Open marriages are a form of relationship first brought into the public eye by Alfred Kinsey in the 1960s. Since then, the idea of approved extra-martial affairs have become even more popular, despite the uneducated critics hollering about it being an insult to the institution of marriage, or a way to justify cheating on one’s significant other. As open marriages start to become a more feasible option for couples looking to explore their sexuality, a common question always seems to come up; this inquiry, in fact, will be the purpose of the following text. To begin, I use examples from the 2004 biographical film Kinsey, directed by Bill Condon and produced by Gail Mutrux. While integrating discussion from Tristan Taormino and her book Opening Up: A Guide to Sustaining Open Relationships, I introduce the concept of sociosexuality with the help of Lars Penke’s Sociosexual Orientation Inventory. In creating discussion with the above names, I aim to demonstrate just what does make for a successful open relationship.
In the film Kinsey (Condon & Mutrux, 2004), there is a clear divide between what constitutes a successful and unsuccessful open relationship. Alfred Kinsey and his wife Clara Macmillan both engage in extramarital affairs, yet remain close physically, emotionally, and sexually. Alternatively, Clyde Martin (whom, it is worth noting, at one time engaged in an affair with both Kinsey and his wife) starts a fight with another man, Paul Gebhard, after finding out Mrs.
Have you ever wondered what the term "at-will employment" means? According to Cornell University Law School, the employment-at-will doctrine "refers to the presumption that employment is for an indefinite period of time and may be terminated either by employer or employee" (n.d., para. 1). This doctrine is said to level the playing field between employee and employer as each party can end their relationship at-will. At-will employment however is not equally applied between public and private business sectors, nor is it supported in every state within the United States. Employees who work for the public sector such as teachers or firefighters, or those working in California or Montana for example, can only be
In his sociology paper, Professor Robert Bell (1973, p1) defines mateship as 'the sex segregated involvement of men and it implies both physical and intellectual exclusion of women.' Miriam Dixson (1976, cited by Ken Inglis, 1998, p417), from another point of view, defines mateship as including sublimation of homosexuality. The definitions of mateship and mate cited here are by no means comprehensive and exhaustive.
American novelist and author of The Natural Bernard Malamud once said, “Without heroes, we are all plain people and don't know how far we can go” (Brainy Quote). The Natural features a young baseball phenom named Roy Hobbs as the story’s hero. His journey to become an aspiring baseball player for the Chicago Cubs is cut short as he meets multiple enemies that bring his dream to a halt. Later in his career, Roy returns to baseball as a player for the New York Knights where he encounters even more obstacles. On top of all his struggles, Roy has a bad tendency to fall in love with women who will hurt him and distract him from becoming the hero he is supposed to live up to. In the end, he fails to amount to anything great and loses his chance
Throughout the chapters of this book Reiss has done an exceptional job of depicting the nature of pluralism and expressing how the acceptance of this sex positive perspective can alleviate our current sexual crisis. The pluralistic model is rooted in the idea of personal choice and teaching individuals to not impose their views of sexuality onto others, but to accept difference even when there is disagreement. As well as this it becomes evident that pluralism offers the notion that there is no single right way of expressing sexuality, but that there are endless amounts which depend on personal interests. In discussing the characteristics of pluralism the most important perspective of this concept, in my opinion, is the acceptance of the value
In the film Kinsey, directed by Bill Condon, Professor Alfred Kinsey uses science to explore and inform the public on sex and during this era, sex was inappropriate to talk about.
Alfred Kinsey’s extensive research into sexual orientation has brought about some of the greatest and perhaps most controversial findings of the 20th century. His findings range from sexual activities to sexual orientation, including “facts” that were considered shocking at the time of their publication, such as 10% of men are gay and almost half men have had adulterous affairs, etc. Not only have they changed the ways people view sex and sexual ethnics in the U.S., but these findings are also still deeply embedded in the public imagination. However, a closer look at the great man’s research reveals some major flaws. Even though nobody has yet been able to replicate the research due to its magnitude, in the 21st century, we have other approaches to explore the same field, the results of which both confirm and challenge Alfred Kinsey’s findings.
In the article, author Vern L. Bullough provided an in-depth look at the research done by sexologist Alfred Kinsey and explaining the contributions he made in the field. The article claimed how Kinsey studied taboo topics and interviewed his students about their lives, a practice never conceived of being done before. The author explained how Kinsley’s controversial work was challenged by Thurman Rice, a, “bacteriology professor who had written extensively on sex, primarily from the view of eugenics” (Bullough 56). These claims were meant to display how society viewed sex as a topic that was not an area of interest for many, but the research done by Kinsley helped push the boundary on the topic and inspire other sexologists to pursue the field.
Example: because of research, we know that violence among intimates is a serious and pervasive social problem.
The simplest and most basic foundation of a sociological civilization or group begins at the core center of sociology; which is marriage and the inner-fabric creation of a family. It is said that matches are made in heaven, however finding and defining your “soul mate” differs from one social group to the next. The social institution of marriage changes and adapts consistently through time, religious practice, and national beliefs. Many people believe they lead happy and satisfying lives without a marital partner, as others highly value and desire a life-long marital partner as the pinnacle achievement of their life.
Social meanings of marriage have been studied endlessly to come to an understanding of what shared ideals American mainstream culture has. Steven L Nock, PhD., (1950-2008), Professor of Sociology at the University of Virginia, was a recognized expert on the role of marriage in society. Nock suggested that there were seven dimensions of marriage:
Today, the idea of marriage conjures images of bashful brides beautifully draped in all white, of grandiose flower arrangements climbing towards the ceiling, of romance personified. As an institution in this modern world, marriage represents the apex of romantic love, with an entire industry of magazines, movies, and television shows devoted to perpetuating marriage as an idealized symbol of the ultimate love between two people. Contrarily, as a sociological institution, marriage comes from much more clinical and impersonal origins, contrasting with the passion surrounding modern understandings of the institution. Notably, french anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss theorizes that the institution of marriage emerged from a need to form alliances between groups, with women functioning as the property exchanged so that such alliances could be solidified (Levi-Strauss).
There is constantly cessation why women and men cohabitate, nurture, desire, and endure. Many shrug the similarities and differences to the side due to the complex nature that is involved in understanding the progression. Since the beginning of time, according to the bible, man was placed as the dominant sex, fending for the families well being. The woman has tended to the important jobs around the homestead as situations arose. Often in society, one will find himself in a battle depending on the views of the receiving recipients. Following is a dialogue explaining a safe and metro sexual view as a general whole.
The twentieth-century tendency to view human love and sexuality within a dichotomized universe of deviance and normality, genitality and platonic love, is alien to the emotions and attitudes of the nineteenth century and fundamentally distorts the nature of
In literature, character’s past events can affect their present lives, attitudes, or values. Whether it affects them positively or negatively, depends on how the personal or societal incident impacted them at that certain moment. These affairs are powerful enough to even be able to influence the meaning of a piece of literature. For instance, Miss Havisham, an older women from Charles Dickens’ 1860s weekly installments, Great Expectations, carried herself with pride and was headstrong, beautiful, and passionate before her tragic heartbreak. Due to this heartbreak, Miss Havisham turned into a cruel, strange woman who was classified as a “... grim lady...who led a life of seclusion” (39). Miss Havisham’s painful past contributes to Great
The Sociological Imagination was a term that was first coined by sociologist C. Wright Mills. It could be said that definition of The Sociological Imagination is having the ability to look beyond personal experience and realise that society is shaped by the cross over between biography and history. Mills thought that everyone in society had the capability to think sociologically and that this was essential to gain a deeper understanding of both their society, and their current circumstance. This approach contradicts a more readily adopted approach by the public that sociologists call “The common sense approach”. The common sense approach is a collection of knowledge that has been acquired through little scientific merit, such as: personal experience, gossip or anecdotal evidence. This essay will discuss and explain the difference between the Sociological Imagination and Common-Sense explanations through the use of examples to explain the topic of sexuality.