Question

Discuss changing attitudes toward masturbation and sexual intercourse from the nineteenth century to the present. Do you think you would have been able to discern the cultural values and taboos concerning masturbation and sexual intercourse taboos if you had lived in the nineteenth century? Why or Why not? How would you evaluate the cultural values underlying contemporary attitudes toward masturbation and sexual intercourse?

Answer 1

In general, the trend from the nineteenth century to now when it comes to masturbation and sexual intercourse is one of increasing acceptance. However, this is not true in all communities. During the nineteenth century, people considered masturbation to be wrong in all situations, while sexual intercourse was only proper between married couples for the purpose of procreation. While some people disagreed with these views, those who disagreed generally kept quiet as this was a social taboo. Nowadays, many people still have these views and still consider the subjects taboo, but the situation is a lot less universal.

If I had lived in the nineteenth century, it is very unlikely that I would have been able to discern the cultural values and taboos surrounding these practices. This is because people are generally not very good at examining the contingency of the values of their own time period. In the same way, I generally agree with the values that are promoted nowadays regarding these topics.