Saftey and Sexuality 2

But I'm also beginning to think just general issues of safety and female empowerment have a lot to do with that level of comfort. Cuba, like most Scandinavian countries, has an extensive system of government services and support, especially for women. They have universal health care, easy access to reproductive control, whether contraceptives or abortion, universal childcare, easy and extensive universal access to psychological and sexual counciling, easy access to divorce, free education to the highest levels, with no gender restrictions on any profession, very low rates of violence toward women and children, guaranteed shelter and standard of living (although in Cuba it is pretty close to a subsistence level due to shortages caused by the US embargo). Given those similarities, I probably shouldn't have been surprised when I recently I discovered that Cuban and Scandinavian women share a somewhat unusual behavioral trait. It is apparently routine for women from both cultures to assertively approach and initiate interaction, particularly touch, with strangers they are attracted to.

Now I have direct experience of this with Cuban women. In fact, the first time I went to Cuba, and started hanging out with other university students, I actually encountered a mild form of culture shock, because I was not prepared for the attention. It was actually overwhelming at first.

But in talking about that difference with women here, I've found one theme repeatedly coming up. Yes, on the issue of approaching men they didn't know, women were worried about rejection. Yes, they thought culture played a role. But every single one of them, especially the more assertive women I've talked to, all repeatedly talked about issues of safety. Just the thought of engaging in that kind of behavior brought to mind all manner of concerns: potential violence, what if I get pregnant, what if he turns out to be a stalker, and so on. I suspect, in Cuba and Scandinavian countries, it is just simply far safer and far easier to be a woman, and that leads them to be more confident in all their behavior.

Finding out just how much a difference it creates would certainly make for an interesting sociological study. It also suggests to me, that, altruism aside, if men really want to improve their sexual health, both physical and psychological, they should focus on creating a far more egalitarian society that removes a lot of the pressures women currently experience.

And bringing this back to China, and issues of safety. It is now safe, or at least far safer, to openly express attraction, and sexual passion, for both men and women. Whereas earlier doing so could get you imprisoned. I think feeling safe plays a gigantic role in people's ability to express their sexual nature.

"China Blue"- How jeans are REALLY made.

The film "China Blue" exposes the life of factory workers in China and the pressures they are under.

It on Saturday Nov. 10 at 11 a.m. at the Vancity Theatre.

It is part of the Amnesty International Film Festival that starts tonight.
http://www.amnesty.ca/archives/bc_filmfest_nov2007.php

Request your library buy this film-avail. from Bullfrog Films.
http://www.bullfrogfilms.com/catalog/china.html

Sexual Revolution

It will be interesting to see how China's sexual revolution plays out. Given the desparities between the sexes due to population control and sexism, China should seek to embrace the sexual revolution and guide its development in a positive direction. The increase in prostitution is inevitable and should be legalized. Sex workers should be elevated to a respected status and their wages should be regulated to be fair to all those involved. Not likely to happen of course unless the west gets off its moral high horse and does the same. As for sexual repression in North America, it is alive and well. Feminism has continued to portray pornography as violent and degrading to women even as it has become far more popular than ever before and has moved in much more progressive social directions. The religious conservatives continue to pressure governments to restrict freedom of sexual expression. Sexuality among teens is still repressed by all authorities driving their exploration of sexuality underground away from the supervision of parents, where they can experience unwanted pregnancy, date rape, adult sexual predators and remain immature and irresponsible.
The comments about the jaded nightclub goers in north america is interesting. Most nightclubs are simply bars with music and a few lights. Highly regulated, they are boring for the most part. The real excitement is on the internet on the social networking websites, and at home in the suburbs and beyond where real swingers can still party as they wish in peace.

Prostitution

Sex workers should be free to charge whatever they can get, provided the money is going directly to them. Prostitution ideally would be run, and regulated by the sex workers themselves, with better laws in place to protect them from all too common abuse by customers, and a concerted effort should be made to stamp out pimps. Prostitutes shouldn't have to fear going to the police for help.

But from what I've read of Asian prostitution in places like Thailand, the prostitutes are essentially sex slaves and live in pits of degradation and disease.

Here in Canada, as some articles here on the Tyee have discussed, prostitution tends to be a multi-tier profession. Addicts who work the streets are at the bottom, and they are most subject to violence, disease and exploitation. The upper tier are women, who, having no other well paying jobs available, turn to prostitution, and service a wealthier clientel from apartments. A growing segment are imported sex workers from abroad, who are essentially sex slaves, much like the prostitutes in Asia.

I suspect the majority of women in all tiers would choose other work, had they any real choice. Legalizing and regulating all recreational drugs, and making post-secondary education free or next to free, providing affordable housing, and other economic supports would go a very long way to curing the problem of prostitution by unwilling women.

Feminism, porn and Vancouver nightlife

Well a lot of pornography IS violent and degrading to women. There is a hell of a lot more of it than there used to be. Admittedly there is more porn that tries to appeal to women, but if anything a lot of what is out there has gotten more violent and degrading rather than less. And that is a problem.

I'm sorry, but the internet is utterly devoid of most of what makes sexuality and intimacy so wonderful, and that's person to person contact. There is no substitute, and there won't be unless and until virtual reality can mimic reality to all our senses.

Based on my personal experience, there's also no dearth of activity at the nightclubs in Vancouver. The downtown Granville strip is Washington state's northern Tijuana (or at least it was before the US dollar tanked). Despite that, because Americans can still come up here to get legally drunk at 19, instead of 21, it's still going to be busy at the nightspots despite the dollar.

In addition, lounge-like establishments are starting to spring up like Opus, George, and Ginger 62 where you can actually engage in a semblance of conversation. What's more, many of the coffee houses, even the chains like Starbucks and Blendz, are great places to meet people if you have the nads to start a conversation.

China's sexual revolution

Had the opportunity to watch this documentary on Newsworld last night. Very interesting indeed and good news for the whole world as China is in a major position of influence that will only increase in the future. The most interesting fact to come out of the film is that the position of women will rise as a result of the revolution. Girls are becoming valuable again and this should serve to stem infaticide and abortion of baby girls. The women of China, through the one child policy, being more free from childbearing have come to explore sexuality for recreational purposes rather than simply reproductional work that was emphasized during the cultural revolution. I got the impression that the chinese will likely play a major role in the form sexual expression takes in the future even as they are now already the worlds largest producers of adult products.

Re Porn

Well James B, I don't know what internet you have access to, but genuine violence toward women in porn is extremely hard to find, if at all, though I suppose that if one was reckless enough to risk it, contact could be made with genuine purveyors of it, as is the case with other things on the net.

Regarding the sites that purport to provide such material, they display "violence" wreaked upon women who are clearly masochistic exhibitionists, and the poses suggesting coercion would fool only those who want pretty badly to believe.

That said, since there is a fair number of these sites, there must also be a fair number of people who want to view them. So it should also be noted then, that study after study has clearly shown that such material does NOT induce copycat behaviour, but instead relieves such urges.

My guess is that in the Cuba you described, with its relaxed attitudes toward sexality, that after a brief fling with curiosity-seekers, such material would quickly disappear.

I agree with you that there is nothing left for porn to display on the net. What is now found is unremittingly loveless, boringly clinical and repetitive. Since its content is so clearly aimed at the young and naive, this suggests to me that it is a basically unsustainable industry, and that those who dislike it should lobby for more progressive education of the young, and give up on their failed prohibition.

more on porn

Depicting violence and degradation, even if simulated, is a depiction of violence and degradation. As for the women being "clearly masochistic exhibitionists", perhaps, but far more likely it is a job for them that they are being paid for. Yes they choose to do it, but, based on what a lot of former women who have worked in the sex industry have said in interviews, it's about the money, honey. It rapidly becomes a job, even if they thought it was kinky taboo breaking at first.

I also don't believe that this kind of material is simply cathartic. More recent studies have suggested that repeated viewing of violence and degradation does in fact desensitize people to it. That is a problem. At the same time I believe in freedom of expression, so how to deal with it is a thorny issue.

Pornography (and gambling) is illegal in Cuba, which, considering how sexualized the culture is, is amazing. So it is practically unknown there, particularly since internet access is rare and very expensive. I really have no idea how Cubans would react to it. I suspect most would look at it as a very poor substitute for readily available real sex. They'd probably look at it with a mix of curiosity, humor and disgust. At the same time, it would likely become as prevalent as it is everywhere.

The primary reason, however, that the Cuban government is so strict about porn and gambling, is because prior to the revolution, Cuban cities, particularly Havana, were essentially a cross between Las Vegas and a brothel. Many Cuban women were exploited mercilessly by organized crime, much of it run by a large slice of the Cuban elite for US business and mafia interests. Some of the people who initially supported Castro the most when the revolution was just getting started in the Sierra Maestra were prostitutes. Instead of getting money, they traded sex with US soldiers stationed around Cuba for weapons, ammunition and other supplies, which they smuggled to the rebels.

More porn

If the women who enjoy masochism and exhibitionism are "just doing it for the money", then I would say they are among the fortunate few able to make money doing what they like.

As for those women who choose prostitution over a McJob (not all hookers are druggies) being candidates for sympathy, I shouldn't have to lecture you on THAT. There are tens of thousands of workers in other jobs who sacrifice their dignity and integrity for the almighty dollar, but whom we do not look down upon, nor feel any sympathy.

I would instead remind you that our prohibiting the safety of brothels is more a cause for sympathy than anything else.

It is true that many women are forced into prostituton, and that they would far rather not do it. Our sympathy for them should be directed toward eliminating the conditons that have brought them there. (Ahhh, faint hope!!)

You are correct that depictions of sexual activities cannot be eliminated, for prior to the Judaeo/Christian/Muslim times, all societies have done so freely, just as they have with other human activities.

The point I was trying to make - however poorly - is that today we have "porn", based on the premise that sex is "dirty". It is degrading to women only in that it is emotionally immature in its catering to male masturbatory fantasies, with little or no regard for the pleasuring of women.

As long as we're stuck in that paradigm, the liberating potential of porn will be stymied.

Quote:The point I was trying

As long as we're stuck in that paradigm, the liberating potential of porn will be stymied.

And my point is that, given the Cuban example, you don't need porn to liberate sexuality. I suspect there is something negative that occurs culturally when sex is primarily a commodity.

Cuba is not North America

Your Point re the Cubans is accepted, JB, but North America is NOT Cuba, and doesn't appear to be being similarly civilised in the forseeable future.

My point (again poorly made) is that NA porn is subversive (whether intentional or not), inasmuch as it contradicts conventional fundie morality.

Commodification of sex is a major part of our culture, whether that is accomplished through prohibition, (selling religion), or through advertising and entertainment.

In my opinion, the unnaturally high sales value of sex in NA is maintained only through the taboo, wherein imposed boubdaries stimulate curiosity, and pushing them or maintaining them draws attention.

I find it amusing that most of those who would attribute the "decadence" in our society to relaxed moral attitudes also support the "market" version of social responsibility in which one's ONLY responsibility is to her/himself and kin.

Perhaps, JB, these people need a trip to Cuba, EH?

correction

The second-to-last para above should read "to relaxed sexual attitudes" not moral attitudes.