Texas A & M University – Central Texas
SOC 411
Sociology of Sexuality
Summer 2013
Professor: Michelle Dietert, PhD
Office Location: Founders Hall Room 217-J
Office Phone: 254/501-5874
Office Hours: Since this is an online class, I will check email several times a day.
E-mail: dietert1@ct.tamus.edu
Class Time and Location - Online (8 week)
Use this link to access this course: This course is a 100% online course and uses TAMUCT
Blackboard Learn system (http://tamuct.blackboard.com). You will use the Blackboard
username and password communicated to you separately to logon to this system. (As of Spring
2012, Texas A&M Central Texas uses its own Blackboard system and the usernames and
passwords that you used to logon to Tarleton State University’s Blackboard are no longer
valid.)
Required Texts
Plante, Rebecca F. 2006. Sexualities in Context: A Social Perspective. Westview Press. (ISBN:
0-8133-4293-7)
Moore, Nelwyn B., J. Kenneth Davidson and Terri D. Fisher. 2010. Speaking of Sexuality:
Interdisciplinary Readings. Oxford University Press. (ISBN13: 9780195389494)
Catalog Description
The sociological study regarding how sexuality is perceived, defined, and experienced in the
context of society. Further analysis include how sexuality influences our lives, reflected in social
norms, attitudes and beliefs, through public and private policies and practices, and social
institutions.
Course Overview
This course is about sexuality and how it is perceived, defined, and experienced in the context of
society. It is also about how sexuality influences our lives, reflected in social norms, attitudes
and beliefs, through public and private policies and practices, and social institutions.
Questions we will ask include: What is the meaning given to sexuality in our culture? How does
U.S. culture compare with other cultures regarding sexuality? Is there only “one” sexuality or are
there multiple sexualities? What has sexuality to do with race, gender, social class, and age?
Historically, how did the study of sexuality develop? How did research shape the way in which
sexuality was and is perceived? We will consider how the social construction of sexuality
influences our lives on both a macro and micro level of analysis.
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Course Objectives
Knowledge Outcomes:
1. Students will examine sexuality through the sociological lens as the product of complex
social arrangements and processes.
2. Students will explore sexuality from a historical context.
3. Students will examine representations of sexuality in U.S culture (media, products, porn
industry, musical genres, internet etc).
4. Students will consider how different sexualities are perceived, valued and treated.
5. Student will analyze power dynamics as these relate to sexuality.
6. Students will gain knowledge about historical, theoretical and research perspectives on
sexuality.
7. Students will learn how culture shapes social norms, attitudes, beliefs, policies and social
institutions in regards to sexuality.
8. Students will explore multiple sexualities.
Skills Outcomes:
1. Students will learn how to analyze sexuality from a sociological perspective.
2. Students will be able to discuss the relationship between sex and gender.
3. Students’ critical thinking skills will be enhanced to the extent that they learn about
themselves and their social worlds.
4. Students will be able to use technical sociology vocabulary.
5. Students will use and develop writing skills through various writing projects.
6. Students will enhance their online course taking skills through discussion boards and
submitting assignments.
Value Outcomes:
1. Students will learn to appreciate diversity (age, race, ethnicity, sex, gender, social class,
sexual orientation) in individuals and understand how these are related to sexuality.
Class Policies
Expectations
This course relies on assigned readings, discussions, and exercises to address the topic of
sexuality. In this course, we are not as concerned about the mechanics of sex. Instead, we will
focus on the sociological aspects of sexuality, how sexuality is constructed, given meaning and
how sexuality influences life experiences. Although this course is primarily focused on a
sociological perspective, the material covered is somewhat interdisciplinary in nature – this
meaning that we will also consider other areas such as biology, psychology, anthropology etc. in
our exploration of sexuality.
Taking a Sociological Perspective: I encourage questions and discussion concerning course
material and sharing personal observations and experiences. However, since you are enrolled in a
sociology course, the main goal is to utilize a sociological perspective. This means that you
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should try to analyze various topics with an objective point of view. Objective point of view
means looking through the lens of sociology. How does sociology utilize objectivity, you might
be asking? Sociology is a social science – qualitative and quantitative research techniques are
used to collect data about the social world. Sociologists must always strive to maintain an
objective outlook when observing the social world. Therefore, in this course, you will be
challenged to look within the layers of a social phenomenon or put another way, to look beyond
what you see on the surface. In addition, you will not agree with everything you hear in class
from the professor or your classmates. Part of becoming educated requires that your ideas are
challenged. As a college-level student, you should be able to see different points of view of the
same issue. I expect students to be respectful towards every person in this classroom, even if they
disagree with certain viewpoints.
Studying Sex: Ground Rules
In this course we will read, observe, and discuss many explicit, sensitive, and controversial
topics. It is therefore imperative that all class members treat each topic and each other with
maturity and respect. The material we will be covering in this course may be embarrassing,
difficult to discuss and so forth. But it can also be interesting, enjoyable and thought provoking.
Frank discussion of sexual questions and sociological findings will strengthen your knowledge
about sexuality. Your contributions to class discussions will be an important and valued
component of this online class. Please be prepared to address this material in a straightforward
manner by keeping up with your readings and assignments.
Because sexuality is both personal and social, a sociological study of sexuality will raise many
issues, about which we will not all agree. You are encouraged to disagree with class material,
myself and each other provided you can do so in a respectful manner. Disagreeing conveys that
you have heard the other speaker, thought about her or his comments, and you are offering an
alternative. Disrespect suggests the converse or more specifically, that you have failed to listen
or address what the other speaker has offered. Your challenges should also not be moral
statements. You must go beyond a “gut level” reaction to this material and engage in critical
analysis. To successfully complete the goals of this course, we must establish and develop a
foundation of respect and trust in this online course.
In order to benefit from this class it is essential that you are prepared each week. This will
require you to keep up with the assigned readings. This course requires a heavy reading load as
well as a substantial mental commitment to the class and class activities. If you are
uncomfortable with frank and open discussions of sexual matters you may want to reconsider
your enrollment in this course. If you have questions or concerns about this, please speak directly
with me.
Time Management
Research indicates that a distance education course will require a greater time
commitment from students than a traditionally structured course. Therefore, do not
underestimate the time commitment that you will have to make to be successful in this class. If
this were a traditional course we would meet for three hours each week. You should expect to
devote at least twice this much time each week to reading, reflection, writing, working on your
projects and posting.
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In addition, distance education courses require a unique commitment in terms of time
management. Because you will not be attending regular class meetings, you will not have the
typical pressures of class meetings, face to face interaction and contact with the instructor to
motivate you to complete assignments on time and to keep up with your readings. This means
that you will have to exercise a greater degree of self-discipline than you would otherwise.
Because you will not be meeting in a regular face to face format with the rest of the class, it may
be easy to tell yourself that you can complete an assignment later or that you can wait until the
last minute to complete your readings and/or project. Be very careful with yourself that while
there are unique benefits to a distance education course, there are also unique challenges and you
must resolve to accommodate them if you wish to be successful.
Incomplete Grades: I DO NOT GIVE OUT INCOMPLETE GRADES. ALL ASSIGNMENTS
AND TESTS ARE DUE ON THE DATES OUTLINED IN THE SYLLABUS.
Late Work: I will NOT be accepting late work under any circumstances. If you are
turning in assignments, they must be uploaded under the assignments tab at the specified
due date and time. If you miss the due date and time, the Blackboard system will not allow
you to upload your assignment. If you are late on your assignment, I will not accept that
assignment through email. You will earn a zero for the assignment and/or paper. In
addition, please do not cut/paste your assignment into the assignment box in Blackboard. I
will only accept work that is uploaded to Blackboard attached in a Word document or Rich
Text File.
Additional Help: If you need additional help on assignments, papers, or any materials covered
in class, you are more than welcome to set up an appointment with me. We can talk by phone or
chat online. I am available equally to all of my students.
University Policies/Services
Academic Honesty Statement
Texas A&M University - Central Texas expects all students to maintain high standards of
personal and scholarly conduct. Students guilty of academic dishonestly are subject to
disciplinary action. Academic dishonesty includes, but is not limited to, cheating on an
examination or other academic work, plagiarism, collusion, and the abuse of resource materials.
The faculty member is responsible for initiating action for each case of academic dishonestly.
More information can be found at www.ct.tamus.edu/StudentConduct.
If you do plagiarize, I will 1) fail you for the assignment and/or the course, and 2) initiate
an Academic Dishonesty action against you.
Disability Support and Access
Texas A&M University – Central Texas complies with Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of
1973 and the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. TAMUCT promotes the use of the
Principles of Universal Design to ensure that course design and activities are accessible to the
greatest extent possible. Students who require reasonable accommodations based on the impact
of a disability should contact Gail Johnson, Disability Support Coordinator at (254) 501-5831 in
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Student Affairs, Office 114E. The Disability Support Coordinator is responsible for reviewing
documentation provided by students requesting accommodations, determining eligibility for
accommodations, helping students request and use accommodations, and coordinating
accommodations.
Drop Policy
If you discover that you need to drop this class, you must go to the Records Office and ask for
the necessary paperwork. Professors cannot drop students; this is always the responsibility of the
student. The record’s office will provide a deadline for which the form must be returned,
completed and signed. Return the signed form to the records office, wait 24 hours, go into Duck
Trax and confirm that you are no longer enrolled. If you are still enrolled, FOLLOW-UP with the
records office immediately. You are to attend class until the procedure is complete to avoid
penalty for absence. Should you miss the deadline or fail to follow the procedure, you will
receive an F in the course.
Library Services
INFORMATION LITERACY focuses on research skills which prepare individuals to live and
work in an information-centered society. Librarians will work with students in the development
of critical reasoning, ethical use of information, and the appropriate use of secondary research
techniques. Help may include, yet is not limited to: exploration of information resources such as
library collections and services, identification of subject databases and scholarly journals, and
execution of effective search strategies. Library Resources are outlined and accessed at.
http://www.tarleton.edu/centraltexas/departments/library/
Tutoring
Tutoring is available to all TAMUCT students, both on-campus and online. Subjects tutored
include Accounting, Finance, Statistics, Mathematics, and Writing (APA). Tutors are available at
the Tutoring Center in Founder's Hall, Room 204, and also in the Library in the North Building.
Visit www.ct.tamus.edu/AcademicSupport and click "Tutoring Support" for tutor schedules and
contact info. If you have questions or if you're interested in becoming a tutor, contact Academic
Support Programs at 254-519-5830 or by emailing gnichols@ct.tamus.edu.
Tutor.com is an online tutoring platform that enables TAMU-CT students to log-in and receive
FREE online tutoring and writing support. This tool provides tutoring in Mathematics, Writing,
Career Writing, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Spanish, Calculus, and Statistics. Chat live with a
tutor 24/7 for any subject on your computer. To access Tutor.com, click on
www.tutor.com/tamuct.
UNILERT
Emergency Warning System for Texas A&M University – Central Texas
UNILERT is an emergency notification service that gives Texas A&M University-Central Texas
the ability to communicate health and safety emergency information quickly via email and text
message. By enrolling in UNILERT, university officials can quickly pass on safety-related
information, regardless of your location. Please enroll today at TAMUCT.org/UNILERT
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WARRIORLink
Online job database that connects employers with students with postings of internships, parttime, full-time jobs. All students will receive an email with their username and password the first
week of school with access information. Warrior Link allows our students up until a year after
they graduate the opportunity to search for a job, post a resume, and keep informed on any
events that are going on out of the careers services area. The link to Warrior Link is located at
tamuct.org/careerservices.
Technology Policy. This course will use the new TAMU-CT Blackboard Learn learning
management system for class communications, content distribution, and assessments.
Logon to http://tamuct.blackboard.com to access the course.
Username: Your Tarleton email address (the complete email address, e.g.
john.doe@go.tarleton.edu)
Initial password: Your DuckTrax ID (UID)
For this course, you will need reliable and frequent access to a computer and to the Internet.
Blackboard supports the most common operating systems:
PC: Windows 7, Windows XP, Windows Vista, Windows 2000,
Mac: Mac OS 10.6 “Snow Leopard®”, Mac OS 10.5 “Leopard®”, Mac OS 10.4
“Tiger®”
Check browser and computer compatibility by following the “Browser Check” link on the
TAMU-CT Blackboard logon page. (http://tamuct.blackboard.com) This is a CRITICAL step as
these settings are important for when you take an exam or submit an assignment.
Upon logging on to Blackboard Learn, you will see a link to Blackboard Student Orientation
under My Courses tab. Click on that link and study the materials in this orientation course. The
new Blackboard is a brand-new interface and you will have to come up to speed with it very
quickly. This orientation course will help you get there. There is also a link to Blackboard Help
from inside the course on the left-hand menubar. Your ability to function within the Blackboard
system will facilitate your success in this course. Let me know if you have any questions.
Technology issues are not an excuse for missing a course requirement – make sure your
computer is configured correctly and address issues well in advance of deadlines.
Blackboard issues? For technological issues, students should contact the TAMUCT
Blackboard Support Services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week:
Support Portal: http://www.ct.tamus.edu/bbsupport
Online chat (through the support portal at: http://www.ct.tamus.edu/bbsupport)
Phone: (855)-661-7965
For issues related to course content and requirements, contact your instructor.
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Course Requirements
1. MIDTERM ESSAY EXAM (100 total points): Your midterm will consist of two essay
questions. I will post your exam to blackboard by Monday July 1 at 8:00am and it will be due
by Friday July 5 by midnight.
2. FINAL EXAM (100 total points): I will post your final exam early so that you have enough
time to complete it. I will post this exam to blackboard on Monday July 15th at 8am and it
will be due by Thursday July 25th at midnight.
3. ASSIGNMENT (50 total points): This assignment is worth 50 points towards your final
grade. One of the goals of this class is to get you interested in critically analyzing sexuality in
the world around us. The best learning is done by doing. At the end of this syllabus, there is a
list of 4 assignments. You will choose one assignment to complete and will be due on Friday
July 19 by midnight.
4. ESSAY/DISCUSSION PAPERS (4 papers x 25pts = 100 total points) – Due on Fridays
at midnight. You will find the due dates in your tentative course schedule below.
 Please write a two page essay paper focusing on what you read from the Moore,
Davidson, and Fisher (2010) Speaking of Sexuality: Interdisciplinary Readings
textbook. You want to focus on any of the material/readings covered for that
particular week from that book.
 When writing your essays, focus on writing a solid introduction, body and
conclusion. I will also take off points for spelling, grammar and sentence structure
errors. You must reference correctly. I will also consider the overall content of your
essay and will grade accordingly.
 Your papers should be no less than 2 pages and in Times New Roman 12 point font.
At the very least, papers should be 250 words per page for a total of 500 words.
 For these papers, you must also reference correctly. If you take information from a
source, you must give credit to your reference. You can use whatever reference style
you are most familiar with but it must be used correctly.
 You will turn in your papers by uploading under the “assignments” tab in Blackboard.
 I will not accept late papers under any circumstances.
5. Postings (7 Postings x 10 points each = 70 total points): You will have 7 postings for this
course. You will be required to comment on a question (s) that I post and then respond to
three of your classmates. You will receive a total of 10 points for providing a substantive
post AND responding to three classmates. A one sentence response will not earn you the
points. Put thought into your responses to your classmates. Put effort into your postings.
You will post to questions that will cover material from your readings and various topics
that we discuss in this class. Since the postings cover your readings, I would like you all to
use your book as a reference. I do not want information cut/pasted from the internet such
as Wikipedia. If you do so, you will not earn points for that posting.
All posts must be substantive and demonstrate to me that you have done all the reading
associated with the discussion. In order to get full credit for your individual post, you must
answer each question that I pose to you. In order to get the points in responding to your
classmates, you must put thought and effort into your response. A thin answer such as “I
totally agree with you” or “That was a really cool post” will not be considered for credit.
You can find your weekly questions posted under the “Discussions” tab in Blackboard.
In your tentative schedule below, you will find the dates and times when postings open for
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discussion and when they are no longer available. “No longer available” means that once the
discussion is closed, you will not be able to make up those points. Weekly posts will open
up on Mondays at 8:00am and close on Thursdays at midnight. Please do your best not to
post at the last minute. Doing so does not allow other students to respond to your posting.
Keep up with your readings and pace yourself so that you are not rushing around at the last
minute.
I will always grade your posts the week that they are due so that you can go back and
respond to my comments and/or questions. Please check back for my comments, providing
an answer as appropriate. Responding to my posts and your classmates posts enhances
the learning process. Remember that discussions are not only about earning points but
about learning the material. It is your education and you will get out of it what you put
in! 
6. INFORMAL DISCUSSION BOARDS: Apart from Postings, which are basically guided
discussions based on required questions that you must answer to earn points, you can also
feel free to pose your own questions and/or comments on the discussion board in Blackboard.
There might be topics or issues that you would like to discuss with the professor and/or your
classmates. Feel free to use these informal discussion boards anytime.
**ALL GRADING RUBRICS USED IN THIS COURSE ARE LOCATED AT THE END
OF THIS SYLLABUS**
Grading Scale
A = 378 – 420 (Excellent)
B=
302 – 377 (Better than Average)
C=
211 – 301 (Average)
D = 126 – 210 (Below Average)
F=
125 and below (Failing)
Tentative Course Schedule
WEEK 1: Monday June 3 – Sunday June 9
GETTING STARTED - INTRODUCTION
Readings
o Introduction - Setting the Scene
Posting 1
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
WEEK 2: Monday June 10 – Sunday June 16
Focus for this week:
1. INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF SEXUALITY
2. PART I: HISTORICAL, THEORETICAL, AND RESEARCH PERSPECTIVES ON
SEXUALITY
3. Essay Paper 1 - Due on Friday June 14 by Midnight
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Readings
o Plante
 Chapter 1 – Why Sex Matters: A Brief History of Sexuality
 Chapter 2 – Studying the Sexual: Classifying and Theorizing
o Davidson and Moore
 Chapter 1: Alfred Kinsey, Vern L. Bullough
 Chapter 2: Masters and Johnson, Vern L. Bullough
 Chapter 3: The Social Organization of Sexuality: Theoretical Background, Edward O.
Laumann, John H. Gagnon, Robert T. Michael, and Stuart Michaels
 Chapter 4: Sex Among the Americans, Joseph Adelson
 Chapter 5: Origins of Mating Behavior, David M. Buss
Posting 2
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
WEEK 3: Monday June 17 – Sunday June 23
Focus for this week:
1. PART II: SEXUALITY AND THE LIFE CYCLE: CHILDHOOD AND
ADOLESCENCE
2. PART III: SEXUALITY AND THE LIFE CYCLE: YOUNG ADULTHOOD
3. Essay Paper 2 - Due on Friday June 21 by Midnight
Readings
o Plante
 Chapter 3 – Boys, Girls, Men and Women: Variables of Experience
 Chapter 4 – Birds Do It, Bees Do It: Learning About “It”
o Davidson and Moore
 Chapter 6: Human Sexual Development, John D. DeLamater and William N.
Friedrich
 Chapter 7: Current Religious Doctrines of Sexual and Erotic Development in
Childhood, Robert T. Francoeur
 Chapter 8: Early Childhood Exposure to Parental Nudity and Scenes of Parental
Sexuality, Paul Okami, Richard Olmstead, Paul R. Abramson, and Laura Pendleton
 Chapter 9: Forbidden Fruit: Imitation Sex and the New Middle-Class Morality, Mark
D. Regnerus
 Chapter 10: Negotiation of First Sexual Intercourse Among Latina Adolescent
Mothers, Pamela I. Erickson
 Chapter 11: Sexual Attitudes and Behavior at Four Universities: Do Region, Race,
and/or Religion Matter?, J. Kenneth Davidson, Sr., Nelwyn B. Moore, John R. Earle,
and Robert Davis
 Chapter 12: Hooking Up: Men, Women, and the Sexual Double Standard, Kathleen
A. Bogle
 Chapter 13: Virginity Lost: A Natural Step, Laura M. Carpenter
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

Chapter 14: Communicating with New Sex Partners, Nelwyn B. Moore and J.
Kenneth Davidson, Sr.
Chapter 15: What Turns Women On?: Black and White Women's Sexual Arousal,
Katrenia Y. Reed Hughes and Veanne N. Anderson
Posting 3
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
WEEK 4: Monday June 24 – Sunday June 30
Focus for this week:
1. PART IV: SEXUALITY AND THE LIFE CYCLE: MIDDLE AND LATER
ADULTHOOD
2. PART V: GENDER AND SEXUALITY
3. Essay Paper 3 - Due on Friday June 28 by Midnight
Readings
o Plante
 Chapter 5 – Finding a Playboy under a Rock in the Woods: Sex in the Mind
 Chapter 6 – Hooking It Up: Sex in the Bedroom
o Davidson and Moore
 Chapter 16: Premarital Sex, Premarital Cohabitation, and the Risk of Subsequent
Marital Dissolution Among Women, Jay Teachman
 Chapter 17: Passionate Marriage, David M. Schnarch
 Chapter 18: Physical Women, Emotional Men: Gender and Sexual Satisfaction in
Midlife, Laura M. Carpenter, Constance A. Nathanson, and Young J. Kim
 Chapter 19: Sexual Behavior in Later Life, John DeLamater and Sarah M. Moorman
 Chapter 20: The New Virility: Viagra, Male Aging, and Sexual Function, Barbara L.
Marshall
 Chapter 21: Race, Gender, and Class in Sexual Scripts, Jenna Mahay, Edward O.
Laumann, and Stuart Michaels
 Chapter 22: Sexual Desire and Gender, Pepper Schwartz and Virginia Rutter
 Chapter 23: Venus in Furs: Estrogen and Desire, Natalie Angier
 Chapter 24: Truth and Consequences: Using the Bogus Pipeline to Examine Sex
Differences in Self-Reported Sexuality, Michele G. Alexander and Terri D. Fisher
Posting 4
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
WEEK 5: Monday July 1 – Sunday July 7
Focus for this week:
Midterm – posted on Monday July 1 by 8:00am and due by Friday July 5 by midnight
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WEEK 6: Monday July 8 – Sunday July 14
Focus for this week:
1. PART VII: SEXUAL ORIENTATION
2. PART VIII: SEXUAL HEALTH
3. Essay Paper 4 - Due on Friday July 12 by Midnight
Readings
o Plante
 Chapter 7 – The Alphabet Soup of Sexualities
o Davidson and Moore
 Chapter 29: Human Sexual Orientation Has a Heritable Component, Richard C.
Pillard and J. Michael Bailey
 Chapter 30: Why We Cannot Conclude That Sexual Orientation Is Primarily a
Biological Phenomenon, William M. Byne
 Chapter 31: Do Parents Influence the Sexual Orientation of Their Children?, Susan E.
Golombok and Fiona L. Tasker
 Chapter 32: Using Queer Theory to Explore Lesbian College Students' Multiple
Dimensions of Identity, Elisa S. Abes and David Kasch
 Chapter 33: Female Bisexuality From Adolescence to Adulthood: Results From a 10Year Longitudinal Study, Lisa M. Diamond
 Chapter 34: Asexuality: Classification and Characterization, Nicole Prause and
Cynthia A. Graham
 Chapter 35: Silence Speaks Volumes: Parental Sexual Communication Among Asian
American Emerging Adults, Janna L. Kim and L. Monique Ward
 Chapter 36: Condom Use with a Casual Partner: What Distinguishes College
Students' Use When Intoxicated?, Antonia Abbey, Michele R. Parkhill, Philip O.
Buck, and Christopher Saenz
 Chapter 37: HIV/AIDS Protective Factors among Urban American Indian Youths,
Flavio F. Marsiglia, Tanya Nieri, and Arlene Rubin Stiffman
 Chapter 38: Damaged Goods: Mixing Morality with Medicine, Adina Nack
 Chapter 39: Depression and Sexual Functioning in Minority Women: Current Status
and Future Directions, Roseanne D. Dobkin, Sandra R. Leiblum, Raymond C. Rosen,
Matthew Menza, and Humberto Marin
Posting 5
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
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WEEK 7: Monday July 15 – Sunday July 21
Focus for this week:
1. PART IX: SEXUAL VICTIMIZATION AND COMPULSION
2. PART X: SEXUALITY AND PUBLIC POLICY
3. Assignment Due – Friday July 19 by midnight
Readings
o Plante
 Chapter 8 – Bunnies, Bytes, and Beaches: Representations of Sex
 Chapter 9 – Screwing with Sex: Some Politics of Sexualities
o Davidson and Moore
 Chapter 40: The Relationship between Childhood Sexual Abuse and Adult Mental
Health among Undergraduates, M. Scott Young, Kelli-Lee Harford, Bill Kinder, and
Jodi K. Savell
 Chapter 41: Conceptualizing the "Wantedness" of Women's Consensual and
Nonconsensual Sexual Experiences: Implications for How Women Label Their
Experiences With Rape, Zöe D. Peterson and Charlene L. Muehlenhard
 Chapter 42: Tactics of Sexual Coercion, Cindy J. Struckman-Johnson, David L.
Struckman-Johnson, and Peter B. Anderson
 Chapter 43: Heterosexual Fronteras: Immigrant Mexicanos, Sexual Vulnerabilities,
and Survival, Gloria González-López
 Chapter 44: Effects of Cybersex Addiction on the Family, Jennifer P. Schneider
 Chapter 45: Naked Capitalists, Frank Rich
 Chapter 46: Temporarily Yours: Desire, Demand, and the Commerce of Sex,
Elizabeth Bernstein
 Chapter 47: Community: Risk, Identity, and Love in the Age of AIDS, Judith Levine
 Chapter 48: Sex Education and the News: Lessons From How Journalists Framed
Virginity Pledges, Felicia E. Mebane, Eileen A. Yam, and Barbara K. Rimer
 Chapter 49: Finding a Match: How Contexts Inform Comprehensive and Abstinencebased Sex Education Programs, Terrance D. Olson
Posting 6
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
WEEK 8: Monday July 22 – Sunday July 28
FINAL EXAM DUE BY THURSDAY JULY 25TH BY MIDNIGHT
Posting 7
o Posting open at 8am on Monday
o All posts due by Thursday at midnight
*Professor reserves the right to amend this syllabus at any time.
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Assignments
As indicated on the syllabus (due date on the schedule), you must pick one of the following
assignments to complete. Your assignment is worth 50 points. All work turned in must be
submitted in a Word document and turned in on the due date through Blackboard under the
“assignments” tab. These assignments require thought, work and research. Make sure you cite all
your sources. You will get a zero and/or fail this course if you plagiarize even insignificant
information. For each assignment, please make sure that you indicate at the start of the
assignment which question below you are answering. (Just a hint: the shortest ones are not
necessarily the easiest ones)
You will be graded based on the following (ALSO SEE THE RUBRIC AT THE END OF
YOUR SYLLABUS):
1. Readability (grammar, sentence structure, organization) = 10 pts
2. Effort = 10 pts
3. Substance: did you address all parts of the assignment = 30 pts
Total = 50 pts
1. You are a president of the local P.T.A. and have been asked to write a response to the school
board’s decision to eliminate all sex education from the school curriculum. Write this response
addressing the responsibilities (and/or needs of the concerned parties - parents, teachers, the
school board, the students, and society) as well as the potential consequences of this action.
(STRONG HINT: citing data and analyses to support your position is a good idea!)
2. Focusing on a single genre of song (e.g. country, dance, pop, etc) pick at least 10 top-ten hits
in that genre for a year in two separate decades (e.g. 1955 and 1995 or 1969 and 1999 or 1978
and 2008) and analyze the messages about love, sex, relationships and family that emerge. Are
there differences between decades? Are there similarities over the years? Are the messages the
same for men and women? Note the answers to these questions and discuss any other trends you
find. Be sure to include a list of the songs that are included in your analysis (titles and artist).
Please make sure that you tell me what genre you are using early in your paper.
3. The goal of this assignment is for you to think about the social construction of sexuality, a
topic covered in class and your readings. Your assignment is to think of some sexual “fact,”
phenomenon, or practice which many people consider “natural” and to demonstrate that it is in
fact socially constructed. You will do this by pointing out social variation in the phenomenon.
In selecting a sexual “fact,” phenomenon, or practice think about sexuality in its broadest sense.
Sexuality is not only about who does what to whom “in bed,” but a wealth of other topics:
puberty, dating, attractiveness, love, fertility, pregnancy, paternity, birth, prowess, receptiveness,
worthiness and price. Choose any belief or practice related to sexuality which you know many
people in society consider normal and “natural.” Here are a few examples to get you thinking:
“fat women are sexually unattractive;” “men have stronger sex drives than women;” “gay men
are effeminate.”
14
Do the following for your assignment:
a. What is the sexual phenomenon considered “natural” by some that you have selected?
Describe it clearly.
b. Give evidence of social variance that you believe exists, and which show that the “fact,”
phenomenon or practice is not universal and “natural.” This evidence can be from another
society, from a subgroup of the American population or from another era.
c. State why you believe many Americans believe that the “fact” or practice you have
selected is natural and universal. Is it a matter of simple ignorance? Or do people state the
phenomenon is natural even though they are aware of variance, because calling it
“natural” discredits the alternate practice or belief?
d. What change, if any, do you believe would occur if the “fact” or practice were
acknowledged to be socially constructed rather than natural and universal?
4. We as Americans are fully immersed in the world of consumer culture; shopping is one of the
great American pastimes. I want to give you an opportunity to analyze the sexual ideologies
embodied in consumer products. First, you will need to select a type of consumer product that
relates to sexuality. Good places to look for such products are catalogs, websites, drugstores, or
the mall. For example, you could look at "sexy" underwear in a Victoria's Secret or InternationalMale catalog or at a Frederick's of Hollywood. Drugstores sell numerous products that relate to
sexuality, such as lubricants, birth control supplies, fertility predictors, pregnancy tests,
menstrual supplies, douches, herbal "libido boosters," and creams for vaginal and "jock" itching.
Many websites sell sexually related products - you might try www.goodvibes.com for a wide
selection of videos, sexual aids such as vibrators, games for couples, and other products.
Your assignment is to first pick a particular merchant you feel comfortable with, and then to pick
a category of product. For example, you might go to Walgreen's to study the range of condoms
available, or visit Lane Bryant to look at the brassieres they sell, or go to a GNC to see the herbal
"libido boosters," or go to an adult bookstore and pick a category of magazines to peruse (for
those of you who have always wanted to be able to say "it's for a college paper" as you examine
the magazines filed under "bondage and discipline"). Whatever your choice, be sure to select a
specific category of products. Once you have selected your product category, you will need to
take field notes. For example, if you chose to look at the selection of "feminine deodorants" at
www.drugstore.com, you should note the types of deodorants sold (wipes, washes, suppositories,
powders and sprays), and the names of the individual products (e.g. "Massengill Flower Fresh
Soft Cloth Towlettes"). Describe the packaging of the products, and the descriptive language
appearing on it ("helps keep you dry and clean all day long," "for use before bedtime," "pleasant
baby powder scent"). Also note the prices, which give a clue toward what is considered valuable.
Finally, after collecting your data, consider what messages the products send. What sexual
ideologies (beliefs and opinions) underlie the products and their marketing? For example, the
existence of a wide variety of feminine deodorants indicates that vaginal odor is considered to be
an embarrassing problem. Moreover, the product descriptions provide evidence of an ideology
that female sexual arousal is disturbing: it is wet when a woman should be dry, apparently
"unclean" since it necessitates so much cleansing, lacking in the babyish innocence which
women should embody, and even repugnant to sexual partners, since deodorizing cleansers are
needed "before bedtime."
15
You should answer the following four questions in your paper:
a. What store/catalog/website did you visit, and what category of product did you select?
b. Why did you choose it?
c. To whom is the category of products you examined marketed (e.g. women generally,
men generally, women who wish to become pregnant, men with a shoe fetish, urban
teenagers)?
d. What messages are sent to that population by the products you studied? What is the
general sexual ideology implied by the packaging, product descriptions, and
illustrations? Give specific examples, and devote the bulk of your paper to this
question.
e. Critique the marketing of the category of products you selected. If you were "in
charge," what changes would you make in the design and marketing of the products?
16
Grading Rubric for Sociology of Sexuality Midterm Exam
Name:
Date:
You will be graded for each essay that you write. Each essay is worth 50 points for a total of 100
points.
Essay 1:
Spelling,
Grammar, &
Sentence
Structure
Poor
Minimally Acceptable
Many spelling,
Some spelling,
grammar, or
grammar, or
sentence
sentence structure
structure errors
errors
(0 – 3pts)
(4 - 6pts)
Good
Few spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(7 - 9pts)
Exceptional
No spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(10pts)
Proper
Referencing
Format
(ASA)
Score:
Referencing not
used in essay
where
appropriate
(0 – 3pts)
Score:
Minimal use of
referencing in
essay where
appropriate
(4 - 6pts)
Score:
Good/average use
of referencing in
essay where
appropriate
(7 - 9pts)
Score:
No referencing
errors in essay
(10pts)
Score:
Minimal
development and
organization of
introduction,
body, and
conclusion
(4 - 6pts)
Score:
Average
development and
organization of
introduction, body,
and conclusion
(7 - 9pts)
Score:
Accurate
development and
organization of
introduction,
body, and
conclusion
(10pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence are not
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(0-7pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence is
minimally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(8 - 13pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence averagely
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(14 - 19pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence is
exceptionally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(20pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
Sections
Score:
Does not clearly
Structure
develop and
and
Organization organize
introduction,
of Essay
body, and
conclusion
(0 – 3pts)
Content of
Essay
Total Essay #1:
17
Essay 2:
Poor
Minimally Acceptable
Many spelling,
Some spelling,
Spelling,
grammar, or
Grammar, & grammar, or
sentence
sentence structure
Sentence
structure errors
errors
Structure
(0 – 3pts)
(4 - 6pts)
Sections
Proper
Referencing
Format
(ASA)
Structure
and
Organization
of Essay
Content of
Essay
Total Essay #2:
Good
Few spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(7 - 9pts)
Exceptional
No spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(10pts)
Score:
Referencing not
used in essay
where
appropriate
(0 – 3pts)
Score:
Minimal use of
referencing in
essay where
appropriate
(4 - 6pts)
Score:
Good/average use
of referencing in
essay where
appropriate
(7 - 9pts)
Score:
No referencing
errors in essay
(10pts)
Score:
Does not clearly
develop and
organize
introduction,
body, and
conclusion
(0 – 3pts)
Score:
Minimal
development and
organization of
introduction,
body, and
conclusion
(4 - 6pts)
Score:
Average
development and
organization of
introduction, body,
and conclusion
(7 - 9pts)
Score:
Accurate
development and
organization of
introduction,
body, and
conclusion
(10pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence are not
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(0-7pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence is
minimally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(8 - 13pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence averagely
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(14 - 19pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence is
exceptionally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(20pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
18
Grading Rubric for Final Exam - Sexuality
Name:
Date:
The following rubric serves twofold: 1) to determine how well you understand the information
you have learned and your ability to apply that information and 2) to evaluate your written work.
Poor
Minimally Acceptable
Good
Some spelling,
Few spelling,
Readability: Many spelling,
grammar, or
grammar, or
grammar, or
Spelling,
sentence
sentence structure sentence structure
Grammar,
errors
errors
& Sentence structure errors
(0 pts)
(5pts)
(8 pts)
Structure
10%
Score:
Score:
Score:
Does not clearly Minimally
Average
Part A:
develops
development of
Description develop
description of
description of
description of
of
characters and
characters and
Characters characters and
summary of
summary of
summary of movie
and
movie
movie
(10-14 pts)
Summary
(0-4 pts)
(5-9 pts)
15%
Sections
Part B:
Analysis of
Topics
50%
Part C:
Messages
about Sex
and
Sexuality
25%
Exceptional
No spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(10 pts)
Score:
Accurate
development of
description of
characters and
summary of movie
(15 pts)
Score:
Does not clearly
develop analysis
of topics
(0-15 pts)
Score:
Minimally
develops analysis
of topics
(16-32 pts)
Score:
Average
development of
analysis of topics
(33-49pts)
Score:
Accurate
development of
analysis of topics
(50 pts)
Score:
Messages about
sex and sexuality
are not accurate
(0-8 pts)
Score:
Messages about
sex and sexuality
are minimally
accurate
(9-16 pts)
Score:
Messages about
sex and sexuality
are averagely
accurate
(17-24 pts)
Score:
Messages about
sex and sexuality
are exceptionally
accurate
(25 pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
19
Grading Rubric for Sexuality Assignment
Name:
Date:
Sections
Readability
(Spelling,
Grammar,
& Sentence
Structure)
Effort
Poor
Minimally Acceptable
Many spelling,
Some spelling,
grammar, or
grammar, or
sentence structure sentence structure
errors
errors
(0 pts)
(5pts)
Good
Few spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(8 pts)
Exceptional
No spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(10pts)
Score:
No effort
(0 pts)
Score:
Minimal effort
(5 pts)
Score:
Good/average
effort
(8 pts)
Score:
Exceptional Effort
(10 pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Substance
Information and
evidence are not
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(0-10 pts)
Information and
evidence is
minimally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(11-20 pts)
Information and
evidence averagely
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(21-29 pts)
Score:
Information and
evidence is
exceptionally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(30pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
20
Grading Rubric for Essay/Discussion Papers - Sexuality
Name:
Date:
Sections
Spelling,
Grammar, &
Sentence
Structure
Proper
Referencing
Format
Structure
and
Organization
of Essay
Content of
Essay
Poor
Minimally Acceptable
Good
Exceptional
Many spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(0 – 2 pts)
Some spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(3pts)
Few spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(4 pts)
No spelling,
grammar, or
sentence structure
errors
(5 pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
Referencing not
used in essay
where appropriate
(0 - 2 pts)
Minimal use of
referencing in essay
where appropriate
(3 pts)
Good/average use of
referencing in essay
where appropriate
(4pts)
No referencing
errors in essay
(5 pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
Does not clearly
develop and
organize
introduction, body,
and conclusion
(0-2 pts)
Minimal
development and
organization of
introduction, body,
and conclusion
(3 pts)
Average
development and
organization of
introduction, body,
and conclusion
(4 pts)
Accurate
development and
organization of
introduction, body,
and conclusion
(5 pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
Information and
evidence are not
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(0-3 pts)
Information and
evidence is
minimally accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(4-6 pts)
Information and
evidence averagely
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(7-9 pts)
Information and
evidence is
exceptionally
accurate,
appropriate, and
integrated
effectively.
(10pts)
Score:
Score:
Score:
Score:
Total:
Comments:
21
Discussions Rubric
Name:
Posting:
Levels of Achievement
Criteria
Does Not Meet Criteria
Substantive 0-1 point
Response
Response too short,
based on personal
views only, with no
references to the
text or the concepts
learned from the
material covered
Replies to
Classmates
Score:
0-1 points
No or just one
response, with no
significant
comments to
improve the
conversation
Needs Improvement
Excellent
2 - 4 points
5 points
Response too
short. Not a clear
indication of an
understanding of
the readings
A substantive response,
citing the textbook and
demonstrating
full understanding of
the course content
Score:
Score:
2 Point
3 Points
Only
two responses
to others' entries
Three substantive posts
were responded to,
with comments
advancing
the conversation
Score:
Score:
Score:
Adhering
to
Deadlines
0 Points
1 Point
2 Points
All posts past the
Deadline
Substantive
response OR replies
to others meet deadline
All entries posted by
the deadline.
Score:
Score:
Score: