by Author Name Withheld 161

Created on: July 29, 2009

Among the many aspects of human life, sexuality is one of the most important. It pertains to marriage, economic and kinship ties, identity, and satisfaction. Most people acquire some level of sexual experience at some point during their lives; and, while the physical satisfaction is immediate, and the emotional satisfaction continues, there are certain concepts of human sexuality that are less understood. These concepts include sexuality in relation to marriage, incest, and homosexual unions.

Sexuality is a major concern in all societies and how it is viewed can be understood by various marriage practices. Marriage is a way to create exclusivity among partners. Whether heterosexual, homosexual, or other, marriage binds the individuals together, not just in terms of economic and social practicality, but sexuality as well. By engaging in marriage practices, a society can somewhat control its population by establishing certain laws and guidelines regarding sexuality. Since marriage is taken seriously, so is sexual practice. In societies where sexual practice is very liberal, it tends to be the case only until monogamous or polygamous marriage is declared, as exemplified by the people of the Trobriand Islands. Trobrianders are very carefree about their sexual relationships and with whom, but once marriage is established, sexual activities are exclusive to the relationship. In Western society, however, marriage has less of a hold on sexual restraint. While various religions, such as Christianity, do not advocate what is termed adultery, marriage is still becoming less effective at controlling sexual relations. Rather, most people will simply get a divorce if they feel they cannot be faithful to their partner. In a society flooded by flaunting sexuality in the media, it is becoming more difficult for individuals to monitor their sexual practices; and, they are less concerned with important economic, social, and kinship aspects of marriage and sexuality.

Along with marriage, another concept that pertains to sexuality is incest. The incest taboo is one of the oldest of taboos. While there are certainly genetic reasons that sibling-to-sibling or sibling-to-parent sexual relations should be avoided for likelihood of birth defects, genetic research didn't come into the picture until recently. It is more likely that people believed direct family members are too close to an individual's likeness. While many societies emphasize creation of new economic and

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