Skip to main content Accessibility help
×
Hostname: page-component-848d4c4894-tn8tq Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-06-21T12:10:59.141Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

15 - Sex and culture

from Part 2 - Specific mental health conditions across cultures

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

Sheraz Ahmad
Affiliation:
Specialist Registrar in General Adult Psychiatry, Charing Cross Higher Training Scheme, London, and Psychosexual Therapist
Dinesh Bhugra
Affiliation:
Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity and Head of the Section of Cultural Psychiatry, Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
Get access

Summary

Summary Culture has a profound influence over sex, relationships and sexuality. This chapter highlights similarities and differences in sexual behaviour, sexual dysfunction and attitudes across cultures. Themes include how ‘sex-positive’ or ‘sex-negative’ a culture is, epidemiology of sexual dysfunction and sexual diversity. Clinical approaches to management of sexual problems are offered, with an emphasis on tailoring to the needs of individuals and couples. Observations are set in the context of increasing globalisation and an appreciation of levels of acculturation in people who present with sexual dysfunction and relationship difficulties.

To any practising clinician it will be apparent that taking into account an individual's cultural identity is an important aspect of assessment. It allows a mutual understanding of cultural factors that may be causing or contributing to the patient's problem and that can be used in planning and delivering appropriate and acceptable treatment. This is even more important in the arena of sexuality and psychosexual therapy, where cultures dictate models of explanation and help-seeking. Sexual expectations, practices and preferences are strongly shaped by culture, as well as by gender, class and ethnicity (Mahay et al, 2000). In our increasingly multicultural and globalised society, understanding the way in which our sexuality and relationships with one another develop is vital for the clinician.

Sex is one of the basic human instincts: over the centuries its function has vacillated between procreation and pleasure, and societies have fluctuated between sex-positive and sex-negative cultures. Sex and sexual behaviour have been viewed in different tones and shades, perhaps with fear or respect or as magico-religious experiences. Although historical data may be inaccurate (Bullough, 1972), it seems that attitudes to sex and sexual behaviour fluctuate and are strongly influenced by prevalent social norms (Gregersen, 1986; Segall et al, 1986). Inevitably, religion, state control and economic factors have at different times also profoundly shaped the way sex, sexuality and sexual practices are seen in a given culture.

Sexual function across cultures

Early literature was based on religious texts, which are a rich source of information on sexual behaviour (Bhugra & De Silva, 1995). The assumptions they contain about sex and its purpose have been greatly influential (Bullough, 1976); reinforced by centuries of religious observation, some remain deeply ingrained in many cultures.

Type
Chapter
Information
Publisher: Royal College of Psychiatrists
Print publication year: 2010

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Save book to Kindle

To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure coreplatform@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.

Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.

Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.

  • Sex and culture
    • By Sheraz Ahmad, Specialist Registrar in General Adult Psychiatry, Charing Cross Higher Training Scheme, London, and Psychosexual Therapist, Dinesh Bhugra, Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity and Head of the Section of Cultural Psychiatry, Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
  • Edited by Rahul Bhattacharya, Sean Cross, Dinesh Bhugra
  • Book: Clinical Topics in Cultural Psychiatry
  • Online publication: 02 January 2018
Available formats
×

Save book to Dropbox

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.

  • Sex and culture
    • By Sheraz Ahmad, Specialist Registrar in General Adult Psychiatry, Charing Cross Higher Training Scheme, London, and Psychosexual Therapist, Dinesh Bhugra, Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity and Head of the Section of Cultural Psychiatry, Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
  • Edited by Rahul Bhattacharya, Sean Cross, Dinesh Bhugra
  • Book: Clinical Topics in Cultural Psychiatry
  • Online publication: 02 January 2018
Available formats
×

Save book to Google Drive

To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.

  • Sex and culture
    • By Sheraz Ahmad, Specialist Registrar in General Adult Psychiatry, Charing Cross Higher Training Scheme, London, and Psychosexual Therapist, Dinesh Bhugra, Professor of Mental Health and Cultural Diversity and Head of the Section of Cultural Psychiatry, Health Services Research Department, Institute of Psychiatry, King's College London, UK
  • Edited by Rahul Bhattacharya, Sean Cross, Dinesh Bhugra
  • Book: Clinical Topics in Cultural Psychiatry
  • Online publication: 02 January 2018
Available formats
×