“Safe and Satisfied:” An Exploratory Study of Two Aspects of Sexual Subjectivity Among Young Women at a Hispanic-Serving Institution in Southern California, USA

Abstract

Past research has argued that young women in the United States encounter gendered and heteronormative cultural messages that tend to paint men’s sexuality as active and women’s sexuality as passive. Recent research argues that neoliberal ideology—with its focus on individual choice and personal responsibility—has modified these traditional sexual discourses, including women’s entitlement to sexual subjectivity. This study centers the voices of a diverse group of young women who attend a regional, Hispanic-serving university in southern California, USA, in an analysis of their responses to an open-ended survey about two aspects of sexual subjectivity. Results show that the majority of the women in this study feel entitled to sexual responsiveness from their partner and feel comfortable asking for sexual stimulation. In contrast to past research where women from historically marginalized backgrounds in the United States were more likely to prioritize romantic relationships over sexual pleasure, the majority of the participants in this study did not dismiss their sexual needs. Participants describe sexual pleasure as a relational, rather than purely self-interested accomplishment that is important for their own well-being and for building healthy romantic relationships.