Culture and sexual behavior - Psicothema

1 Psicothema ISSN 0214 - 9915 CODEN PSOTEG. 2000. Vol. 12, Supl., pp. 70-82 Copyright 2000 Psicothema Culture and sexual behavior Silvia Ubillos, Dar o Paez and Jos Luis Gonz lez*. University of the Basque Countr y, * Burgos University This study correlates the national means of self-reports of sexual relations in stable couples and the me- an percentage of people with extramarital affairs with the climatic, socio-economic and cultural (reli- gion and Hofstede s dimensions) characteristics of the 25 countries to which the samples belongs. Low uncertainty avoidance, low Catholicism and Protestantism, dominance of Buddhism and high power distance were associated with less sexual permissiveness. sexual permissiveness was associated more with the religious aspects of Culture . Higher mean sexual frequency was associated with social deve- lopment, individualism, low power distance and low dominance of Animism and Buddhism, to Catho- licism and uncertainty avoidance, and cultural femininity.

2 Results confirm the important role of socio- economic development, raise questions on the negative view of Christianism and the positive view of oriental religions. Cultura y Conducta sexual . Esta investigaci n correlaciona las medias nacionales de auto-informes de relaciones sexuales en parejas estables y el porcentaje de personas con relaciones extramaritales con las caracter sticas clim ticas, socio-econ micas y culturales (religi n dominante y dimensiones cultu- rales de Hofstede) de los 25 pa ses estudiados. La baja Evitaci n de la Incertidumbre, la poca presen- cia del Catolicismo y Protestantismo, la predominancia del Budismo y la alta Distancia al Poder se aso- ciaban a menor permisividad sexual (menor porcentaje de relaciones extramaritales). La permisividad sexual se asociaba m s con los aspectos religiosos de la cultura.

3 Una media alta de frecuencia sexual se asociaba al desarrollo social, al individualismo, a la poca predominancia del Animismo y Budismo, a la predominancia del Catolicismo, a la Evitaci n de la Incertidumbre y a la Femineidad Cultural. Los resultados confirman el importante rol del desarrollo socio-econ mico para la calidad de vida sexual , as como despiertan dudas sobre la visi n negativa del Cristianismo y positiva de las religiones orien - tales en relaci n a la sexualidad. In this article we will review cultural differences in sexual be- the 4 polyandric cultures are at the same time polygenic (Kenrick, havior concerning two specific aspects: frequency of sexual inter- 1994). 54% of the societies found in the Human Relations Area course in stable partners, and percentage of people who have se- File archives (HRAF) allow extra-marital masculine sex, and this xual relationships with more than one person.

4 Frequency is an in- was practiced in 69% of these societies. In another 11% of socie- dex of sexual activity, and extra-marital sex (having sexual rela- ties feminine extra-marital sex was permited, being put into prac- tionships with one or more people different from one's normal or tice in 57% of these cultures (Ember & Ember, 1997). Differences stable partner) is an index of sexual permissiveness. among complex societies or nations are very important with regard Variability in number of partners, extra-marital sex and fre- to extra-marital sex. A practice which is non-existant among Asian quency of sexual intercourse have been well documented in anth- women, scarce among western regions (13% of french males and ropology for simple societies, and more recently, and by means of of french women), some Latinamerican and African coun- sexual surveys, for complex societies.

5 Tries. While it is important, although by no means affecting a ma- With regard to the number of sexual partners in the so called jority of people, in other African and American countries. For ins- simple societies (without cities and class differences), in most tance in French Guayana, the percentage of men who have rela- of these polygamies (marriage with more than one spouse) is ac- tions with other people different from one s spouse is three times cepted, although most people in the world live in monogamic cul- higher than in France, for women it is twice as high (Giraud et al., tures. Out of the 849 societies studied in Murdock's ethnographic 1995). In the western world there is a predominance of serial mo- atlas, 708 are polygenic (one husband for various wives), and only nogamy over concurrent couples or multipartnership (Wellings et 4 are polyandric (a wife may have various husbands).)

6 Moreover, al., 1994). In a northamerican study (Kolata, 1994), the fidelity in- dexes were relatively high: 75% of married men, and 85% of ma- rried women were faithful to their companions during their lifeti- mes. Similar results have been found in Spain (Usieto & Sastre, Correspondencia: Silvia Ubillos 1996), France (Spira & Bajos, 1993), and England (Wellingset al., Department of Social Psychology 1994). In Africa, certain forms of polygamous relationships are University of the Basque Country 20080 San Sebasti n (Spain) normative. In some of these cultures polygamy, generally polyge- E-mail: nia, is a feature in approximately 25-50% of married couples. Mo- Culture AND sexual behavior 71. reover, it is informally accepted that a man may have more than Cultural differences and sexuality one partner.

7 Stable relationships between married men and semi- autonomous women, who obtain economic rewards in exchange We will now analyze how differences in activity and sexual per- for having sexual relationships with men, is a frequent resource in misiveness is associated with differences in cultural values' syn- those societies in which the relationship man/woman favours the dromes. former, and in which sexual activity and the exchange of favours A culturalist explanation of sexuality will stress the importance is classified within the same area of behavior . Although in some of norms and values, aims and principals in life, such as hedonism parts of Asia polygenia is also approved of, only 3-4% of mar ried and personal autonomy in individualistic societies, and group lo- couples practice it (Rushing, 1995).

8 In summary, results confirm yalty and emotional dependence in collectivistic cultures (Price- that most sexually active adults are faithful, especially in Asia (alt- Williams, 1985; Triandis, 1994). Defining Culture as a cultural pro- hough on the other hand in some countries, especially Thailand, gramming of the mind which differentiates one group from another, visiting prostitutes is socially acceptable), on a medium basis in Hofstede described 4 cultural dimensions: Power distance, Indivi- the western world, and only in Africa and the Caribbean having dualism-collectivism, Masculinity-femininity and Uncertainty more than one sexual partner is an important, although not wides- avoidance (see Gouveia & Ros and Basabe et al's articles). pread, reality. Hofstede s (1991) dimensions and scores were obtained with Anthropological research has found a variability in frequency an underrepresentation of african and asian cultures.

9 For this rea- and acceptance of sexual activity is simple societies. We find so- son, many of these countries were assigned global or regional sco- cieties in which sexual intercourse is practiced at least once per res. On the other hand, there are currently available statistics night (Crow, Lepcha in the Himalaya), at least three times per which allow us to have a somewhat rough, although valid, view of night (Australian Aranda and the Chaga from Tanzania), or cultu- the type of dominant religion, which will serve to complete Hofs- res in which sexual intercourse only takes place once per week, tede s results. with periods in which for years after a birth there is no sexual in- It is important to note that in our research, we will study not only tercourse ( the Keraki in New Guinea, Danis, Cheyennes) (Kat- dominant cultural values, but also religion as a cultural determinant chadurian & Linde, 1979; Nieto, 1989).

10 Of sexuality. Religions are relevant for our study for 2 main reasons: Before there were extensive sexual surveys, the dominant 1. They are one of the most important sources of norms and va- perspective was that the medium average of sexual relationships lues in a g iven society. was between two and two and a half times per week. Comfort s 2. Religions are historically and sociologically associated with well known sex manual states that an average of less than twice cultural dimensions: Protestantism with individualism, Muslim re- per week indicated that there was some kind of sexual problem ligion and Confuncianism-Buddhism with collectivism, and Cat- (cited in Sandfort et al., 1998, p. 111). For instance it was stated holicism with uncertainty avoidance. that the lowest frequency was once a week, in for example the Keraki in Southafrica (Gerbhard, 1987).