The social organization of sex
Conducting survey research
The Social Organization of Sex
• Sampling—importance of having a random sample
• Indicator: measurable event, characteristic, or behavior
commonly thought to reflect a particular concept (p. 84)
What best explains sexual behavior?
• Sexual instincts
• Sexual scripts
Oct. 9, 2006
Sexual behavior is shaped by norms and values, social
networks, and social institutions—like any other social behavior
http://www.iastate.edu/~soc.134
© 2006 David Schweingruber
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Sex surveys (sampling)
Kinsey: institutional populations, snowball
sampling
Magazine surveys: biased samples, low
response rates
National Health and Social Life Survey (1992)
 Randomly sampled 4,369 people
 3,432 were interviewed (78.6% response rate)
 Finding supports importance of sexual scripts
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Why are our sex partners like us?
Who are our sex partners?
Percentage of Partnerships in Which the Two Partners
Are Similar in Social Characteristics
Type of
Similarity
Type of Partnership
Long-term
Short-term
Marriage Cohabitation non-cohabitating non-cohabitating
Racial/ethnic
93%
88%
89%
91%
Age
78%
75%
76%
83%
Educational
82%
87%
83%
87%
Religious
72%
53%
56%
60%
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Who introduced partners?
Non-cohabitating/last < 1 month
1. Useful to you
3%
 Easier to share lives
37%
 Equal social status = equal power in relationship
35%
 Facilitates intimacy
2. Useful to your social network (stakeholders)
 Parents
Married couples
2%
32%
47%
9%
3%
 Friends
13%
15%
 Professionals, moral entrepreneurs, etc.
Mutual friends (37%)
Family (3%)
Coworker/classmate/neighbor (9%)
Self-introduction (47%)
Other (3%)
 Changing stakeholders, e.g., colleges
3. We meet people in our networks
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
Mutual friends (35%)
Family (15%)
Coworker/classmate/neighbor (13%)
Self-introduction (32%)
Other (2%)
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
1
Number of sexual partners
Sex partners in past 12 months
 Average number of sexual partners has increased
Men
 Over 50: a third have had five or more sexual partners
5+
(5%)
 30-50: half have had five or more sexual partners
 Rates of unfaithfulness in marriage are low
0
(10%)
 5% of married persons had > 1 partner in past year
 More time spent sexually active but unmarried
2-4
(10%)
2-4
(18%)
 Earlier first intercourse (18 to 17-1/2 over 30 years)
 Later marriage
1
(67%)
 More frequent divorce
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Sex partners since age 18
Men
21+ 0 (3%)
(3%)
0 (3%)
21+
(17%)
10-20
(16%)
10-20
(6%)
1
(20%)
2-4
(21%)
Men
4 or
more
times a
week
(8%)
Not at
all
(14%)
2 or 3
times a
week
(26%)
5-10
(20%)
2-4
(36%)
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
86% 86%
52% 44%
Noncohabitating
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
Men
Women
Cohabitating
Married
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2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
A few
times
per year
(16%)
4 or
more
times a
week
(7%)
Women
Not at A few
all
times
(10%) per year
(18%)
2 or 3
times a
week
(30%)
A few
times
per
month
(37%)
A few
times
per
month
(36%)
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Frequency of sex by age
Have sex at least a few times or more
per month
Have sex at least a few times
or more per month
92% 91%
©©2006
2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
Frequency of sex by type of union
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
0
(14%)
Frequency of sex in past 12 months
Women
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
Women
1
(75%)
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
1
(31%)
5-10
(23%)
5+
(2%)
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
Men
Women
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
18-24
25-29
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
30-39
40-49
50-59
©©2006
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DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
2
Percent "extremely" or
"very" satisfied with sexual
relationship
Sexual satisfaction by type of union
100%
90%
80%
70%
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0%
84.4% 75.6%
87.4% 84.8%
78.2% 71.0%
Noncohabitating
Physical pleasure
Emotional satisfaction
Source: Michael, et al. 1994. Sex in America. Little, Brown.
Cohabitanting
Married
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2000David
DavidSchweingruber
Schweingruber
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