ABSTRACT
Sexual behavior has a long history of emotionally charged social and cultural expectations, rules, taboos, myths, and misconceptions. “Normal” versus “dysfunctional” or “deviant” sexual behaviors are determined arbitrarily and are tied to the social norms of a particular time and place (Marecek, Crawford, & Popp, 2004). e social construction of appropriate and inappropriate sexual behavior is best re ected by the historical and cultural changes in what has been considered normal and abnormal. In ancient Greece, for example, a male mentor might have sex with his adolescent student as part of their relationship, which was relatively accepted at that time as a way to demonstrate social standing or hierarchy (King, 1996; Plante, 2006). In the Sambian tribe in New Guinea, an important rite involves younger boys performing oral sex on older boys in order to ingest semen, which is believed to provide strength and masculinity; when they get older they transition into heterosexual adults (Stoller, 1985). In contrast, the Victorian Era in England (during most of the 1800s) was a time of sexual conservatism, although like the Sambians, beliefs about sex were rigid and based on misconceptions about semen. e purpose of sex during this era was to produce children, not to experience pleasure. Modesty was important, and women were supposed to cover their bodies, including their ankles. Masturbation was believed to be a cause of mental or physical illness (including blindness) (King, 1996). In some cases, treatment for masturbation included clitoridectomy (removal of the clitoris), male circumcision, or castration (King, 1996; Lips, 2006).
