GWST 2163 - Week 1

Summary

This script introduces a course on the philosophical and epistemological aspects of sex education, exploring the nature of sex and how it's defined. It questions the universality of sex, its role in pleasure, relationships, and self, and the impact of various sources like personal experiences, media, and pornography on our sexual knowledge. The narrative uses a personal anecdote from watching 'Titanic' to delve into societal reactions to nudity and sex, emphasizing the need to examine our sexual epistemologies and the influence of power dynamics in sexual experiences.

Takeaways

• 🔎 The course aims to explore the nature of sex philosophically, culturally, politically, sociologically, and economically.
• 🤔 It questions the universality of the concept of sex and whether it is defined the same way for everyone.
• 🧐 The course delves into the epistemology of sex, questioning how and where we acquire our sexual knowledge.
• 👀 It discusses the impact of different sources of sexual knowledge, such as family, friends, media, and personal experiences.
• 🚫 The script highlights the potential for certain sources to omit or neglect important aspects of sexual education.
• 🎬 It uses the example of the film 'Titanic' to illustrate how societal reactions to sexual content can lead to epistemological questions.
• 👶 The personal story shared reflects on the influence of family and societal attitudes on the perception of sex and nudity.
• 🤝 The course suggests that sex is not just a physical act but also a social and emotional interaction.
• 💡 It raises the question of whether activities like cybersex or self-pleasure are considered 'sex' and what that means for our understanding of the term.
• 💼 The script touches on the role of the pornography industry as a source of sexual knowledge and its potential impact on societal views of sex and gender.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the course mentioned in the script?

The primary focus of the course is to explore the nature of sex education, both as a formal institutional agenda and informally, and to discuss sexual knowledge and how it is acquired.

What philosophical aspects of sex does the script suggest should be considered?

The script suggests considering the definition of sex, whether it means the same thing to everyone, and if there are universals regarding sex that can be identified.

How does the script relate the concept of sex to various aspects of life?

The script relates sex to aspects such as pleasure, sacredness, mundaneness, excitement, boredom, repetition, and risk, suggesting that sex can be viewed differently depending on the context and individual perspectives.

What does the script imply about the variability of sex definitions?

The script implies that the definition of sex can vary based on factors such as the relationship between the individuals involved, whether it's between friends, strangers, or spouses, and even in the context of self-sexual activities or cybersex.

What is the significance of the 'Titanic' movie scene mentioned in the script?

The 'Titanic' movie scene is used to illustrate an epistemological question about sex and sexuality, specifically how nudity and sexual scenes are perceived and reacted to differently by individuals.

Why did the speaker's aunt cover the speaker's eyes during the 'Titanic' movie scene?

The speaker's aunt covered the speaker's eyes to shield them from nudity in the movie, which leads to a discussion about the origins of sexual knowledge and the role of family and societal norms in shaping these perceptions.

What does the script suggest about the role of pornography as a source of sexual knowledge?

The script suggests that pornography is a common source of sexual knowledge for many people and raises questions about its impact on sexual education and the portrayal of gender roles and power dynamics.

How does the script connect sexual epistemologies to broader sociological and political considerations?

The script connects sexual epistemologies to sociological and political considerations by discussing how sources of sexual knowledge, such as pornography, can influence societal views on gender, power dynamics, and the treatment of women.

What is the purpose of discussing the business aspect of pornography in the script?

Discussing the business aspect of pornography serves to question how its commercial nature might affect its educational value and the messages it conveys about sex and sexuality.

How does the script challenge the audience to think about their own sources of sexual knowledge?

The script challenges the audience to reflect on their first sources of sexual knowledge and consider how these sources have shaped their understanding of sex and sexuality.

What does the term 'epistemology' mean in the context of the script?

In the context of the script, 'epistemology' refers to the study of the nature and origins of knowledge, specifically in the realm of sexual knowledge and how it is acquired and understood.

Outlines

00:00

🎓 Introduction to Sex Education and Philosophy

The speaker begins by introducing the topic of sex education, suggesting that it should start with a philosophical contemplation of the nature of sex. They propose to explore the definition of sex, its various aspects, and how it might be perceived differently by different individuals. The speaker questions whether sex is just an act, a method of pleasure, or something sacred. They also ponder the readiness and prerequisites for engaging in sexual activities and how the definition of sex might change based on the context, such as with friends, strangers, or oneself. The paragraph ends with a teaser about the broader scope of the course, which includes the study of sexual knowledge and its acquisition from various sources, such as personal experiences, media, and cultural influences.

05:00

🎬 The Impact of Media on Sexual Knowledge

In this paragraph, the speaker recounts a personal anecdote from their childhood involving watching the film 'Titanic' with family members. They describe a scene with nudity that led to a reaction from their aunt, who covered the speaker's eyes. This incident serves as a springboard to discuss epistemological questions about sex and sexuality. The speaker reflects on the different sources of sexual knowledge, such as family, religion, and popular culture, and how these sources shape our understanding of sex. They also touch upon the role of pornography as a common, yet contentious, source of sexual education, questioning whether it represents real sex or a performance, and the implications of its commercial nature on the knowledge it imparts.

10:02

💼 The Business of Pornography and Sexual Education

The final paragraph delves into the sociological aspects of pornography as a business and its impact on sexual education. The speaker raises concerns about how the portrayal of women in pornography can influence societal views on gender and power dynamics. They suggest that watching pornography can teach viewers more than just about sex, but also about the treatment of women in society. The paragraph concludes with a call to consider the broader implications of sexual knowledge sources, particularly the influence of the pornography industry, on shaping individuals' understanding of sex and gender roles.

Keywords

💡Sex Education

Sex education refers to the process of acquiring information and understanding about human sexuality, relationships, and sexual health. In the video, the speaker proposes beginning a course on sex education by contemplating the nature of sex itself, highlighting that it's not just about physical acts but also about understanding societal, cultural, and personal perspectives on sexuality.

💡Philosophy

Philosophy, as mentioned in the script, involves deep contemplation and critical thinking about fundamental questions. The speaker suggests using philosophical inquiry to explore the nature of sex, challenging the audience to consider what sex means and whether there are universal definitions or experiences of it.

💡Epistemology

Epistemology is the study of knowledge and how we come to know things. The video discusses 'sexual epistemologies,' which are theories about how we acquire knowledge about sex. The speaker uses this concept to analyze how different sources, such as family, media, or personal experiences, shape our understanding of sexuality.

💡Sexual Knowledge

Sexual knowledge encompasses the understanding of sexual behaviors, practices, and identities. The video emphasizes the importance of questioning how we know what we know about sex, and it challenges the audience to consider the various sources and agendas behind the sexual knowledge we possess.

💡Consent

Consent is a crucial aspect of any sexual activity, referring to the voluntary and informed agreement to engage in a particular act. The script touches on the concept of consent when discussing the nature of sex, implying that it should be a mutual and respectful agreement between all parties involved.

💡Power Dynamics

Power dynamics refer to the distribution of power and control within relationships or societal structures. The video discusses how sex is a terrain of shifting power dynamics, which can be a source of pleasure for some and abuse for others, indicating the complexity and potential inequalities in sexual relationships.

💡Pornography

Pornography is used in the script to explore its role as a common, yet controversial, source of sexual knowledge. The speaker questions whether pornography is sex or performance and discusses the impact of the pornography industry on sexual education and societal views on sex and gender.

💡Cyber Sex

Cyber sex refers to sexual activities conducted over the internet, such as through chat rooms or virtual environments. The video script raises the question of whether sex is possible with other people over the phone or the web, challenging traditional definitions of sexual interactions.

💡Sexual Orientation

Sexual orientation is an individual's enduring pattern of emotional, romantic, or sexual attractions to men, women, both genders, or none. The speaker's personal anecdote about not being affected by the nudity in 'Titanic' hints at the speaker's own sexual orientation and how it influences their perception of what is considered sexual.

💡Societal Views

Societal views refer to the collective attitudes, beliefs, and values of a society. The video discusses how societal views on sex and sexuality are shaped by various factors, including religion, culture, and media, and how these views can influence individual understanding and behavior.

💡Personal Prerequisites

Personal prerequisites are the individual's own set of criteria or conditions they believe must be met before engaging in certain activities, such as sex. The script questions what it means to be 'ready' for sex and whether there are personal prerequisites that should be considered, reflecting on the individual's journey towards sexual engagement.

Highlights

Introduction to the course on sex education, starting with philosophical contemplation of the nature of sex.

Discussion on the definition of sex and whether it holds universal meanings.

Questioning if sex is an act, a way of relating, or a method to obtain pleasure.

Exploration of whether sex is sacred, mundane, exciting, or boring, and if these perceptions vary.

Inquiry into the consensual nature of sex and the readiness to engage in it.

Consideration of personal prerequisites for having sex and what 'being ready' entails.

Analysis of how the definition of sex changes in different contexts, such as between friends or strangers.

Debate on whether sex with oneself is considered sex and the philosophical implications.

Discussion on the possibility of sex over the phone or the web, and what constitutes sexual interaction.

Reflection on the space between sexual acts and feelings, questioning if that space is real and legitimate.

Introduction of the speaker's specialty in thinking about sex from philosophical, cultural, political, sociological, and economic perspectives.

Emphasis on the course's focus on sexual knowledge, how it is acquired, and the agendas behind it.

Narrative of a personal experience with sex education through a family member's reaction to a movie scene.

Analysis of the epistemological questions raised by the speaker's aunt's actions during the movie scene.

Discussion on the different sources of sexual knowledge, including institutions, family, and popular culture.

Consideration of pornography as a common source of sexual knowledge and its role in sex education.

Reflection on how the business aspect of pornography might affect its educational value.

Final thoughts on the importance of understanding sexual knowledge and the power dynamics involved in sex.

Transcripts

all right hello guess

who it's me again

um

so where should we begin in a course

about sex education

um perhaps we begin with sex

itself um and kind of stir in philosophy

to contemplate the very nature of sex to

contemplate definitions of sex what is

sex um and what it does and for whom

that might be a great place to start um

a course like this um because it can get

us primed and lubed up if you will to

get us to think about something many of

us uh quite probably take for granted um

sex might just be one of those things

that we think we know when we see it or

we think we know when we feel it um

but whether that's the case or not I'm

wondering if you've ever thought about

sex

philosophically I'm not quite sure if

that's something that is sexy or not to

do but have you um by which I mean have

you ever thought about what the

definition of sex actually

is does sex sex mean the same thing to

everyone are there any universals

regarding sex that we can

identify is sex and

act um a way of relating or

collaborating is it a method to obtain

pleasure is sex sacred or is it

mundane um is it exciting is it boring

is it repetitive is it vanilla is it

risky or dangerous um or

consensual can it be a hobby like riding

a bike is it something that we hold off

on engaging in until we think we are

ready and what does it mean to be ready

are there certain personal prerequisites

to having sex how does the definition of

sex change based on whether it's between

friends whether it's between strangers

spouses and what about sex with oneself

is that even sex

definitionally what about cyber sex um

is sex possible with other people over

the phone on the web what about the

space between sexual acts and sexual

feelings is that space real legitimate

if I get turned on by someone just by

looking at them is that sex if I get

turned on by looking at someone and

something physiologically happens to my

body by which I mean blood rushes to

certain parts of my body is that

sex something we need to keep in mind

here as we think about sex

philosophically is that this course is

not a sex ed course in and of

itself you know by which I

mean I am by no means a sex head teacher

trust me that ain't my expertise um but

thinking about sex

philosophically culturally Pol

politically sociologically and even

economically certainly is my specialty

hence this course is about the nature of

sex

education as as a formal institutional

agenda and also and more generally and

more

informally this course is

about simply sexual knowledge and how we

acquire it how do we know what we know

about

sex how and when did we learn such

sexual knowledge who taught it to us and

what was their agenda what did our early

educators of sex whether they were

people like our parents or guardians or

friends or lovers or whether they were

things like firsttime personal

experiences or pornography or film or

television what did these sources of

sexual knowledge want us to know about

sex and sexuality and why what did they

not want us to know what did they they

neglect to tell us forget to tell us

what did they purposefully leave out of

our sex education and why these are

epistemological questions and

epistemologies of sex is in a nutshell

what this course is all about here's a

quick story when Titanic the film you

know the one about the big ass boat that

sank with the Kate Winslet and Leonardo

DiCaprio playing the major characters in

it that movie when that movie premiered

in theaters this was the Year

1997 I believe I was 10 years

old I remember going to the theater with

my mom my sister who is four years older

than me and my aunt I'm not sure if you

all saw this film it's quite iconic but

regardless there is a part in it uh with

one of the main

characters um

where where one of the main characters

is painting a portrait of the other main

character and the woman who is being

painted the character Kate Winslet's

playing is being painted and lying naked

across a couch um it wasn't a hardcore

sex scene or anything there simply was

nudity um and you saw the main

character's breasts as soon as these

breasts appeared on the screen my aunt

gasped audibly in the theater and

covered my eyes with her hands right um

I

remember very well as a 10-year-old boy

being very annoyed and

grumpy

um that this had

happened so an analysis of my aunt and

her actions can lead us to a slew of

epistemological questions regarding sex

and sexuality first of all I didn't like

being touched and quite frankly I still

still don't um especially not in public

so I wasn't thrilled that my aunt had

her hands on me second I was a queer kid

sure I was very much closeted as a

10-year-old but I certainly knew that

these marvelously huge breasts up on the

big screen were doing absolutely nothing

for me I could have cared less about the

breasts they were forgettable to me so

what was it about them that motivated my

aunt to leap into action what was her

relationship to sex and sexuality that

she felt that her 10-year-old nephew

needed to be shielded from why did she

need to prevent me from getting a

glimpse of a naked woman in a

movie again the scene in the film was

not a depiction of an explicit sex act

although the scene was sexual in nature

so what makes such a scene sexual either

in a movie or within reall lived

experiences is it the presence of a

naked body that makes things sexual some

sex acts can happen with clothes on

can't they if it's about nudity is the

scene of us getting naked during a

checkup at the doctor's office

sexual these are all both philosophical

wonderings about sex as well as

epistemological

ones an

epistemology in a nutshell is basically

a theory of how we know what we

know and so sexual epistemologies are

theories about the origins of our sexual

knowledge epistemology therefore is a

philosophical

concept but thinking epistemologically

can lead us also to think about things

sociologically to think about things

politically to think about things

psychologically um do you recall and

really really go here with me consider

this do you recall what your first

epistemological sources of sexual

knowledge were think about

it these sources of sexual knowledge may

not have been people right as an actual

teachers these sources of knowledge may

have been institutions like religion or

your family maybe popular culture taught

you what you knew what you now know

about sex and sexuality um as we'll

explore later on in this course course

pornography is a common source of sexual

knowledge for many people and due to the

fact that the internet has come to play

bigger and bigger roles in the everyday

existence um of members of societies

around the globe perhaps pornography is

is only increasing in its popularity as

a sex education

teacher but is pornography sex or is it

performance could it be a mix of both

and does that matter

also isn't pornography often a business

it's often a a commodity that people pay

for and consume right it's an industry

that employs people so while it is true

that the nature of pornography may be

changing and rapidly expanding thanks to

the pr proliferation of increasingly

affordable and accessible

Technologies um and so yes some people

make their own pornography and circulate

it online for free and for fun there

still exists a pornography

industry so how does the business of

pornography affect its ability to be an

educator of sexual

knowledge this is where it's important

for us to think sociologically if you

grew up watching porn in which women

were consistently degraded abused and

objectified then you learned something

as a child not only about sex but about

how women are viewed in your Society in

other

words our sources of sexual knowledge

often teach us about way more than just

sexx sex is a Terrain of constantly

shifting power dynamics and for some

people these power dynamics are a source

of pleasure while for others they may be

a source of abuse