and often engage in “unconventional” behaviors. Although cohabitants often consider themselves to be androgynous, studies have shown that this perception is not completely true. They still tend to perform household chores in the traditional way. Women still do the vast majority of the housework. (King, 2001) Another social structure important to ascertaining the effects of pornography is singlehood. It is growing in popularity for women in the Western democracies. For women, marriage- and even cohabitation- have serious drawbacks. Marriage, in particular, comes with an assortment of social sanctions that many women find to be constraining. Women usually lose their last names, having to assume the last names of their mates. Career-oriented women believe that assuming a family would be a detriment to their professional advancement. Many women- with justification- would feel burdened by doing the housework not only for herself, but also for her husband and children. Also, by assuming a committed relationship, a woman makes herself vulnerable to the grim possibilities of physical, emotional, and mental abuse. Single is an umbrella term that includes persons who are divorced, widowed, or have never married. Singles now make up a considerable portion of the U.S. population. While some persons belonging to this group are unhappy with their single status, or ambivalent about it, large numbers are undeniably happy with this particular lifestyle choice. (King, 2001) It is here the variables of pornography come into play. At present it is a billion dollar industry cumulatively comes only after the business of drug trafficking. But pornography does have its toll on these single uses. In every industrialized nation, premature death rates are higher for single persons than for married adults. The lifestyle choice appears to be especially perilous for men backed by the ill effects of pornography. Single men usually score lower on indices of health and well-being than married men, married women, and even single women. This is another indication of the unhealthy lifestyles depending on pornography. Married adults generally are happier and possess greater mental health. However, many singles genuinely enjoy their unique statuses in society. It must be pointed out that most single people are not particularly unhappy with their lives. Single women can fare especially well. They tend to have rich, intimate friendships to replace male partners. Here the survey among happier single males accounted that only 17% of this specific population actually use pornography for self stimulation for sexual acts. (Kar, 2006) Apart from these variables many other non-traditional family structures exist. They include single-parent families, reconstituted families, and childless couples. These options can be quite popular with both men and women. Their popularity stems (again) from dissatisfaction with traditional marriage. Additional reasons for the breakdown of marriages include stress on the nuclear family, the fading of romantic love, the changing role of women, and sexual permissiveness. Americans, in particular, are socialized into the expectation that romantic love lasts forever. This is not so; romantic love tends to be replaced with less-exciting companionable love. Americans are not socialized to expect or accept companionable love. (Lamb, 2004) Perhaps the most tumultuous challenge to traditional marital arrangements is the rise of homosexual relationships. In the United States, some studies have suggested that the gay and lesbian population hovers about 10 percent. Nevertheless, homosexuality has always been controversial. American conservatives, both male and female, find the lifestyle abhorrent, in large part because the Bible tends to discourage it. Right-wing theorist Bob Barr insists that the legalization of gay marriage would degrade American culture to the point that Americans would begin to accept polygamy and incest. Another conservative, Donald DeMarco, insists that homosexual love is “not true love”. But whatever the sociological context is it has been found that the use of pornography is wide and far spread among gay and lesbians. It is reported that about 77% of all homosexual couples above the age of 35 and about 84% of all lesbian and gay singles above the age of 40 use pornography. (Kar, 2006) It can be mentioned that both the statistics are higher than the straight counterparts. It is possible that the use of pornography instigates these people to live a life as they live. However, it should be remembered that homosexuals tend to use pornography that depicts pornographic description of lesbian or gay sexual acts. Nevertheless, there are, in fact, many fine things to say about homosexual relationships. Homosexual feelings are normal; many people find themselves on a homosexual-heterosexual continuum. Sociologists have found that homosexual relationships tend to be more egalitarian than heterosexual ones, with both members equally sharing the housework. Furthermore, homosexual relationships resemble ordinary relationships in many ways. Like heterosexual couples, gay and lesbian couples highly value child-rearing, teaching responsibilities to the young people, and caring for one another. In this respect, though the use of pornography is high the homosexual tend to score higher in terms of happiness index than their straight counterparts. It could be mentioned that men and women may share many similar responses to emotional intimacy, marriage, and divorce, but the same cannot be said of sexuality. Even in modern industrialized nations, marked differences exist between males and females in regards to sex. (Lamb, 2004) For one thing, men tend to be far more permissive in regards to sexual matters than women. Men are far more likely than women to masturbate regularly, to engage in extensive premarital sex, to go to strip clubs, and to use pornography. One important reason why women tend to be more sexually conservative than males is the possibility of pregnancy. Pregnancy and child-rearing require enormous resources; therefore, females do not want to risk unwanted pregnancies. This translates into a general reluctance to engage in casual sexual relationships. However, it must be noted that, because of contraception, abortion, and changing mores, women in industrialized societies are beginning to mimic the sexual behaviors of men. The infamous “double standard,” which stigmatized “loose” women, appears to be eroding to a considerable extent. While it is true that the barriers that differentiated the sexual lives of males and females are eroding, it is also true that it is, overwhelmingly, men who suffer from sexual disorders, and who engage in unhealthful sexual deviations. It is mostly males who experience sexual dysfunction. It is also mostly males who engage in sexual deviations that the majority of persons find to be unhealthful, bizarre, and even grossly immoral or destructive. And on each occasion it has been found that these people have an additive fascination towards pornography. Speaking of deviations it could be mentioned that these include acts like Rape, Fetishism, Transvestism, Transexualism, Exhibitionism, Voyeurism, Sadism, incest and Masochism. (Dollard, 2003) Police activity reveals that on arrest it was fond that most of the perverts caught in these acts had pornography in their apartments. The interesting fact is that these people had pornography relating to the same crime they were into. Thus it could be easily ascertained that pornography was the main cause that induced them to act in the manner they did. At present, this theory of pornography acting as an instigation holds good because psychologists are not sure why these disorders and deviations take place, and why men almost exclusively engage in them. (Lamb, 2004) Sadly, much of humans’ preoccupations with love, romance, marriage, and sexuality end with bitterness and disappointment. However, perhaps it is proper to end this paper on a positive note. While disappointments are inevitable, amorous feelings are among the most supremely pleasurable experiences. Happy relationships provide human beings, both male and female, with hope, exhilaration, intellectual stimulation, exciting, satisfying sex, and vital emotional support. Above all, the human preoccupations with sex and companionship are normal and natural and in this context it is relevant to mention that pornography should be avoided because it is detrimental for the human mind and ramifying for the body, even if it is non violent in nature. References: Crooks, R & Baur, K; (2005); Our Sexuality; (9th Ed.); Pacific Grove, CA: Wadsworth Group Dos, M; (2006); The Future of Thought Process; Alliance Publications. Dollard, John; (2003); Frustration and Aggression; New Haven and London: Yale University Press. Fletcher, R; (2003); Beliefs and Knowledge: Believing and Knowing; Howard & Price. Kar, P; (2006); Social Surveys on the US Today; HBT & Brooks Ltd King, H; (2001); History of Pornography and related application of Psychology; Dasgupta & Chatterjee Lamb, Davis; (2004); Cult to Culture: The Development of Civilization on the Strategic Strata; National Book Trust. Read More