Marriage and family structures

Marriage and Family

What is sexual script? How is it formed? When is it called into play? What does it do for us? What assumptions do we make out of others' scripts? In your answer, make references to relevant research.

Although not everyone is an actor on the stage, all human beings obey certain 'scripts' or social rules when engaged in interactive behavior with other human beings. Although sexuality is often seen as a 'no holds barred' sphere of human activity, in reality, all of us obey a sexual script when taking part in sexual relations and when we are involved in sexual relationships. A sexual script is a set of cultural norms for behavior as to what is appropriate or inappropriate and sets our expectation as to how sexual encounters should progress. It helps us, like all social scripts, in the sense that it enables us to navigate our own desires and motivations in a socially acceptable fashion. It also enables society to function better by making interactions more predictable. But because there are so many different scripts, and so many different rules for a variety of sexual contexts, it is easy for scripts to be misread.

Who, what, when, where and why all determine the sexual script and rules you obey when engaging in flirting, foreplay, selection, and sexual activities. For example, society tells you from an early age to have sex with someone to whom you are unrelated, of similar age, and of the opposite gender (Strong, DeVault & Cohen, 2005, p.240). This is suggested by the media, and also by parental, peer, and social pressures. One might observe that even for homosexuals, once the expectation that homosexuality is their sexual identity it is difficult to 'cross over' because bisexuality would alter the script one has created for one's self. In other words, past behavior can also set the script. Other social factors might be religion, marital status (married people or people in serious relationships are supposed to be monogamous) and societal approval of the partner's character.

What refers to what sexual acts you choose to engage in, and the rules of 'what' also socially governed, as well as dependant upon personal preferences and the preferences of a sexual partner. Even in private people have a sense of what is or is not appropriate -- like whether the lights should be left on or off. When, might be only after marriage, only after the children are asleep, and only when the parents are away -- or only when on vacation with an 'unsuitable individual.' Where might be the bedroom, the backseat, or not in public, again depending on the particular societal norms one subscribes to, and the norms of one's partner. And why might be only for procreation (the only acceptable reason in some societies or cultures) or for pleasure (in some cultures, prostitutes for pleasure, marital partners for procreation might be the 'rule') (Strong, DeVault & Cohen, 2005, p.241).