NORMAL vs DEVIANT SEXUALITY/SEXUAL BEHAVIOR

Writing Assignment: Normal vs. Deviant Sexuality/Sexual Behavior

Writing Assignment – Normal vs. Deviant Sexuality/Sexual Behavior
(from Module 3 materials) – Worth 16 total points

This assignment is worth 16 points or 16% of your final grade.

BOOK USED UNDERSTANDING HUMAN SEXUALITY TWELTH EDITION

Instructions:

Answer each of the following four (4) questions in your own words. Each response should be in the form of a cogent argument. We are interested in your opinion on each topic below, supported with examples from the readings and lectures. Please use complete sentences and limit your answers to one paragraph ( approximately 8 sentences, or half a page). If you refer to a course reading, please cite the author, year, and page number (e.g., Hyde and DeLamater 2010:56). Be sure to cite any exact quotes in quotation marks. If you refer to a lecture, please cite the lecture title and slide (e.g., Sexual Behavior Lecture: Slide 4) . Please use only the course materials in Module 3. Do not use outside sources to complete this assignment. To understand how your assignment will be graded, please see the grading rubric provided below. Your essay should be 2 pages in length. Use font size 12 and 1 inch margins.

Question 1:
Discuss the differences between ‘normal’ and ‘deviant’ sexual behavior. What makes an act or practice ‘deviant’? Does labeling something ‘deviant’ only make sense in comparison to what is normal?

Question 2:
Why do certain acts seem to be ‘deviant’ in some societies but ‘normal’ in others, and why do other acts seem to be universally ‘deviant’?

Question 3:
Describe three types of perspectives (i.e., statistical, sociological, psychological, medical, anthropological) used to understand what is ‘normal’ and what is ‘deviant’.

Question 4:
Is one of the perspectives you described above in Question 3 better than the others, or are multiple perspectives required?