The article aims to assess the empirical relevance of the claim that contemporary Western sexuality is increasingly free-floating. After defining free-floatingness as the progressive decoupling of sexuality from social and cultural constraints, it focuses on the association of some social factors with the timing of the first heterosexual intercourse (FHI) in Slovenia. The theoretical expectation that this association is weak, especially in the younger age cohort, is only partly confirmed by the data. They indicate that among men the timing of FHI is largely disembedded from its social context, yet this is not the case with women. On this basis, it may be argued that the claim about the decoupling of sexual behaviour from its social and cultural context – even if it is meant to indicate just a trend of change – is questionable.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2058707
This study investigates attitudes of internet daters in Slovenia on relationships, love and monogamy. Assuming that internet daters represent the so-called »dating avantgarde«, significance of gender and sexual orientation in predicting the internet daters' attitudes on the key concepts in Giddens' theory of transformation of intimacy were tested. Internet daters' attitudes are not as »revolutionary« as originally assumed. The longterm emotionally and sexually exclusive relationship remains the norm, although a higher acceptance of mutually agreed open relationships was found among homosexuals. Despite the fact that internet daters aim at »traditional types« of relationships, these are not based on traditional ideas of romantic love, but rather on the postulates of confluent love. In this sense internet daters in very general terms hold views in accordance with the theory of transformation of intimacy.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2057171
Changes in sexual behaviour in contemporary Western societies have often been described as a new sexual revolution. Although accounts of this differ in many respects, they converge in asserting that the new sexual revolution has been related to the processes of the rapid individualisation, rationalisation and differentiation of sexual behaviour. Drawing on theories of occidental modernisation, the article claims that these processes have influenced the transformation of sexual behaviour much longer and in a less revolutionary way than assumed by the theorists of a new sexual revolution. This claim is also supported by surveys of sexual behaviour which show that most of the change in this field has been long-term and gradual. Given these claims, the idea of a new sexual revolution seems both theoretically and empirically unsubstantiated.
COBISS.SI-ID: 30030685
A systematic overview of research on youth sexuality and its main findings in Croatia and Slovenia during the period 19712008 is presented. The aim was to analyze the development of a particular type of research in the two countries characterized by an absence of sexological tradition. Research studies from four decades are contextualized sociohistorically and ideologically. Between country similarities and differences are discussed, as well as theoretical shortcomings and methodological limitations of the reviewed research studies. This brief history of research on young people’s sexuality highlights the role of international dissemination of ideas and knowledge, particularly in the context of peripheral research communities. Due to professional divisions, financial restrictions, and the absence of ties to public health and educational policies, difficulties facing interdisciplinary research on human sexuality seem to continue in the posttransitional period.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2056659
This article presents the results of a qualitative research study of female university students’ perceptions of sexuality, focusing on perception of sexual reciprocity in intimate relationships. As reciprocity is understood as basic element and at the same time condition of latemodern intimate relationships, our attention was paid on whether sexual reciprocity is defined by female students as basic condition of intimate relationship and how is sexual reciprocity in itself constructed. The concept of reciprocity is here taken as an indicator of reflexivity of sexual and intimate relationships. Sexual reciprocity as perceived by female students in the study revealed three main characteristics regarding perceptions of reciprocity: first, reciprocity is understood as basic element and condition of (reflexive) intimate relationship and sexuality; second, reciprocity is also framed within broader understanding of sexuality (especially differences between female and male sexuality); third, a certain economy of reciprocity is created, which makes the meanings of reciprocity and intimate and sexual relationship an complex issue.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2056915