HED 190 – Human Sexuality and Society
50 (two sections of 25) students
This course explores the intersection of sexuality and culture, looking at the social construction of sexuality, the development of sexual and relationship norms through history, and the role of media and popular culture in shaping our understanding of sexuality, gender, and relationships.
This assignment focuses explicitly on the intersectional identities of the student, and asks them to consider the various influences these identities have had on their understanding of themselves. In doing so, they may clarify how they want to build relationships and present themselves to the world. Assessing the degree to which they have reflected on their aspects of identity will be based on the rubric posted below the assignment description from the syllabus.
Why did you select this project? How does it relate to identity and purpose?
It explicitly asks students to consider their identity as an element of their gender and sexuality, and the manner in which they develop relationships. The assignment invites reflection about their family and growing up, and where and how they learned about these things.
What advice do you have for other faculty who would like to implement a similar project?
Obviously, instructors would adapt the reflection paper to focus on how students’ identity and purpose influences their relationship to the course content. What follows is some students’ responses to the assignment:
Students were assigned this paper just recently, and the result has been very positive so far, but I haven’t graded them all yet. Students were responsive to the directions in the syllabus, and reflected on how they learned about sexuality, gender, and relationships, and appeared to take the assignment seriously. One student came to my office hour two days ago to say he appreciated the assignment, and that it had brought up some painful realizations about his culture (strict Orthodox Judaism). He is away from home now, and recognizes how his family strictly enforced his traditions’ teaching about sexual behavior and gender roles. He is now in therapy, and dealing with his limited experience in the secular world, while rejecting much of what he was taught growing up.
Another student, who was raised in Europe, wrote about her realization that people in the U.S. seem to have a more complicated relationship to sexuality than they do in her country. As a white, cisgender woman, she never considered her racial or ethnic identity as having any influence in how she was treated, but in writing the paper, she realizes that a degree of privilege has been hers.
Another student, from China, reflected on how much influence her mother and sister had in her understanding of gender roles, and she bemoaned the lack of sexuality education in China. She said they separated the boys from the girls and gave the girls the message not to let anyone touch them. The reticence to discuss sexuality was profound, and only when she was older and accidentally came across an erotic video on her phone did she begin to understand a bit about sexual behavior. She was so shocked by it, she turned it off after a minute or so, and felt that she had no one to talk to about it. She wrote that she thought it was the parents’ job to provide sexual education for their children, but it rarely happens, and absolutely did not in her family.
Not learning anything about sexuality in the family was reiterated by an Indian-American male student who said his parents and older brother were no help in learning anything useful. He himself thought that sex was “nasty” until he reached puberty. Discussions with friends at that point turned him to the Internet for information. He saw lots of porn, and wondered how helpful it was when it looked so different from his limited experience. Now, at 20 years old, he feels mature, but recognizes that his information has many gaps. He says he’s glad he’s heterosexual because that makes life easier.
HED 190 - Ujinsia wa Binadamu na Jamii (Sehemu mbili za 25) - Wanafunzi wa HED 190 wanajifunza kuhusu uhusiano kati ya ngono na utamaduni, na kutafakari juu ya muundo wa kijamii wa ngono, maendeleo ya tabia za ngono na mahusiano katika historia, na jukumu la vyombo vya habari na utamaduni maarufu katika kuunda uelewa wetu wa ngono, jinsia na mahusiano. Kazi hii inazingatia wazi juu ya utambulisho wa msalaba wa mwanafunzi, na huwaomba kuzingatia ushawishi mbalimbali ambao utambulisho huu umekuwa nao juu ya uelewa wao wenyewe. Kwa kufanya hivyo, wanaweza kufafanua jinsi wanavyotaka kujenga mahusiano na kujiweka mbele ya ulimwengu. Tathmini ya kiwango ambacho wamefikiria juu ya mambo yao ya utambulisho itategemea rubrics iliyochapishwa chini ya maelezo ya kazi kutoka kwa mtaala. Kwa nini ulichagua mradi huu? Inahusianaje na utambulisho na kusudi? "Hii inawaomba wanafunzi kuzingatia utambulisho wao kama sehemu ya jinsia yao na jinsia, na jinsi wanavyoendeleza mahusiano.""" Kazi hiyo inawahimiza wafikirie familia yao na kukua kwao, na mahali walipojifunza na jinsi walivyojifunza mambo hayo. Ni ushauri gani unaowapa wanafunzi wengine ambao wanataka kufanya kazi kama hii? Kwa wazi, walimu watabadilisha karatasi ya kutafakari ili kuzingatia jinsi utambulisho na kusudi la wanafunzi linavyoathiri uhusiano wao na yaliyomo kwenye kozi. Nini ni baadhi ya wanafunzi'majibu ya mgawo: Wanafunzi walikuwa kupewa karatasi hii hivi karibuni, na matokeo imekuwa chanya sana hadi sasa, lakini mimi si walipima yao yote bado. Wanafunzi waliitikia kwa mwelekeo katika mtaala, na kutafakari jinsi walivyojifunza kuhusu ngono, jinsia, na mahusiano, na walionekana kuchukua kazi kwa uzito. "Mwanafunzi mmoja alikuja ofisini kwangu siku mbili zilizopita kusema kwamba alithamini mgawo huo, na kwamba ulikuwa umemleta ufahamu fulani wenye uchungu kuhusu utamaduni wake (Uyahudi wa Orthodox mkali).""" Yeye ni mbali na nyumbani sasa, na anatambua jinsi familia yake imetekeleza kwa ukali mila yake - kufundisha kuhusu tabia ya kingono na majukumu ya jinsia. Sasa yuko katika matibabu, na kushughulika na uzoefu wake mdogo katika ulimwengu wa kilimwengu, wakati akikataa mengi ya yale aliyofundishwa kukua. Mwanafunzi mwingine, ambaye alilelewa Ulaya, aliandika juu ya utambuzi wake kwamba watu nchini Marekani wanaonekana kuwa na uhusiano mgumu zaidi na ngono kuliko wanavyofanya katika nchi yake. Kama mwanamke mweupe, cisgender, yeye kamwe kuchukuliwa yake ya kikabila au kikabila utambulisho kama kuwa na ushawishi wowote katika jinsi yeye alikuwa kutibiwa, lakini katika kuandika karatasi, yeye anatambua kwamba kiwango cha upendeleo imekuwa yake. Mwanafunzi mwingine kutoka China alionyesha jinsi mama na dada yake walivyoathiri uelewa wake wa majukumu ya jinsia, na alilalamika kwa ukosefu wa elimu ya ngono nchini China. "Waliwatenganisha wavulana na wasichana na kuwapa ujumbe wa ""usiruhusu mtu yeyote awaguse.""" Alijizuia sana kuzungumzia ngono, na ni baada tu ya kuwa na umri mkubwa na akipata video ya ngono kwenye simu yake, ndipo alipoanza kuelewa kidogo kuhusu tabia ya ngono. Alishtuka sana na hilo, akaizima baada ya dakika moja au zaidi, na kuhisi kwamba hakuwa na mtu wa kuzungumza naye kuhusu hilo. Aliandika kuwa anafikiri ni kazi ya wazazi kutoa elimu ya ngono kwa watoto wao, lakini ni mara chache hutokea, na kabisa si katika familia yake. "Mwanafunzi mmoja wa kiume wa India-Mmarekani alisisitiza kwamba ""kujifunza chochote kuhusu ngono katika familia hakukuwa msaada wowote katika kujifunza chochote chenye manufaa.""" Yeye mwenyewe alifikiri kwamba ngono ilikuwa <unk> mbaya <unk> hadi alipofikia ujana. Mazungumzo pamoja na marafiki wakati huo yalimfanya atembee kwenye Intaneti ili kupata habari. Aliona ponografia nyingi, na akajiuliza jinsi ilivyokuwa yenye kusaidia wakati ilionekana tofauti sana na uzoefu wake mdogo. Sasa akiwa na umri wa miaka 20, anajisikia kuwa mtu mzima, lakini anatambua kwamba habari zake zina mapungufu mengi. Anasema anafurahi kuwa heterosexual kwa sababu hiyo hufanya maisha yawe rahisi.