Sex Researchers and Their Contributions

Sex Researchers and Their Contributions

The four significant sex researchers of focus in this analysis include 1) Richard von Krafft-Ebing, who argued that sexual offenses were sicknesses; 2) Sigmund Freud, who stated that libido is expressed in different ways and through various body parts; 3) Havelock Ellis, who studied same-sex and the role of smell in sexual arousal, and 4) Alfred Kinsey whose theory stated that sexual behavior was not about physical contact alone; it also included arousal, attraction, and fantasy.

Von Krafft’s theory touched more on sexual offenses or sexual vices. In his theory, he argued that sexual behavior is attached to the mental state of an individual. Therefore, since mental and nervous disorders weaken the ability to be responsible, sexual offenders should not be considered sinners or criminals but should be seen as patients (Oosterhuis, 2012). Next, Freud’s theory argued that a person’s personality develops through childhood stages. In these stages, the child seeks pleasure through erogenous parts of the body. The oral stages that Freud talked about are oral, anal, phallic, latent, and genital. He argued that people’s lives were based on tension and pleasure. As such, stress results from the build-up of libido, which is sexual energy, and the discharge of the same. At the oral stage, pleasure is found in sucking and swallowing. At the anal stage, pleasure is found in withholding or expelling feces, and at the phallic stage, pleasure is located in the penis or clitoris through masturbation. At the latent stage, there is very little sexual motivation, but at the genital stage, pleasure is located in the penis or vagina through sexual intercourse (Stoléru, 2014). In all these stages, the libido is expelled.

Further, Ellis’ theory identified three things about sex. Firstly, he noted that there is autoerotism, which is a person’s ability to arouse themselves sexually. Secondly, he argued that the sense of smell can contribute to sexual attraction even though it is not practical in long distances. Thirdly, he argued that same-sex love transcends age and gender taboos (Ellis, 2021). Finally, Kinsey’s theory points out that arousal, attraction, and fantasy are also part of sexual behavior (Zietsch & Sidari, 2020). His theory, however, focuses more on what makes one heterosexual or homosexual, and so he developed the Kinsey Scale system that helped identify people’s sexual orientation.

These four sex researchers contributed to the field of sex research by first making it a subject of study and dispelling the fears that people had when discussing sex openly. Ellis, for instance, helped encourage open discussion on sex during the 1950s. These four researchers also contributed to the research on sex by creating theories that connected human biology and psychology to sexual behaviors. They thus helped to encourage increased research into different sexual behaviors that are considered abnormal, criminal, or immoral. They also advanced the field of sexual research by creating the basis used by other researchers to study sex. For instance, Kinsey’s Scale System helps explain homosexuality.

These researchers’ studies explained fundamental questions about sex and sexuality. It is essential to consider that there were sexual behaviors that society considered to be taboo or even criminal, like homosexuality. Hence, through these studies, the researchers could explain the origin of such behavior. They also helped to change the society’s perspectives on sexuality. In most cases, people believed that women and men were to look and behave a certain way. However, these studies helped to clarify that one’s biology and psychology can affect one’s sexuality.

I think these fundamental questions have not changed with time; hence, these theories are still helpful in explaining these questions. For instance, the question of masturbation and why people engage in such sexual behavior still exists. Also, the question of homosexuality and why people get attracted to the same sex has not changed. Therefore, sexual behavior has not changed since many people in society still uphold the traditional ideologies about sex and sexual behavior.

References

Ellis, H. (2021). Studies in the psychology of sex: Volume 1. Phoemixx Classics Ebooks.

Oosterhuis. H. (2012). Sexual modernity in the works of Richard von Krafft-Ebing and Albert Moll. Medical History, 56(2), 133–155. https://doi.org/10.1017/mdh.2011.30

Stoléru, S. (2014) Reading the Freudian theory of sexual drives from a functional neuroimaging perspective. Front. Hum. Neurosci. 8, 157. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnhum.2014.00157

Zietsch, B. P., & Sidari, M. J. (2020). The Kinsey scale is ill-suited to most sexuality research because it does not measure a single construct. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 117(44), 27080. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2015820117

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Using the South University Online Library, the Internet, or your readings, research the four major sex researchers and their contributions to the field of sex research. Based on your research, create a report in a Microsoft Word document, which includes answers to the following questions:

Sex Researchers and Their Contributions

Who were the four major sex researchers?
Which theories are they known for? Explain the theories.
How have they contributed to and advanced the field of sex research?
Do you think they were addressing the most fundamental questions about sex and sexuality through their research?
Do you think the fundamental questions have changed with changing times and can these theories be extended to accommodate changing sexual behavior?