You will conduct an investigation of real-world attitudes and knowledge of human sexuality. This assignment involves collecting information about your topic from the general public as well as professionals working within the field. You can pick ONE of the topics below
Sexting
Influences of religion on sexual development
Communicating sexual intent (or lack thereof) to a partner
The rise and decline of “hook-up culture”
Effective sexuality education practices
“Old Wives’ Tales” of contraception & pregnancy prevention
Sexual assault in the military
You will collect this information primarily through observations and interviews about the topic you have selected. Please interview a minimum of five humans from the world at large (friends, parents, peers, random sample) and one human who works with this topic in a professional capacity (medical professional, educator, researcher, social service). You will also need to consult the relevant published research on human sexuality. Through your research for this assignment, you will try to answer the following questions:
What are the biological, psychological, social, cultural and technological factors influencing your topic today?
How do attitudes & knowledge about this topic differ from person to person, and why might that be? How has attitudes or knowledge about this topic changed over time?
What insights did your interview subjects share that contradicted or confirmed your previous assumptions about this topic?
How do professionals approach this topic effectively in their work?
Write a 5-6 page (double-spaced, not including cover page or reference list) in-depth analysis of this topic and what you have learned, using a minimum of 10 scholarly sources in addition to your in-person interviews.
The paper should not be a summary of what was said in your interviews; rather, the majority of this paper’s content should be your description and analysis of this topic and what it looks like in contemporary society.
In your discussion of your subject, you will draw on published theories and research that are relevant to the specific issues and questions that arise as you seek to understand your subject. This use of published research (a minimum of 10 scholarly sources) is a crucial and required component of this assignment. You should also expect to search for and review other research and professional literature that might help you understand your topic better.
Textbook link: https://openoregon.pressbooks.pub/introtohumansexuality/
