Chapter 13 Sexuality and the Adult Years

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Chapter 13Sexuality and the Adult Years

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Single Living

• Increasing rates
• May reflect change in societal attitudes
• Lifestyle and satisfaction vary widely
• Celibacy or long-term monogamy
• Serial monogamy
• Single persons engage in sexual activity less
  often and are less satisfied than married persons

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Cohabitation

• Domestic partnership
• Cohabitation vs. marriage
• Social impact
• Similarities and differences between cohabitation
  and marriage
• Impact before marriage

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Cohabitation
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Mens Cohabitation Rates by Educational Level
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Marriage

• Stable families convey social norms
• Defines rights of inheritance
• Regulates sexual behavior
• Emotional and social support system
• Associated with better health
• Takes different forms in different cultures
• Same-sex and interracial marriage

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Marriage in Current Collectivist and
Individualist Cultures

• Collectivist cultures
• Emphasize group goals over individual
• Marriage unites families not two individuals
• Arranged marriages common
• Emphasize needs of family, community, or
  religion de-emphasize love
• Polygamy
• Individualistic cultures
• Emphasize feelings of love
• Importance of love is a recent innovation

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Changing Expectations and Marital Patterns

• Discrepancy between American marriage ideal and
  actual practices
• Most politically conservative areas (Bible
  Belt) have some of the highest rates of divorce
  and unwed mothers
• Unrealistic expectations of fulfillment
• Fewer support networks for marriage
• Lack of preparation for daily issues
• People live longer

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Predicting Marital SatisfactionGottmans Research

• Based on heterosexual couples
• Ratio of positive to negative comments predict
  satisfaction
• Five positive to one negative interaction is key

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Sexual Behavior and Satisfaction in Marriage

• Factors that raise sexual satisfaction
• Factors that lower sexual satisfaction
• Sexless union can be satisfying
• DINS (Dual income, no sex)

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Extramarital Relationships

• Cultural differences
• Most cultures have restrictive norms usually
  more restrictive for women
• Consensual
• Swinging, open marriage, and polyamory
• Nonconsensual
• Varied and complex reasons
• Younger people have more affairs
• Role of Internet
• Impact on marriage varies

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Divorce

• Almost half of all first marriages end in divorce
• Reasons for high divorce rate
• Increased expectations for marital and sexual
  fulfillment
• No-fault divorce laws
• Reduction in social stigma
• Womens economic independence

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Reasons People Give for Divorce

• Communication problems
• Basic unhappiness
• Incompatibility
• Drug abuse and physical abuse

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Sexuality and Aging

• Aging associated with sexless time
• Double standard for aging
• Health is most crucial to sexual well-being

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Sexuality and Aging
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Sexual Activity in Later Years

• Among sexually active adults over age 60 61
  said their sex life today was either the same or
  more physically satisfying than in their 40s
• Factors that maintain activity
• Prior interest in sexual activity
• Regularity of sexual activity
• Good physical health
• SES

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Sexuality and AgingHomosexual Relationships in
Later Years

• Same-Sex sexual activity in later years is
  similar to heterosexual
• Lesbian advantages
• Less likely to be widowed
• Higher pool of alternatives
• Less aging double standard

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Widowhood

• Widows to widowers ratio 41
• 50 of widowers remarry
• 25 of widows remarry
• Older people remain interested in sex even when
  no partner is available