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Evolution of Human Culture and Sexuality – A Hypothesis adapted from William Irwin Thompson

Evolution of Human Culture and Sexuality – A Hypothesis adapted from William Irwin Thompson. Sexuality & Human Culture ~ 4 million – 2 million years BC?.

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Evolution of Human Culture and Sexuality – A Hypothesis adapted from William Irwin Thompson

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  1. Evolution of Human CultureandSexuality –A Hypothesis adapted from William Irwin Thompson

  2. Sexuality & Human Culture~ 4 million – 2 million years BC? • Shift from estrus to menses during early evolution of “man” created the possibility for a change in behavior from “reproductive behavior” to “sexual behavior” ESTRUS: time during which a female is receptive to mating; ovulation (usually) follows mating estrus? menses? • Australopithicus? Habilus? Erectus?

  3. Sexuality & Human Culture • Mating in non-human species is a biologically programmed behavior with little or no real choice • Various species have developed different, although somewhat limited behaviors associated with mating

  4. Sexuality & Human Culture • In most non-human primates male and females of the species do not really interact socially very much with each other • Specific male-female interaction is mainly (but certainly not only) during estrus.

  5. Sexuality & Human Culture~ 4 million to 1 million years BC? • Possibly a shift of humanoid primates from forest-dwellingcreatures to savannah-dwelling creatures created conditions for a shift from estrus-based mating behavior to sexual-based mating behavior • Females of humanoid, savannah-dwelling primates would have had much greater safety concerns than forest-dwelling primates – males are necessary for protection as well as fertilization • Females who attracted (through sexual attraction?) the constant company of males would have been more successful at producing offspring who survived.

  6. Sexuality & Human Culture~ 1million to 20,000 years BC? • Evidence that a “universal” female-focused (Earth-mother? women’s mysteries?) culture/religion existed as long as 50,000 years ago • With the female being the focus of culture/religion, the female would “control” sexual behavior • Shift from a scavenger-gatherer & hunter-gatherer to an agriculture-based culture coincides with a shift from female-centered to male-centered culture/religion

  7. Sexuality & Human Culture~ 7,000 to 3,000 years BC? • Development of agriculture and the domestication of animals would produce knowledge of reproduction and paternity • Knowledge of paternity (“women’s mysteries” no longer a mystery) could develop into the concept of “male primacy” and possibly the development of male-focused culture/religion

  8. Sexuality & Human Culture~ 5,000 years BC to present? • A common theme of many myths and religions? (ca 2,000 – 5,000 BC) is that the downfall of “man” is brought about by women (sex?). • To maintain the primacy of “man”, you control sexual behavior • To maintain order in society, you control sexual behavior

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