Book Report on "Sexuality Through the Life Cycle This Chapter"

/>

Building on information and principles from the preceding chapter, in this chapter the author attempts to provide a preliminary view as to how individual sexual preferences and values develop. He acknowledges early on in the chapter that studies into this area of sexuality are still very much in their early stages, and that the short answer is it is unknown exactly why some people might become gay or lesbian while others are attracted to the opposite sex, or why other sexual preferences and values develop as well. Also, like human sexuality as a whole, the sexual identity of an individual -- which can be said to be the sum of their sexual attitudes, preferences, values, and desires -- is not static, but rather is a dynamic feature of human life that undergoes regular if not constant adjustment and change by individuals. Many different factors pertaining to the development of sexual attitudes and values are discussed, including religion, family upbringing, overall political views, and others.

As with the preceding chapter, one of the most notable things in this section of the textbook is the degree of variability and the rate of change that can occur in the development of an individual's sexual identity and sexual values. The author delves into several hot-button issues such as homophobia, abortion, and general sexual rights of underprivileged classes, dealing with them all in a highly objective and yet deeply informative manner. What emerges is the sense that regardless of one's own individual feeling's and values, sexuality is ultimately subjective -- even if we don't know exactly what forces it is subject to.

Chapter 11: Contraception and Abortion

In this chapter, the author turns his personal yet objective voice to two very sensitive issues in the world of today's sexuality. The ability to prevent a pregnancy from taking place has existed, with varying degrees of certainty and success, for many centuries, and has also been considered a highly controversial topic since it was first conceived (no pun intended). Many religious views, especially, suggest that sexual pleasure exists only to encourage procreation, and that non-procreative sexual acts (such as intercourse involving contraception of any sort) is immoral. Abortion is even more sensitive, with non-religious views also condemning the practice as nothing short of murder. Both of these issues, the author points out, are highly tied to the sexual and political freedom of women in society, as being able to control the timing… READ MORE