Sexual nature, sexual culture

Abstract

This multidisciplinary study of human sexuality examines the influences of nature and nurture, biology and culture, and sex and gender in the sexual experiences of humans and other primates. Focusing on the idea that sexual pleasure is the primary motivational force behind human sexuality and that reproduction is simply a byproduct of such pleasurability, this book examines sexuality at the individual, societal and cultural levels. Beginning with a look at the evolution of sexuality in humans and other primates, the essays in the first section examine the sexual ingenuity of primates, the dominant theories of sexual behavior, the differences in male and female sexual interest and behaviour and the role of physical attractiveness in mate selection. The focus then shifts to biological approaches to sexuality, especially the genetic and hormonal origins of sexual orientation, gender and pleasure. The essays go on to look at the role of pleasure in different cultures. Included are essays on love among the tribes-people of the Brazilian rain forest and the regulation of adolescent sexuality in India. Finally, the text addresses methodological issues in the study of human sexuality, paying particular attention to the problems with research that relies on people's memories of their sexual experiences.