Sexual norm 252079 225662638 2008-07-14T20:05:44Z 75.147.59.130 /* Sexual norms and sexual practice */ {{Refimprove|date=January 2008}} A '''sexual norm''' can refer to a [[person]]al or a [[Norm (sociology)|social]] norm. Most cultures have social norms regarding [[Human sexuality|sexuality]], and define ''[[normal (behavior)|normal]] sexuality'' to consist only of certain legal sex acts between individuals who meet specific criteria of age, relatedness or social role and status. In most societies, the term '[[normality (behavior)|normal]]' is actually a [[spectrum]]. In other words, rather than each act being simply classified as "acceptable" or "not acceptable", in practice many acts are viewed as "more or less accepted" by different people, and the opinion on how normal or acceptable they are greatly depends on the individual making the opinion as well as the culture itself. Based on information gained from [[sexology|sexological]] studies, a great many ordinary people's sex lives are very often quite different from popular beliefs about ''normal'', in private. If non-restrictive sexual norms are regarded positively, they may be called '''sexual freedom''', "[[Sexual revolution|sexual liberation]]" or "[[free love]]". If they are regarded negatively, they may be called "sexual licence" or "licentiousness". Restrictive social norms, if judged negatively, are called '''sexual oppression''' or "compulsory heterosexuality;" if the restrictive norms are judged positively, they may be regarded as encouraging [[chastity]], "sexual self-restraint" or "sexual decency", and negative terms are used for the targeted sexuality, e.g. ''[[sexual abuse]]'' and ''[[perversion]]''. ==Sexual norms and sexual practice== Studies have shown that [[human sexual behavior]] does not generally fit neatly within structures imposed by societies or [[religion]]s, with [[masturbation]] being almost universal, and [[pre-marital sex]], [[serial monogamy]], [[adultery]], [[paraphilia]] and [[homosexuality|homosexual]] and [[bisexuality|bisexual]] behavior being far more common than these societies are willing to acknowledge. Many societies which aggressively regulate sexual behavior tend to have high levels of hidden [[child sexual abuse]] or [[spousal abuse]],<ref>{{cite news|date=[[2003-01-21]]|title=Social customs 'hide child sex abuse'|publisher=BBC|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2678479.stm}}</ref> the public discussion of which is [[taboo]] in [[polite society]]. This behavior has been documented in [[Greenland]], and [[Victorian era|Victorian England]]. ==Social attitudes== <!--To do: [[Europe]] (?), [[Asia]], [[Africa]], [[Latin America]]--> In the West, many people have relaxed the traditional definitions of normality, choosing instead to define normal sexuality as any sexual practice which does not involve what are regarded as [[paraphilia|sexual perversion]]s. However, using this definition makes use of a long list of sexual perversions which themselves show up hidden assumptions about cultural norms. Recently, in Western society, [[informed consent|consensual]] [[paraphilia]]s are becoming more acceptable, in particular "any activity, not otherwise illegal, performed between consenting adults in private." This liberalization of attitudes has resulted in the [[legalization]] of [[homosexuality]] in many countries, following the ground-breaking [[Wolfenden report]] in the [[United Kingdom|UK]]. There is a tendency in Western countries towards [[serial monogamy]] as a normal heterosexual lifestyle. In the reverse direction, there is also a movement towards recognizing long-term homosexual relationships (''see [[same-sex marriage]]''). There is also greater acceptance of sexual relationships (partnerships) without requiring the sanction of a form of marriage recognised by the church, state or legal system. In other words, there is freedom from the interference in people's sex lives by institutions. Sexual relationships are seen as a matter for individuals rather than for society as a whole. These liberalizing trends can be contrasted with [[conservatism|conservative]] social trends that seek to reverse these patterns of behaviour, with encouragement for young people to choose traditionally accepted roles, beliefs and behaviors, and to exercise [[sexual abstinence]] or non-[[promiscuity|promiscuous]] lifestyles before marriage. There is an opposing trend in reaction, that views such changes as a socially destructive force, and is opposed to them. It is often, though not exclusively, associated with people who have strong [[religious]] feelings, and are prevalent in much of [[Christianity]] in America, as well as [[Islam]] in the [[Middle East]] and [[Asia]], and other devout religious groups such as [[Hasidic]] [[Judaism|Jews]] in [[Israel]]. In such countries there is often strong criticism of [[alternative sexuality|non-traditional sexualities]] and [[sexual liberation]]. Some social unrest in both Eastern and Western cultures is due to this conflict between these two trends, and views upon acceptability and control of social and sexual norms. == References == <div class="references-small"> <references /> </div> == See also == * [[Religion and sexuality]] * [[Same-sex marriage]] * [[Sex-positive feminism]] * [[Catholic teachings on sexual morality]] ==External links== *[http://www.sexherald.com/sexual-investigation/sexual-suppresion.html Investigative Reports Focused on Sexual Freedom] *[http://www.rawilsonfans.com/articles/SexualFreedom.htm Sexual Freedom Why It Is Feared] [[Category:Sexuality and society]] [[Category:History of human sexuality]] [[es:Norma sexual]] [[zh:性道德]]