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Gender, health and living conditions. A new generation of surveys on sexual behaviour

Gender, health and living conditions. A new generation of surveys on sexual behaviour. Michel Bozon Institut National d’Etudes Démographiques Paris, France. Introduction (1) Sex surveys as cultural products. Sex surveys can be analysed from a sociological perspective

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Gender, health and living conditions. A new generation of surveys on sexual behaviour

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  1. Gender, health and living conditions. A new generation of surveys on sexual behaviour Michel Bozon Institut National d’Etudes Démographiques Paris, France

  2. Introduction (1) Sex surveys as cultural products Sex surveys can be analysed from a sociological perspective • A survey is a social enterprise, aiming at treating a social problem, by an alliance between groups and scientific disciplines • It is an intellectual production, aiming at defining and legitimizing a scientific object.

  3. Introduction (2)Sex surveying has never become a routine issue • Historical perspective (Giami, 1991): sex surveys belong to their time and cultural context, rather than to a tradition of sex surveying. • Cross-cultural perspective (Le Gall, 2001): comparing questionnaires of the same period shows how the national constructions of sex may differ.

  4. Introduction (3)Trying to be reflexive on my own work • I have organized or co-organized several sex surveys: ACSF (France, 1992), Cosecon (Chile, 1998), Gravad (Brazil, 2002), CSF (France, 2006). A new project in Mexico. • I took part in cross-cultural projects: European surveys (Hubert, Bajos, 1998), Latin American surveys.

  5. The discontinuity of sex surveys (Gagnon, 1988) • Every historical period has to invent new justifications for surveying sex • There are generations of surveys, linked to the political and social issues of their time • The very definition of sexual behaviour varies from one survey to other (Giami, 1991)

  6. 1948-1953: Kinsey, the pioneer? • The myth of the lonely scientist fighting his time and society’s prejudices • The study of sex is part of natural science • Search for exhaustivity and description of the diversity of behaviours • Orgasm as the basic unit of sexual activity • The sexual explains the sexual • A cultural, rather than a scientific event?

  7. Surveys of the 60’s and early 70’s • Schofield (1965, UK), Zetterberg (Sweden, 1967), Simon (France, 1970), Sievers (Finland, 1972). • The emergence of a contraceptive society • Increase in young people’s sexual autonomy • Diversification of sexual repertoires

  8. Surveys of the 90’s • DHS surveys, WHO Hiv/Aids surveys, Hiv/Aids European surveys, United States survey, Chilean and Brazilian survey, etc. • Sexuality as a risk. Hiv/aids, teen age pregnancy. • Investigating networks of partners, risk groups and means of protection • The aim is helping people to protect themselves

  9. A new generation of surveys at the turn of the century • Integrating gender, health and living conditions • Putting together the numerous components of the experience of sexuality • Sexual activity in a life course perspective • Gender relations: equality, power and domination shape the exercice of sexuality • Having control over one’s living conditions

  10. Sexuality in a broad definition • Sexual violence • Sexual practices and repertoires • Non penetrative sex • Lack or irregularity of sex • Contraceptive practice • Unplanned pregnancy and abortion • Sexual dysfunction • HIV, Sexually Transmitted Infections

  11. Sexuality and health, sexual health • A dialectical relation between sexuality and health ( in the WHO definition) • State of health influences sexual behaviour • Sexual activity influences health and well-being • Sexual health depends on sexual rights

  12. The ACSF 1992 survey in France • An epidemiological bias (Giami, 1993) • Questions on condoms, but never on contraception • Intercourse are described from a risk perspective, which implies a selection • Interdisciplinary research team. A surprising module on sexual fantasies

  13. Social and epidemiological shifts, in relation to sexuality • Public health context: Aids has turned into a chronic disease, less sensitivity about preventive issues, medicalisation of sexuality (erectile dysfunction) • Social situation: growing poverty of some groups, new family arrangements • Sexuality: an issue of political debate • A new normative regime of sexuality

  14. The new CSF 2006 study in France • Life history situations: sex before forming a couple, sex after a marital disruption • Gender: imbalanced situations, conflict and sex • Non penetrative sex, lack of sex • Sexual aging • Being forced into sex • Internet and sexual activity

  15. Conclusion • Widening definitions of sexuality and health • Persisting gender imbalance in sexual interaction and social unequality in living conditions • A prolonged period of sexual activity, with a diversification of relational situations • A gap between social representations of sexuality and personal experiences • Surveys should be food for thought and for public debate

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