Female sexuality. Generally speaking, it’s more common for women to identify as sexually fluid than men in the United States. Now, a new theory may have shed some light on the matter. In a new proposal published in Biological Reviews, evolutionary psychologist Dr. Satoshi Kanazawa suggests that female sexuality is “more fluid” than males. The study claims this may a result of — wait for it — evolutionary design!
Female sexuality. Sexual fluidity is defined as one or more changes in sexuality or sexual identity. To be clear, it’s not the same as bisexuality. "Most people would say they have a sexual orientation,” Dylan Selterman writes for The Conversation. "But the degree to which a person is sexually fluid is a separate variable that operates alongside sexual orientation. Some people are highly fluid, while others are less so.”
Female sexuality. Alternately, bisexuality is defined as the romantic or sexual attraction to other folks who identify as either male or female. Selterman adds: "Sexual fluidity can occur in people who are definitively heterosexual or homosexual, but simply experience a change in their sexual response. For example, you may have a preference for a more feminine type of person, but then discover someone who pushes your buttons in a new and exciting way. You may still prefer partners of the same gender with the same feminine leanings as before, but with more masculine features."
Female sexuality. Kanazawa proposes that sexual fluidity began for females as a way to “conflict and tension among co-wives in polygynous marriages.” In other words, he believes that sexual fluidity has reproductive benefits. How? Well, because women could have sex with their “co-wives” and still reproduce with their husbands. Best of both worlds, eh?
Female sexuality. The psychologist goes onto explain that although men and women have been known to vary on the sexuality spectrum, studies have found it to be much more common in the X chromosome. Indeed, throughout time both genders have not always adhered to a particular sexual identity, often switching between straight, gay and bisexual identities. (Perhaps all three at the same time?) But more often than not, it’s women who are bouncing around from gender to gender.
Female sexuality. “The theory suggests that women may not have sexual orientations in the same sense as men do,” Kanazawa writes. "Rather than being straight or gay, to whom women are sexually attracted may depend largely on the particular partner, their reproductive status and other circumstances.”
Female sexuality. Kanazawa believes that the “most objective and accurate measures of sexual orientation” are through genital and brain responses. To conduct his research, then, he analyzed the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health (Add Health) to measure the differences between sexual fluidity in men and women. The study looked at the sexual orientation of U.S. youths in four “waves” — following them for more than a decade.
Female sexuality. The Daily Mail reports that in “Wave III, when respondents were between 18 and 28, they measured self-identified sexual feelings, among a given set of labels – 100 percent straight, mostly straight, bisexual, mostly gay, 100 percent gay.” Then in Wave IV, when the volunteers were between 25 and 34, they were asked to detail their sexual identity.
Female sexuality. After collecting the data and crunching some numbers, Kanazawa was able to determine the measures of “adult sexual attraction.” Ultimately, the research revealed that women are more fluid in not one, two or three of the proposed facets, but all. Interesting.
Female sexuality. Overall, the study confirmed Kanazawa’s hypothesis and predictions, one of which was that women who experience increased levels of sexual fluidity have more children. Another prediction of his that was confirmed? That women who experience marriage or motherhood early in life also experience increased levels of sexual fluidity. So that friend of yours who had a kid at 20? Well, maybe there's more to her than meets the eye!
Female sexuality. Kanazawa says the analysis reaffirms that women’s sexual fluidity may be an evolutionary trait. He contends that the quality had been one method for facilitating polygynous marriages, where a husband can have more than one wife. In other words, women’s sexuality genetically developed over time to, in a sense, fit the “needs” of their husbands. Weird, huh?
Female sexuality. "Even though humans have been mildly polygynous throughout evolutionary history, polygynous marriages are often characterized by conflict and tension among co-wives," Kanazawa writes. ”I propose that occasional sex among cowives may have reduced such conflict and tension, and increased their reproductive success. Female sexual fluidity may have evolved as an adaptation to facilitate it.”
Female sexuality. Kanazawa also makes a note of the fact that historically, females left their homes in order to wed and reproduce. Males, on the other hand, stayed in their homes — and “natal groups” — for their entire lives. Why is this important? Because this means that women were more commonly exposed to unrelated strangers throughout their adult lives, in comparison to men.
Female sexuality. What’s more, female sexual fluidity may have developed to help women create bonds and key alliances in their new homes and/or group, where they didn’t know anyone. Simply put, women’s ability to be open to either gender may have arisen as a means to help ladies establish friendships and relationships in places where they were surrounded by total strangers.
Female sexuality."Since friendships and alliances can have reproductive benefits, sexual fluidity that facilitates such friendships and alliances among women is expected to be evolutionary selected,” the researcher writes. Women — always thinking ahead! Kanazawa adds that his proposal may also help solve many other enigmas in human sexuality. For instance, his theory may help to de-construct why men get turned on by lesbian sex, as well as why women experience menstrual synchrony.
No comments:
Post a Comment