Sexual Science
The Newsletter of the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality
Winter 1999
Volume 40 - Issue 1
From the President
About 500 years ago, Europe (and later the United States) began a journey which, by 1900, succeeded in making the West the most powerful and influential civilization on the planet. By the beginning of this century, the "West" tended to assume itself superior to all other cultures. Today however, as we approach the century's end, in American universities we sometimes see, in spasms of self-hate, guilt, and heightened cultural sensitivity, a nearly opposite reaction. To many, all evils are attributable to the West?or at least to Dead Euro-American White Males. Now, everything non-Western is seen as superior, non-materialist, and harmonious. Neither view is truthful. When we consider traditional societies? views of passionate love and sexual desire, the picture becomes increasingly complex.
On one hand, it is all to the good that the mindless assumption that "West is Best," is declining. The arguments of anthropologists like Franz Boaz and Claude Levi-Strauss that all cultures are of value and must be judged in their own terms has an intrinsic appeal. My own state of Hawaii is, after all, a multicultural community. University of Hawaii students come from array of ethnic backgrounds: African, Chinese, European, Filipino, Hawaiian, Japanese, Korean, Samoan, Hispanic, Vietnamese, and (most commonly) mixed ancestry.
In the past, Pacific Islanders advocated a wide variety of sexual ideals: In the Marquesan Islands, for example, a young girls skin was rubbed with coconut oil and scented with sandalwood. Older men and women initiated young people into sex. Girls usually had sexual relations for the first time when they were eight to ten-year-old, boys when they were seven to twelve. Adolescents continued to experiment sexually with both sexes. Susan Frayser observed: "The image that best conveys a sense of Marquesan adolescence is that of a group of youths, fragrant with the scent of saffron and other herbs,who band together in the pursuit of the exciting pleasures that await them." In other Pacific Island cultures, however, tribal leaders disapproved of premarital sex and harshly punished dalliance. In Tonga, sex was a taboo topic. Among the Mae Enga of Papua New Guinea sexual activities were considered to be magically dangerous. Historically, various native Pacific Island tribal cultures approved/disapproved of pre-marital sex, monogamy, polygamy, polygyny, polyandry, and polygynandry or wife swapping; incest, homosexuality, and extra-marital sex (Oliver, 1989). So, it is perhaps no wonder that in Hawaii where people are forced to deal with acquaintances from a variety of cultures tolerance tends to be "bred in the bone" and that makes it a delightful place to live.
At the same time, it gets to be a bit annoying when traditionalists (mostly men, mostly powerful, high status, well educated, and rich) visit Hawaii and insist that Westerners must respect the "Asian way" or the "African way" or the "Indian way" when what they really mean by that is that those in power have a divinely inspired right to maintain the status quo. But what about the ideal of social justice? Do cross-cultural psychologists, social commentators, and visitors really think modern men and women can be "neutral" about infanticide, genital mutilation, the sale of brides, dowry murders, suttee (the Indian tradition of requiring widows to immolate themselves on their husbands funeral pyres), the persecution of homosexuals, and discriminatory laws against men's and women's civic, social, and legal equality? What about universal human rights?
When faced with the conflict between two values I hold deeply a respect for traditional cultures and a desire not to impose my own values on others and a belief in social justice and universal human rights. I have come up with the following Operating Manual.
1. Some think that a belief in "cultural relativism" means that we must close our eyes when confronting cultural values that we find appalling. To do that, I think, would have its own kind of arrogance. It seems more respectful to attempt to communicate our own attitudes and values in an open and egalitarian spirit.
2. When cultural apologists claim that their societies are bastions of hierarchy and harmony, that in their nations men, women, or gays "believe X" or "Y," that it is women who yearn for the status conferred by genital mutilation, gays who are most vocal in their opposition to marriage or equal rights I am skeptical. When I was young, my minority colleagues and I often did not feel comfortable admitting what we really thought and as a psychotherapist and teacher I have seen too many men and women who avow their happiness with the status quo while in private bemoaning their misery. Hierarchy looks very different from the lofty heights than from the bottom.
So, although I think we must always strive to be culturally sensitive in cross-cultural encounters, I think we are also entitled, to express our view of things openly and honestly.
References
Hatfield, E., & Rapson, R. L. (l996). Love and sex:
Cross-cultural perspectives. Allyn & Bacon.
Oliver, D. L. (1989). Native Cultures of the Pacific Islands.
Honolulu: University of Hawaii Press.
Warmest Regards,
Elaine Hatfield, Ph.D.
Email: elaineh1@aol.com
Announcing the 1998 SSSS
Student Research Grant Award Recipients
Patrick S. Mulick
The Biphobia Scales: Development and Validation
The purpose of this project is to develop two comprehensive scales (male and female versions) that assess the cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions of biphobia. Biphobia, which has been defined as prejudice against bisexuality, is a psychological construct that is not well understood. Biphobia is believed to exist in both the heterosexual and homosexual communities, however no scale currently exists that measures this construct in a comprehensive manner. This study includes several phases: items for the Biphobia Scales will be constructed and reviewed by expert raters; initial field trials (n=400) will be held; factor analysis will be performed on the data so modifications can be made to the item pool; test-retest reliability will be determined; concurrent and discriminate validity with scales that assess the fear and discrimination of other sexual minorities will be ascertained.
Mr. Mulick is currently enrolled at Western Michigan University in the Clinical Psychology doctoral program. He is a member of Dr. Lester Wright's Clinical Studies Laboratory. His research interests include biphobia, bisexuality, homophobia, and the coming out process.
Terri D. Conley
Explaining Hate Crimes and Bias-Motivated
Incidents Against
Gay & Lesbian Students Utilizing Current Theories of Intergroup Relationships
The purpose of this project is to develop a greater understanding of hate crimes and bias-motivated incidents toward lesbians and gay men among high school students. Ms. Conley will utilize several theoretical models of intergroup relationships (i.e., social identity theory, the contact hypothesis, and shared reality theory) to predict which students are likely to be perpetrators of hate crimes and which students are likely to be hate crime victims. It will also assess the psychological and social effects of being a victim of, or witnessing a hate crime or bias-motivated incident. She will use the results to develop school-specific interventions on hate crimes. The information will also contribute to our theoretical understanding of relationships between heterosexual and gay and lesbian people.
Ms. Conley is an advanced graduate student in social psychology at the University of California, Los Angeles, working primarily with Anne Peplau and Curtis Hardin. Her research interests are in sexuality and intergroup relationships.
Wired
Sexuality Related Websites of Interest . . .
The National Women's Health Information Center (NWHIC)
The Public Health Service's Office on Women's Health is pleased to introduce a "one-stop-shopping" resource for women's health. NWHIC represents the most comprehensive resource for women's health from the federal government. Researchers, health care providers, educators, media and individuals now have access to the latest medical resources related to women's health. The URL:
American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors & Therapists
AASECT is an interdisciplinary organization that provides certification for professionals. The website contains information about the organization, certification requirements and highlights from its newsletter, Contemporary Sexuality. The URL:
Advocates for Youth
An organization focusing on adolescent sexual health issues that provides information, education, training and advocacy. The website contains their series of Fact Sheets with current statistics, research and trends about adolescent sexuality in the US and other countries. The URL::
http://www.advocatesforyouth.org
The American Board of Sexology (ABS)
The Board offers certification for professionals currently practicing clinical sexology and also maintains an online registry of its diplomats. The URL:
The Institute for the Advanced Study of Human Sexuality
The Institute offers graduate degree programs for persons wishing academic training in the field of human sexuality. To find out about the degree and certification opportunities or how to enroll connect to their website at:
The Association of Reproductive Health Professionals (ARHP)
ARHP is an interdisciplinary association of physicians, researchers, educators and other professionals. They sponsor an annual scientific meeting, an annual clinical conference, and publish Health and Sexuality. The URL:
Briefly Noted
New Resource Available
Looking for Love: Exploring Teen-Adult Relationships: A Video-Based Program for 11-17 Year Olds is now available. The program includes a 22 minute video of young girls sharing their personal experiences with dating adult men and a comprehensive instructor's guide. The guide was coauthored by SSSS member Erica Neuman. The 80 page guide includes critical thinking and skill-building activities on healthy v. unhealthy relationships, positive sexual relationships, and sexual assault prevention. The program has been successfully field tested with over 600 youth and is now available for purchase. For more information, contact:
Planned Parenthood of Southwest Ohio
and Northern Kentucky
2314 Auburn Ave., Cincinnati, OH 45219 USA
Educational Opportunities
The 2nd Annual European Study Tour entitled, "Lessons to Learn: European Approaches to Sexual Behavior & Responsibility" will take place June 5 - 20, 1999. This two week study tour to the Netherlands, Germany and France is open to 40 participants. Graduate credits will be available. For more information contact:
Barbara Huberman
Advocates for Youth
1025 Vermont Ave., N.W., Suite 200
Washington, DC 20005 USA
Phone: 202-347-5700
Webpage: http://www.advocatesforyouth.org
Syracuse University is offering "Human Sexuality in Europe" from June 21 - July 15, 1999 for undergraduate and graduate credits.
For an application contact:
DIPA, Syracuse University
119 Euclid Ave., Syracuse, NY 13244
Ph. 315-443-9420 / 1-800-251-9674
Email: DIPAsum@summail.syr.edu
Webpage: http://sumweb.syr.edu/dipa/summer
Application Deadline: March 15, 1999
24th Annual Meeting of the Society for Sex Therapy and Research: Sex Therapy in the Post Viagra Era, March 4-7, 1999, Boston, Massachusetts. For a brochure contact: Kerry Apicella. Phone: 212-263-1685 / Conference Webpage: http://www.scanet.com/nyugms
HIV Prevention in Rural Communities: Sharing Successful Strategies, March 12-14, 1999, Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, Indiana. Contact: William Yarber, Ph.D., Senior Director, Rural Center for AIDS/STD Prevention, 801 East Seventh Street, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405-3085, USA. Phone: 812-855-7974 / FAX: 812- 855-3936 / Email: yarber@indiana.edu
Sexual Offender Treatment Specialist Certification Program, March 21-27, 1999, Ohio University, Athens, Ohio. Contact: Dr. Richard Hazler, The George E. Hill Center for Counseling and Research, Continuing Education, Conferences and Workshops, Haning Hall, Athens, Ohio 45701 USA. Phone: 740-593-4461 / FAX: 740-593-0477 / Email: Hazler@oak. cats.ohiou.edu
2nd East-West Conference: Child Abuse and Sexual Violence, April 21-24, 1999, Prague, The Czech Republic. Contact: Conference Secretariat, East-West Conference, Lannova 2, 115 60 Praha 1, Czech Republic. Phone: +420-2-2490-4568 / FAX: +420-2-2490-4609 / Email: eastwest@bsdi.infima.cz / Website: http://www.infima.cz/eastwest/
SSSS Western Region Annual Conference, April 22-25, 1999, San Francisco, California. Contact: David Hall, Executive Director of WR., 2111 Lido Circle, Stockton, California 95207-6014, USA. Phone: 209-474-7421 / FAX: 209-474-3801 / Email: airsafe@gotnet.net / Website: http://www.uop.edu/sssswr
SSSS Twenty-Second Eastern Region Annual Conference: Sexuality, Diversity, & Multiculturalism: The Challenge of Creating an Inclusive Sexology, April 30 - May 1, 1999, Philadelphia Airport Marriot, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Contact: Deborah Blair Stevens, Ph.D., Conference Chair, Park Tower Place S1112, 2200 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19130, USA. Phone: 215-563-2334 / FAX: 215-563-3121 / Email: dbstevens@earthlink.net
SSSS Midcontinent Region Annual Conference: Masturbation & Fantasy: Implications for Sexual Health,May 20-23,1999, University of Wisconsin Memorial Hall, Madison, Wisconsin. Contact: Richard Keeling, M.D., University of Wisconsin/Health Services, 1552 University Avenue, Madison, Wisconsin 53705, USA. Phone: 608-262-1885 / Email: rkeeling@facstaff.wisc.edu
3rd Annual National Symposium on Overcoming Barriers to Condom Use, June 1-2, 1999, New York University, New York. Contact: PPSI, 101 Lucas Valley Road, Suite 210-E, San Rafael, California 94903 USA. Phone: 415-479-8628 / Email: PPSI@aol.com
27th Annual Workshop on Sexuality at Thornfield, July 26 - August 1, 1999, Thornfield Conference Center, Cazenovia, New York. Intensive sexuality workshop for new and experienced professionals in the sexuality field, includes a 5-day SAR (sexual attitude reassessment) and is limited to 60 persons. For more information contact Carol Dopp. Phone: 703-761-1398
XIV World Congress of Sexology: Sexuality in the New Millennium, August 23-27, 1999, Hong Kong, China. For program and registration information contact: The Federation of Medical Societies of Hong Kong, 4/F./, Duke of Windsor Social Service Building, 15 Hennessy Road, Wanchai, Hong Kong. Phone: 852-2527-8898 / FAX: 852-2866-7530 / Email: sigfmshk@ netvigator.com / Website: http://www.glink.net.hk/~hksea/was/
The 1999 Joint Meeting of the American Association of Sex Educators, Counselors, and Therapists (AASECT) and the Society for the Scientific Study of Sexuality (SSSS): The Context of Sexuality: The 20th Century, November 3-7, 1999, St. Louis, Missouri. For more information contact a Program Co-Chair: Helen "Ginger" Bush, M.S.W., 1515 N. Federal Hwy Ste 300, Boca Raton, FL 33432, USA. Phone: 561-736-1340 / FAX: 561-737-0756 OR Charlene Muehlenhard, Ph.D., Dept. of Psychology, Univ. of Kansas/426 Fraser Hall, Lawrence, Kansas 66045-2160, USA. Phone: 913-864-4121 / Email: charlene@stat1.cc.ukans.edu
Re: Interview with Ira Reiss, Summer '98 Issue
Dear Ms. Neuman:
Such a splendid idea to interview one of the true giants of sexual science, Ira Reiss! When Ira speaks I drop everything and listen. We all should, and I hope we are. Ira has, in the interview, laid out a blueprint for the future of our field. We can incorporate that blueprint into our future building plans, and survive and thrive. Or we can ignore it and continue to struggle along as an often marginalized field. We need all the organizations listed by Ira to collaborate in a deeply committed, long-term, forceful effort to create the multi-discipline Sexual Science. We have cognitive science, affective science, clinical science, etc.; we now need to create in our educational institutions sexual science. Ira's "consortium-of-universities" model is a leading contender and could be a major starting point. The collaborative, multidisciplinary flavor of such a program would, I believe enhance dramatically the growth of knowledge and understanding of human sexuality and the prevention or treatment of sexual problems. The treatment or prevention piece would be treatments and preventions validated in the context of the science represented in the program.
We need the Blue Ribbon Task Force to develop the details of this as advocated by Ira. I would propose further that a (focused) conference of leaders in the field and the relevant organizations be convened to begin the creation of this structure and generate the momentum for our vigorous entry into the 21st century. The Task Force might follow-up this conference to undertake the daunting implementation work that would be required.
Yours sincerely,
Frank Farley, Ph.D.