Panteá Farvid

Casual sex as ‘not a natural act’ and other regimes of truth about heterosexuality*:

This paper analyses online texts concerning the supposed ‘rules’ and ‘etiquette’ of heterosexual casual sex, exploring how ‘ideal’ casual sex was constructed – as object and practice. We examine how casual sex was constituted by authors who positioned themselves as knowledgeable and/or expert in relation to casual sex and demonstrate the discourses that their accounts drew on in constructing archetypal casual sex. Our analysis is situated within feminist/critical theorising and debates regarding the institution of heterosexuality and, in particular, construction of monogamy as ‘ideal’ when it comes to heterosexual relationships. We argue that casual sex was constituted as not a natural act through the specific instructions of how to ‘do casual sex right’. We outline the construction of an attraction imperative in relation to casual sex, its hierarchies of respectability, and address what an analysis about casual sex tells us about contemporary heterosexuality. This paper demonstrates that although casual sex could possibly offer an alternative to the currently pervasive mononormativity, it fails to provide this in accounts of ‘ideal’ casual sex as relayed in the public arena.

Sexual Ethics and Young Women’s Accounts of Heterosexual Casual Sex

Drawing on Foucault’s work on sexuality and ethics we explore young women’s accounts of heterosexual casual sex experiences in Canada and New Zealand. We focus on what Foucault calls ‘rapport à soi ’ (the relationship one has with one’s self) to explore reports of implied ethical (and less than ethical) practices of casual sex. To do this we conducted a theoretical thematic analysis of the women’s accounts to identify accounts of ‘care for the self ’, ‘ self-reflection’, and ‘care for the other’. In our analysis we draw on previous feminist theorizing on heterosexuality to demonstrate how gendered heteronormative discourses are implicated in, and at times impede, an ‘ethics of casual sex’. We argue that women’s expressions of sexual ethics are particularly constrained considering gendered power relations as they relate to heternormative sexual practices. We suggest that the cultivation of ethical sexual subjectivities offer radical potential for the subversion of dominant heterosexual discourses.

The “Sassy Woman” and the “Performing Man”: Heterosexual casual sex advice and the (re)constitution of gendered subjectivities

Media forums that provide “sex advice” are a rich source of (sexual) information for heterosexual individuals and have been critically examined for the ways in which they construct heterosexuality (and sexual subjectivities). The representations of (heterosexual) casual sex are also prevalent across the mass media. This paper uses a Foucauldian/poststructuralist mode of discourse analysis to explore how casual sex “advice” in three self-help books (two aimed at women, one aimed at men), and online advice articles, constituted casual sex and masculine and feminine heterosexual subjectivities. Four main (profoundly gendered) subject positions were identified in the texts: the “strategic man”; the “performing man”; the “sassy woman”; and the “vulnerable woman.” It is argued that although some alternative ways of constituting heterosexual identities were provided (particularly for women), gender difference was not only implicated in such advice but also, at times, crudely exaggerated. The implications of these representations are discussed in relation to contemporary heterosexualities, heterosexual sexual identities, and heterosexual power relations.

‘No girl wants to be called a slut!’: women, heterosexual casual sex and the sexual double standard

Abstract Recent shifts in the western cultural landscape mean that practices such as casual sex are contradictory terrains for women. Although permissive and liberal discourses construct women’s casual sex as acceptable, and even desirable, traditional discourses and a sexual double standard, do not. This article examines 15 young women’s negotiation of the sexual double standard in their talk of heterosexual casual sex. Interviews were analysed using thematic analysis, with borrowed insights from discourse analysis, within a constructionist framework. All 15 women in this study gave accounts of an agentic and desiring sexuality, yet talked about casual sex and a sexual reputation in contradictory and contested ways. Three main themes were identified: the (un)acceptability of casual sex, a sexual reputation is what other girls have, and the making of a slut. Although an enduring sexual double standard was identified, all participants challenged its relevance and appropriateness. However, a sexual double standard also seeped into women’s accounts when talking about other women and the threat of garnering a negative sexual reputation was linked to women’s silencing of their own casual sex experiences. This work supports the continued need to dismantle un/changing codes of gendered heterosexuality.

The Benefits of Ambiguity: Methodological Insights from Researching ‘Heterosexual Casual Sex’

Casual sex has been defined in many ways but is mainly seen as one-off or brief sexual contact in an ‘uncommitted relationship’ (see Paul et al., 2000), increasingly visible among young adults. Whilst one-off sexual encounters have most likely been part of western sexual history for a long time, the term ‘casual sex’ itself is a relatively new construct, situated within a permissive sexual discourse (Hollway, 1989), and part of a broader shift in the ‘sexualisation of culture’1 (Gill, 2008; McNair, 2002). Contradictory constructions of heterosexual casual sex exist in the West. Based on traditional discourses, casual sex (particularly women’s) is seen as ‘wrong’ and the appropriate site for engaging in heterosexual sex is seen as within a monogamous relationship. However, based on permissive, post-feminist and liberal discourses, it is assumed that men and women are sexually ‘liberated’ and free to pursue and engage in (casual) sexual encounters with whom they choose, as long as it is a mutually desired exchange and sexual safety is a priority. A ‘sexual double standard’ (see Crawford and Popp, 2003) has long positioned men and women differently when it comes to casual sex: men as ‘studs’; women as ‘sluts’ (Farvid, 2006). I have been researching heterosexual casual sex since 2004, for my master’s and my (on-going) PhD theses. Comparing and contrasting the framing of these two projects and the interview questions, I carry out a reflexive inquiry into some methodological issues I encountered while researching casual sex. Feminist psychologists have long been emphasizing the importance of reflexive inquiry at each stage of the research process (e.g. Wilkinson, 1988), including considering our own assumptions about research design and analysis (e.g. O’Connell Davidson and Layder, 1994). In this article, I discuss how explicit use of the term ‘casual sex’ in my master’s project (re)produced talk of ‘ideal’ casual sex by women who claimed a casual sex identity. In my PhD, a focus on a more in-depth and critical analysis of a range of casual sex experiences, (re)produced varied accounts from people who often did not align themselves with a casual sex identity. Reflections about my methodological strategy (i.e. recruitment style and interview questioning) in the master’s project were fundamental in shaping the PhD.

Unpacking the “Pleasures” and “Pains” of Heterosexual Casual Sex: Beyond Singular Understandings

Discussions of heterosexual casual sex are often imbued with (gendered) assumptions regarding the motives for, and drawbacks of, such a practice. The pulls of casual sex are often depicted as sexual gratification and the drawbacks relayed in terms of physical risk, for example, sexually transmitted infections (STIs)/human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission. Most of the research in this area has largely focused on undergraduate university students or “emerging adults” in North America, using primarily quantitative methodologies. We build on this work and a small but growing amount of qualitative research to unpack the complex psychoemotional and experiential dimensions of casual sex. We report on a critical thematic analysis of interviews with 30 ethnically diverse women and men (aged 18 to 46) in New Zealand about their experiences of heterosexual casual sex to achieve two things. First, we demonstrate the complexity with which women and men discussed their casual sex experiences, highlighting how the practice was varied, contradictory, and multifaceted, and played in a localized way during the conversation. Second, we illustrate how this talk was governed by contemporary Western discourses of intimate relationships and the shape of (gendered) heterosexuality. We conclude that casual sex research must always consider the broader sociocultural context, as well as the interpersonal context, within which any sexual relating is situated.

The assessment and treatment of adult heterosexual men with self-perceived problematic pornography use: A review

Self-Perceived Problematic Porn Use (SPPPU) refers to an individual who self-identifies as addicted to porn because they feel they are unable to regulate their porn consumption, and that use interferes with everyday life. Although porn addiction has not been formally classified as its own distinct behavioral addiction, therapists and clinicians are advised to educate themselves on the current state of literature pertaining to pornography consumption given the widespread availability and consumption of sexually explicit material online. This review article begins with a general overview of pornography and porn use so that therapists and researchers can discern between non-intrusive and problematic pornography consumption patterns within their practice and understand the common characteristics of those that most commonly present with SPPPU. Thereafter, an overview and examination of therapeutic interventions for SPPPU will be identified and analysed. Finally, the review concludes with recommendations for therapists, clinicians, and future research.

“You Worry, ‘cause You Want to Give a Reasonable Account of Yourself”: Gender, Identity Management, and the Discursive Positioning of “Risk” in Men’s and Women’s Talk About Heterosexual Casual Sex

Heterosexual casual sex is routinely depicted as a physically, socially, and psychologically “risky” practice. This is the case in media accounts, psychological research, and other academic work. In this article, we examine 15 men’s and 15 women’s talk about casual sex from a discursive psychological stance to achieve two objectives. Firstly, we confirm the categories of risk typically associated with casual sex but expand these to include a domain of risks related to (gendered) identities and representation. Men’s talk of risk centered on concerns about sexual performance, whereas women’s talk centered on keeping safe from violence and sexual coercion. The notion of a sexual reputation was also identified as a risk and again manifested differently for men and women. While women were concerned about being deemed promiscuous, men displayed concern about the quality of their sexual performance. Secondly, within this talk about risks of casual sex, the participants’ identities were identified as “at risk” and requiring careful management within the interview context. This was demonstrated by instances of: keeping masculinity intact in accounts of no erection, negotiating a responsible subject position, and crafting agency in accounts of sexual coercion—in the participants’ talk. We argue that casual sex, as situated within dominant discourses of gendered heterosexuality, is a fraught practice for both men and women and subject to the demands of identity representation within co-present interactions.

Pacific Islands families study: intimate partner stressors and psychological distress among pacific adults

ABSTRACT Although there has been increased research about the nature and predictors of sexual problems, relatively little is known about sexual health and well-being among minority ethnic groups across the world. This study explored stressful intimate relationship events that made a significant impact on psychological distress among Pacific adults living in New Zealand. The Pacific Islands Families (PIF) study is a longitudinal investigation of Pacific children born in New Zealand, and their parents. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ12) and intimate partner stress items were used to assess the relationship between these stressful events and psychological distress among Pacific mothers and fathers (n = 3963 interviews with 2114 individuals). For both men and women, the most significant partner stress associated with psychological distress was problems with sex. These findings show how stressful events around sexuality and intimate relationships affect Pacific psychological well-being. These intimate issues need to be considered when designing intervention and treatment programmes that are adaptive for long-term family stability and sexual well-being. The relationship between culture, sexuality, and psychological distress needs further investigation. Using a qualitative methodology would provide a more intensive exploration of the role that cultural context plays in intimate relationships and sexuality in Pacific adults.