The document summarizes six ideological formations that inhibit the development of radical theory of sex according to Gayle Rubin's "Thinking Sex": 1. Sex essentialism - The idea that sex is determined by biology rather than being a social construct. 2. Sex negativity - Western cultures generally view sex as a dangerous force unless it is for marriage, reproduction or love. 3. The fallacy of misplaced scale - Sexual acts are burdened with excessive significance in Western culture. 4. The hierarchical valuation of sex acts - Modern societies rank sex acts in a hierarchy with married, reproductive sex at the top. 5. Domino theory of sexual peril

1. Referred to Gayle Rubin “Thinking Sex”
Presented by Yi Xu
SWMS210

2. Six ideological formations that inhit the
development of our radical theory of sex:
→ Sex essentialism
→ Sex negativity
→ The fallacy of misplaced scale
→ The hierarchical valuation of sex acts
→ Domino theory if sexual peril
→ The lack of concept of benign sexual variation
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3. Sex essentialism:
definition: the idea that sex is a natural force based on
our biology.
disadvantage: human sexuality is not comprehensible
in purely biological terms, but is constituted in society
and history.
mentioned content:
1. Michel Foucault's The history of sexuality.
2. new scholarship on sexual behavior.
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4. Sex negativity:
•definition: Western cultures generally consider sex to
be a dangerous, destructive, negative force.
•disadvantage: This culture always treats sex with
suspicion. Virtually all erotic behavior is considered bad
unless a specific reason to exempt it has been
established, for example, marriage, reproduction, and
love.
:
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5. The fallacy of misplaced scale:
definition: Everything pertaining to sex has been a
‘special case’ in western culture.
disadvantage: Small differences in value or
behavior are often experienced as cosmic threats.
Sexual acts are burdened with an excess of
significance.
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6. The hierarchical valuation of sex acts:
definition: Modern Western societies appraise sex acts
according to hierarchial system of sexual value.
order: Marital, reproductive heterosexuals are at the top of the
erotic pyramid. Below are unmarried monogamous heterosexuals
in couples, followed by most other heterosexuals. Masturbation is
an inferior while transsexuals, transvestites, fetishists, sex
workers are in the lowest level of all.
disadvantage: Popular sexual ideology is a noxious stew made
up of ideas of sexual sin, concepts of psychological inferiority,
anti-communism, mob hysteria, accusations of witchcraft, and
xenophobia. These hierarchies of sexual value rationalize the
well-being of the sexually privileged and the adversity of the
sexual rabble.
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7. Domino theory of sexual peril:
definition: It expressed the fear that if anything is
permitted to cross this erotic DMZ, the barrier against scary
sex will crumble and something unspeakable will skitter
across.
disadvantage: Most systems of sexual judgment-
religious, psychological, feminist, on socialist-attempt to
determine on which side of the like a particular act falls.
The further from the line a sex act is, the more it is depicted
as a uniformly bad experience, but some behavior near the
border, like masturbation, unmarried couples living
together, and some forms of homosexuality, is moving in
the direction of respectability. This kind of sexual morality
grants virtue to the dominant groups, and relegates vice to
the underprivileged. Page P 7

8. The lack of concept of benign sexual variation:
•definition: sexuality now is supposed to conform to a
single standard.
•disadvantage: For religion, the ideal is procreative
marriage. For psychology, it is mature heterosexuality. It is
just as objectionable to insist that everyone should be
lesbian, none-monogamous, or kinky, as to believe that
everyone should be heterosexual, married, or vanilla. We
have to learn to cherish different cultures as unique
expressions of human inventiveness rather than as the
inferior or disgusting habits of savages.
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