Introduction to Sex and Technology: From Procreation to Culture

This lecture is really an intro to the course. It defines the act of sex as the "exchanging of genetic data by two organisms for procreation. " This lecture also challenges our ways of thinking about sex as more than Just an act of procreation, but also as an act with social, political, mental, and personal complications. From strictly an evolutionary perspective, the goal of our genes Is to have as many babies as possible, through the act of sex.

This lecture tells us sex has never Just been about babies (although they do allow for a kind of immortality and free labor) but also has o do with culture. Lecture 2- Fertility Tech This lecture begins to transcend Into the discussion of sex and technology. Technology comes from the Greek word techno, which means "Knowledge around a way of doing something. " This lecture also discusses the early forms of sex tech, specifically fertility control through herbs, abstinence through calendar manipulation (also known as the rhythm method introduced by SST.

Augustine, 4th Century), and acupuncture. This lecture also discusses the economic effects on fertility, such as the requirement of money to support a child. Culture was fluid and open. Homosexual relationships with young boys were considered fine in Greg Lecture 3- Why do we do It? This lecture clarifies the argument, that even In ancient times sex was not always for procreation. Early times were less hung up on sex. After human environments began to become heavily agricultural, sex did undergo a change that saw sex as something that should be controlled, or even saved for marriage.

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Still, sex in ancient times was still used much like it Is today, for pleasure. Condoms made of animal bladders, women using preemptively forms of lipstick, and all types of masturbation and roof sex demonstrate that In regards to the act of sex Itself, not much has changed. Sex in modern and ancient times was/is performed for pleasure, for ritualistic cultural purposes, for money, power, and even in situations where it was/is forced. Lecture 4- The Classical World This lecture discusses sex In the classical world. It talks about sex In ancient viewed abroad.

Sexual practices across these different places were not shared, especially the tech that was used for sex. For example, in 800-B. C China, sex manuals were popular for men AND women, yet, in Greece sex was considered a more male entered-power act, in which the penetrator had the power. In Iran, sex was more strictly controlled, versus India and China where the sexual CE, as young boys didn't yet have the "power. " Lecture 5- World religions and Sex Religions that came out of the Classical Period, sought to control sex.

Into the Middle Ages, the main religions all agreed sex needed to be controlled, and saved for marriage (save the Hindus, they didn't have the same kind of restrictions). Paul really started the move towards Church control of Sex (1st Corinthians), but his views were skewed by a belief Armageddon was coming within a few years. The Christian churches' belief in sexual control stems from Chrism's obvious display of a lack of sexuality (some argue Christ had kids. In other religions such as Buddhism, monks also abstained from sex( before priests did).

When settlers came to the New World, they viewed Native American men as feminine and weak for their dress and homosexual acceptance, and the women as objects of great sexual passion for their open sexuality. Yet, before world religions became overarching, religion and sex was intermixed ( in Hellenic Greece, Syria and Babylon, India, and Nepal, temple prostitutes were used). Even cults (such as the Oneida Commune) sex was controlled with communal control over fertility and children, yet, sex was free and open. So, is religion considered a technology? The answer is basically, yes.

Lecture 6- Pre-Electric Erotic Communication Tech This lecture discusses sex technology, the earliest of which was used for communication purposes(cave paintings). Some of the earliest cave paintings depicted sex! Along with paintings, devices such as the Venus(clay statue emphasizing big boobs and vulva) and even ancient dildos display sex tech and communication is as old as humanity itself. This lecture really pushes the point that every technology (paintings, stone mastery) was eventually put towards some sexual use, even ask years ago. First uses of any medium, are often erotic.

This is displayed by sexual magazines made of papyrus in ancient Turin, Chinese art, and Japanese Shunts. Early erotic messages in Bibles (known as "Books of ours") also demonstrate that as early as printing and engraving processes were created, they were used to create erotica. Lecture 7- Mass Sex Tech With the creation of printing presses and engraving machines came social change. Due to the high cost of owning a book, early erotic books and porn pieces were only for the wealthy and elite. Some art pieces, (specifically by Marquis De Side) were "art. The use of sexual art was also used for comedy (Romans thought huge penises were hilarious). Like any technology, when it was first created it was expensive. Yet, as things like printing and photography ( the first Polaroid camera) pornography began to become cheaper and easiest to create. At first, porn was thought only appropriate for wealthy men, as it might corrupt the poorer lower classes, yet, as cameras and elm became cheaper, porn began to drive the tech market. Many argue the Polaroid camera and VS. were huge successes because of the want to make pornography in a discreet, private settings.

Lecture 8- PEP Networks Mass communication in regards to sex started simply as person-to-person communication. Love letters were probably the earliest forms of sexual PEP communication, followed by personal nude photos, and phone sex. Once operators were removed from phone lines, it became possible for people to have private phone sex. With phone sex, came the centralization of phone sex though sex lines. The dead of this lecture is to establish the idea that phone-sex, and virtual sex happen in a space where both participants aren't. Out of the PEP networks, would eventually spawn the porn industry as we know today. Y. At this time, internet downloads took forever, which is why the classic "Porno Movie" took hold. These were typically well funded films that created "stars" who appeared in more than one video. Yet, the internet began to change all of this in the ass's, as download times began to be reduced, and videos and images could be shared via the web. From videotape, porn moved to DVD, then finally to digital online). Lecture 9- The Industry The sass really started pornography as an industry, not Just a private PEP network. With technology advancing in forms of film, VS., and cameras, porn also advanced as an industry.

With movies like "Deep Throat" porn began to become commonplace in the theater, and would eventually move even into hotel rooms (pay- per-view). With more premiership, Porn began to make more money, became mass produced. Currently, the porn industry is struggling due to technological advances on the web. How do sex online differ from prostitution? Is it the same? Lecture 10- The Sex-Tech Nexus This lecture is a summary of what we Just learned. It asks us to re-think the outcomes, and what counts as sex are difficult to measure and vary.

Module 1 Readings: 1 . Coppersmith: Pornography and the Internet Two main arguments -In the last 2 decades consumers of porn have accelerated the diffusion of new communication technologies like the VS. & CD-Room by becoming early buyers and users, thereby providing a profitable market for newly introduced services - Waves of new communication technologies have affected porn in ways as revolutionary as any other area of society The article focuses on the idea of the "demagnification of orangeroot' by reducing entry and transaction costs.

Porn has served as an agent of change for both innovation and quest for profits. Video porn provided customers with a product to Justify acquiring costly equipment (VS.) and accelerated the diffusion of new technology without shaping it. Cyberspace attracted users to browse the internet and increased their knowledge of the system. Porn products have shaped computer technology by pushing the technological and commercial envelope. 2.

Hughes: The Internet and Sex Industries From the introduction video, when thinking about the arguments made by Hughes, e able to take a stance and have information that would reinforce her arguments, or counter (thinking this could be a potential essay/short answer question Just throwing it out there) 3. Wallace: Greek Kings of Smut At first the invention of the internet was great to the porn industry, but as the years have went by, it has become detrimental. Now, there are not as many people buying porn because so many websites give you access to free porn these days.

These amateur sites that offer free porn are even pirating from professional sites, and it is hard for them to stop this from happening because it occurs so often. . Dibbled: A rape in cyberspace The discussion of a textual rape that took place on a early form on an online community called Lampoon. A character named Bindle (SP? ) virtually raped 2 other characters in an open living room space. Brought about questions of Just because this took place online, do it dismiss the crime committed against the avatars.

The Lampoon community was brought together to discuss Just that, and what the punishment should be for the rape in cyberspace, which was a proposed "toadying" or banishing that character. Also discussed about individuals real connections with setting proportions. Ultimately, the community came together to form a type of government to deal with such issues, and the resulting punishment for Bindle was toadying. 5. Avider: Waller: A Freudian Analysis of Setting Fantasy is not only an imitation of one's relationship with reality, but it is also a different relationship to a world that's entirely different.

Setting becomes an alternate reality. 6. Ross: Typing, Doing, and Being The increasing salience of sexuality on the internet, whether cyberspace or use of the internet to make sexual contacts, has focused interest n how internet-mediated sexuality informs social theory. This article reviews social theory and sexuality in relation to the internet, with specific reference to the development of intimacy, the association of texts with sexual scripts, the emergence of accessibility as a sexual space midway between fantasy and action, and the question of boundaries and the location of the person in sexual interaction.

Also, the supplanting of the real by the symbolic, the internet as a sexual marketplace, its important role in creating sexual communities, particularly where sexual behavior or density is stigmatize, its impact as a new arena for sexual experience and experimentation, and its impact in shaping sexual culture and sexual- TTY are noted. Finally, the importance of the internet as a medium for the exploration of human sexuality and as an opportunity to illuminate previously challenging areas of sexual research is discussed.

Quiz 1 Questions and Answers Question: Giddiness argues that all but one of the following have led to new reflexivity and plasticity of our sexual identities? Which of these influences was NOT included in Giddiness' ideas? Answer: The Internet. Which of these does Ross argue lead to the success of cyberspace on the internet, but the ultimate demise of phone sex, despite the similarities between the two. Text allows you to distance yourself more from your statements about preferences or desires when compared with voice.

Which of the following does Ross suggest may be possible effects of sex online? Answers: Cyberspace becomes a new niche of sexual behavior. There is an expansion of sexual possibilities and partners made available to users. People will feel freer to experiment with alternative sexual experiences in a stigma- ere environment and learn more about themselves. The borders of where we consider ourselves and our bodies may change in unpredictable ways. At least two of our readings this module suggest that the internet provides a space for consequence free exploration of identity.

Mr.. Bungle also made this claim. How does Dibbled Judge his comment? He suggests that the "it's only play" excuse is available only to newbie's and sociopaths. Others come to have a closer connection to their online personae. The New York Magazine article suggests that the online adult industry is hurting. What do most in the industry attribute this to? Tube sites and amateur. Module 2- This lecture is an intro about specific parts of pornography. Specifically, rule 34-if it exists there is porn about it.

The idea behind Rule 34 is about community, meaning if someone likes a weird porn, odds are there are others that like it too(even if those numbers are small). Within this intro, is also an intro for the topics of future lectures in regards to extreme porn, horror porn, rape porn, snuff and the large variety of different pornographers. Lecture 2- Manipulating Intimacy This lecture starts the discussion about intimacy, and its relation to sex. Sex is arguably the most intimate a human can be with another person, yet online sex manipulates this intimacy.

Eric Gong in her book, A Fear of Flying, discusses the idea of the Zippers buck, a pure buck that has no power game, nothing is taken or given, there is no humiliation, and there is nothing to prove. However, the Zippers buck according to Gong is as rare as a unicorn, and begs the question, does it even exist? Sex without intimacy is the main idea of this lecture, and whether or not it's even possible. Things like swingers clubs, bathhouses (1 5th century) and anonymous sex presented early forms of sex without intimacy, or "baggage" so to speak.

While detached sex is not a product of the internet, it has become a cultural part of it. In terms of anonymous sex, there is not much social consequences as identity remains hidden, whereas actual-biological sex comes with the possibility of disease and such. The internet and things like phone sex allow for users to take on an identity, partake in sexual activity, and leave, whereas an online performer is not anonymous. In summary, the complexity of online sex is tied to identity, and anonymity. Lecture 3- Texts Is text interactive? Yes.

In the early days of the internet when images were not possible, text was the main way of communication sexual speak. Coatrooms known as MUD'S and Moon's, allowed for people to gather in basic chat rooms and talk. These talks could often become sexual in nature, especially with questions like SSL (age, sex, location). Texts is also seen in romance novels for example, and even in sexual fan- fiction known as Slash. Virtual engagement programs like Cork and Elise created bots that could talk, which was then turned into a sexual chatterbox.

These early MUD'S and bots paved the way for online sexual communities, Lecture 4- Pictures Online From text, came the first online pictures created using text. Images of a nude picture would be created using type writer, and when connected to a computer, could be shown to others around the web. FTP (file transfer protocol) allowed users to share a file on an FTP server. Users were then able to download and share various images, some scanned from magazines and even some slash fiction. These early FTP servers created early marketplaces for porn, and early porn sharing services (think Egan taking pictures directly for web consumption.

But how did people find these sites? The answer was early search engines. Search engines like Google rose to prominence for their ability to cut through massive amounts of porn related searches on the early internet and show users only subjects they wanted to search for. Tags, (thumbnail gallery post) were sort of online magazines, that websites tried to trick Search Engines and users to clicking on, driving traffic to early web pages. Lecture 5- Video Due to the slow download speed of videos, it took a while for videos to hit the internet.

Yet, with the increase of bandwidth, small-stamp size videos eventually made their way onto the net. Early programs for video feed (Consume) allowed users to see one another, in slow frame-by-frame speed. With the explosion of the internet in 95', early WebMD sites like Jenny Cam took off, drawing viewers and eventually money from complete strangers. What started with porn images, moved to videos in the late ass's as file compression, and the web itself advanced. Lecture 6- Mobile The idea of mobile pornography was not very popular early on.

Yet, the mobile phone itself also grew as a result of pornography. Cell phones started with phone sex, and then grew to locative technology (tinder, grind etc). Cell phones allowed social life and internet life to mix, and at the same time created a mobile, private sexual place for people to explore. The gradual growth of mobile technology allowed for connections to be made that were sexual in nature. The main point of this lecture is that phones mixed online sexuality, and social culture. Lecture 7- Community Module 2 Readings: 1 .

Fiddle: Indentured Servitude (Gizmo Article)- This article discusses chemicals and how some can make tons of money, and how there make little to no money. It's easy to get into this industry if you own a computer and are willing to show off your body to anyone willing to pay. Websites like Embraces make it easy for the people who own them to launder money because nobody actually knows where the money goes because it's hard to track it. 2. Passion: Labors of Love, Network This article talks about the transformation of porn online. There were sex wars in the feminists have said porn identifies women as being subjected to violence.

Moral conservatives says it is faith and morally decaying in any social or cultural value. Network refers to pornographers specific to online platforms and networks. This article talks about two very different forms of new porn and amateurism; network and porn on the net. Network refers to a more grassroots pornography movement in "which online technologies restructure the pornographic, porn on the net refers to the recycling of the same old pornographic images and texts from print media, video, and film on the internet" - Porn on the net also can include "gone' porn.

Alt porn & mature porno are submerges of network: both "shift roles of porn consumers and producers within the framework of Web 2. " An example of ALT Porn is Suicide Girls. ALT is normally "soft-core" porn; typically included with "exhibition of non-standard subculture styles" It is considered the answer against mainstream porn; not Just in esthetics but in the business model used. 3. Rookie: Beyond Key Parties and Wife Swapping 4.

Rubber: Getting Started with Sex in Second-Life - This article talks about the gaming website called Second-Life. It is a virtual world in which people can meet anonymously and have cyberspace with each other. Cyberspace can be 100% text based or you can use avatars that you create perform the sex acts.. Members can become anyone they want, selecting enhanced, or different body parts, clothes, hairstyles, and personalities that they wish they had, or simply play with an alter-ego.

Members navigate the site much like a game, but this is in order to meet different members. Once you meet and chat with another member, you can engage in virtual sex with that member, and they rarely say no. Second Life sex is a combination of the visual and the verbal. Players strip their avatars down to their cyber skin, use pose balls (those floating orbs placed in romantic areas throughout he virtual world) to animate them into various sex acts, and keep up with the whole thing in IM.

There's even a third option: climbable body parts attached to the avatars. These nipples, slits, penises, etc. Can be "touched" Just by clicking on them. Since the parts monitor the avatar's "arousal," avatars can even orgasm this way. 5. Sutherland: Journalist or Panderer? This article talks about the online threat of websites used by minors. In the article the boy Justine Berry who was 13 at the time when got his first WebMD in which he was lured by sexual predators into striping, touching himself while they watched.

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