Gagnon on Risky Sex/ Sexual Scripts

Jennifer:

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In his chapter, Theorizing Risky Sex (2000), in An Interpretation of Desire, John Gagnon analyzes theories of sexual life based on the cultural organization of sexual behavior and conduct. Culture determines what becomes normalized in various aspects of life, sexuality being one of the most recognizable. Gagnon quotes Nathanson when he draws attention to the issue of the assignment of “the trouble as a problem” and “a problem that needs a solution”. He proceeds to ask the question: “Is there then a particular “scientific” discipline that is more easily selected to think about this question because its prejudgments conform to the larger cultural prejudgments?” I found his analysis of the issue quite intriguing in that he questions who really has the authority to declare particular issues “problems” and who seems to be informed enough to make any type of decision about applying the appropriate solution.

As the chapter progresses, he takes a closer look at theorizing risky sex and asks, “Do individuals have prior predisposing experiences that increase the likelihood that they will be unable to prevent exposures to risky sex?” (226) As I thought more about this, I couldn’t help but relate it to faulting the victim in abuse cases. In my opinion, these ideas are often a result of discourses amongst the culture. It seems like it could be an easy way for people to explain it. It also allows people to say “Well, that could never happen to me.” He goes on to further explain how the relationship between risk and sex are seen depends largely on the “preexisting social and cultural world constrains”.

In Gagnon’s Scripts and the Coordination of Sexual Conduct, he examines culturally scripted sexual behavior. He spends a substantial amount of time discussing scripted or what he considers at times not scripted sexual behavior in children and adolescents. At one point, it is unclear whether he is saying it is scripted or not. He does, however, state that gender, how boys and girls should behave, is a learned social script that is culturally inherited. Gender scripts, which were learned earlier, are then used in rudimentary sexual scripts or what he calls masturbatory fantasies. At this time, males develop an adult sexual script due to the change from orgasm competence to orgasm performance.

He compares this to female adolescent masturbation, though he says that during the same time women’s sexuality is much more complex. It is believed that the script for women at this time is less sexual than it is for men. This is not to say they are not practicing, but that their intentions are different. He suggests that it is done for the purpose of orgasm without much sexual thought put into it and it not as well connected with what is expected of them in their adult life. Overall, I found his discussion of both male and female gender/sexual scripts during childhood and adolescence quite lucid and more informative than other areas he covers.