The Availability of Internet and Cyberporn - Essay Example

Human Sexuality Cyberporn Time magazine published the cover story: “On A Screen Near You: Cyberporn” on July 3, 1995. It explored the whole world of sexual images available in the Internet. Senator Exon, the one who introduced the amendments to the existing Communications Decency Act, said: “I knew it was bad, but then when I got on there, it made Playboy and Hustler look like Sunday School stuff.” The availability of Internet to almost all people, regardless of age, sex and location, made the information superhighway an avenue for the darker side of human sexuality (at least to the anti-cyberporn advocates). In the Internet, people can browse, watch and share images and videos that depict human sexuality in all its forms and this is dangerous. There is a debate about criminalizing or censoring these activities. I believe that one way or another a form of regulation should be legislated to address this problem. Sex and Dance According to anthropologist Judith Lynne Hanna (1988), “sexuality and dance share the same instrument – the human body.” (p. xiii) The body as the instrument is part of the message in an important nonverbal communication system. Human sexuality, just like the dance, enrich the discourse on male and female body images by emphasizing and clarifying how gender is socially and culturally constructed and transformed in a critical medium of human communication. In a specific relationship between dance and human sexuality, there is the communication variable in the dance that uses signs and symbols, many of which relate to sex and gender. Procreation Human sexuality gives rise to the potential of procreation that both links and separates humankind from the rest of the order of life. Human sexuality is oriented towards the perpetuation of the species and the rearing of an offspring and also, it is developed into the type of unity of persons which is achieved through love. In the latter, human sexuality indicates the participation of the humankind in the wider reality – that sexuality forms the dynamic that unites a man and a woman together in order to form a unity of persons. Procreation links the human race to the rest of the life order and the sharing of love makes the human sexual act unique, one of the main factors why humans are given a special status in creation. Playboy The Playboy magazine became some sort of a symbol of the sexual liberation in America and perhaps in the Western world since the 1950s. Every month, we are allowed a glimpse of what has been known as the Playboy philosophy – the iconoclastic human sexuality that is promiscuous and casual. In the magazine, sex and love or romance are separated: People are encouraged to pursue their wildest fantasies of sexual pleasure with the playmates of their choice. Playboy has been for men and this magazine has launched myriads of other magazines that cater to various sexual preferences – from normal sexual content to the perverse. The Playboy magazine along with scores of others in this genre, represent a facet of human sexuality that focuses on hedonistic desires and the priority of the pleasure of the immediate present moment over delayed gratification. Freud Sigmund Freud is perhaps the best representation of the human attempt to understand and make sense of human sexuality. On the whole, Freud saw the essential function of sexuality as being the relief of sexual tension upon which meaningful object relations might be superimposed. (Roith, p. 125) It was Freud’s study of human sexuality that led to the formulation of his theories such as the psychoanalysis. These theories are mostly seen as a reaction to the social repression of sex. Freud, up against the Victorian era, rightly was impressed by the importance of sex in human life. In his work, Freud taught us the ontogenetic and phylogenetic importance of sex. According C.g. Jung, “basically, he [Freud] wanted to teach – or so, at least, it seemed to me – that, regarded from within, sexuality included spirituality and had an intrinsic meaning.” (Jung, p. 150-153) Interview: On Human Sexuality and Marriage A friend of mine described human sexuality as the basis for marriage. In his religion marriage is described as a sacrament and defined as a permanent, exclusive, heterosexual, and free relationship open to the procreation of new life. This is the reason why marriage for him is a sexual relationship above all. In this perspective, one will find that marriage is seen as the fullest form of sexual expression – the goal of all sexuality and the end toward which sexual expression moves. Female Circumcision The practice of female circumcision or the female genital mutilation has generated an enormous amount of controversy in recent years. Today, this practice has been criminalized in a number of US states such as California, Minnesota, Tennessee, Rhode Islands, and North Dakota. Many who practice or advocate the practice refer to the cultural roots of the mutilation as a justification. The sexual dimension to this practice is that it is a common ritual for girls ranging in age from 6 to 12 as initiation into womanhood. I would like to note that the emotional turmoil that is entailed in this issue disregards the religious dimension as the world reacts in horror with the violence and the perceived inhumanity of the act. It seems that violence involved when set against the respect for cultural and religious sensibilities is weak but when we talk about the health hazard involved, then it it is more than enough justification to eradicate the practice. Taboo Religion still plays a role in contemporary human sexuality because here, sex is governed by strict laws and taboos. It is seen as the domain in life where sin is lurking and where the sins committed are particularly evil. AIDS Human sexuality is interwoven with desire – a variable that has various facets and has been so long legislated that is why one can say that the act itself is characterized by a number of contingencies. How these contingencies often lead us to circumstances such as the emergence of AIDS. It has been the consequence of the said contingencies. Although we are more armored now against it, there is the fact that human sexuality can lead us to an abyss that is both fatal and fearful. Homosexuality With the advent of freer and more liberal societies comes the changing perspective on the way homosexuality is viewed today. Acceptance is almost already at hand, particularly in Western societies. The litmus test in regard to the extent of social toleration would be the outcome of the ongoing debate and legalization of same-sex marriage in some states in the US. The impact of this development could be dramatic in the definition of the concepts of family and human sexuality in general. The Bat Johann Strauss’s comic opera, The Bat or Die Fledermaus often comes to my mind everytime human sexuality is being discussed. I have seen this on stage two years ago and it leaves a lasting impression on how far human sexuality could go. The story is about lover-swapping and open sexual pairing set in Vienna. The plot may not be X-rated should it come up for approval not, however it certainly would not be classified as a healthy family fare but the crowd in Vienna during its time loved it and most importantly no one were shocked. Censorship Censorship in the media – print, television, film and the Internet – along with criminal sex offenses underscores the fact that there are parts of human sexuality that are negative in themselves. This is a very important issue that goes against the ideals set by liberalism and its concept of freedom. Nonetheless, censorship, or at the very least, regulation reminds us that with the dynamics of the modern world, with technology making the world closer and smaller as days go by, there are new frontiers that are just emerging in regard to human sexuality particularly its problems. Self-Reflection There are numerous dimensions to human sexuality. Some are familiar and have been covered extensively by numerous research, studies and academic literature. However, I believe that there are interesting and new variables that are emerging today in our time. This is the main consideration why I have chosen the items outlined in this portfolio. From this perspective, for instance, Sigmund Freud comes to mind first. His interest in human sexuality has been seen as a challenge to the permeating social norms of the Victorian age. He was an agent of change in the field. I think that the social and cultural landscape of the contemporary world is in a threshold not unlike the transition period marked by the emergence of the Freudian school of thought. Then, the rest of the issues outlined here are, in my opinion, the pivotal forces that would shape human sexuality in the days to come. They share the elements of liberalism, technology and the constant challenge to tradition. In regard to my critical analysis, experience and values played a significant part although this is just up to some extent. I have chosen some traditional concepts in the portfolio such as those pertaining to procreation and love. Then, as part of the Western society, I have no qualms about my cultural bias against those who practice female genital mutilation even though I acknowledge that some serious considerations must be given to other peoples’ cultural and religious sensibilities. On other hand, my proximity to the issues that I have mentioned gave me not just experience but information that allows me to make sound, reasonable, and most importantly, objective judgments. Say, in the area of same-sex marriage: I am a Catholic and, therefore, it is supposedly against what I believe in. However, I know people – friends, family friends, neighbors – who support the concept and are, actually in same-sex relationships, but that it did not make them less likable, less of a person based from my interaction with them. This is perhaps the reason why I think that if I have been born in India or Japan, I wouldn’t have accommodated some of the thoughts or positions that I am taking now. I believe that belief system can only be so potent if I belong to a society that is not necessarily conservative or undemocratic, but a society that is not multicultural. I believe that diversity in the community that I live in has widened my understanding and respect for differences, particularly in the area of human sexuality. I have a conservative upbringing but this does not get in the way in terms of my view about liberal arguments and behaviors that I come across. In this endeavor, I have learned that human sexuality is subjective. Some practices may be acceptable to others and some not. Ultimately, as with my experience, I realized that beliefs and values do not necessarily close our understanding of the world and how people behave. Rather, it is respect for other people and what they believe in – this is what will work in addressing the differences in the way we see and practice our sexuality. Works Cited Dewitt, Phillip. (1995). ON A SCREEN NEAR YOU: CYBERPORN. Time. 146:1. Hanna, Judith. (1988). Dance, Sex, and Gender: Signs of Identity, Dominance, Defiance, and Desire. University of Chicago Press. Jung, C. (1963). Memories. Collins. Roith, Estelle. (1987). Riddle of Freud: Jewish Influences on His Theory of Female Sexuality. London: Routledge. Read More