Patrice Cervantes

1203930567
Normal vs. Deviant
What makes a sexual behavior deviant can be described as statistical,
sociological, psychological, and medical. According to the lecture statistically
deviant sexual behavior is defined as a behavior that is rare or not practiced by
many people. The lecture and the readings show this when talking about the
different ages that women and men start masturbating. For men, they tend to start
at an early age and it is often widely acceptable among most cultures and
communities. For women this is not always true and the statistics prove it, by
stating that women most likely start masturbating later on in their early adulthood.
Society has a substantial amount of impact on deviant sexuality. In the same
instance, talking about the difference between men and women when it comes to
masturbation, it can be talked about in the sociological sense. Society is more
accepting of men masturbating than then are of women, this could be caused by
the desensitization of society by movies, shows, and videos that often show men
or young men masturbating while we rarely see women masturbating.
Psychologically masturbation can be considered crude or inappropriate to some,
or even go as far as sinful. The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental
disorders or a reoccurring, unconventional sexual behavior that is obsessive and
compulsive can define medical deviant sexual behavior.
According to Merriam Webster the definition of deviant is, different from
what is considered to be normal or morally correct. However, in reference to the

lecture, deviant behavior can be defined in relation to statistical, sociological,

psychological and medical standards.
Deviant sexual behavior varies in different cultures, ethnic groups,
communities and societies. In the lecture in states that in some cultures it is
custom that the males engage in homosexual relations before they marry a
woman. In that specific culture it would be deviant not to follow these customs
(the norm). However, cultures or communities that follow the teaching of the
bible would consider homosexual acts to be deviant.
Our readings state that people in the times before us, higher authority was
the voice of society as far as deciding what was right and wrong. This still applies
today with some elders teaching us the ways of society or how they believe
society should be.
To conclude, what is normal and what is deviant as far as sexual behavior
can be justified through different perspectives based on what culture is being
represented. Whether these perspectives are psychological, social, statistical, and
/or medical, they are determined from the individual culture and its own version
of what is right and what is wrong.