Implications of Sexual Scripting for Pleasure and Violence Dissertation Present
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“Was It Good For You?”/Is It Good For Us?: Implications of Sexual Scripting for Pleasure and Violence Dissertation Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Emma Marie Carroll Graduate Program in Sociology The Ohio State University 2019 Dissertation Committee Korie Edwards, Advisor Steven Lopez Kristi Williams 1 Copyrighted by Emma Marie Carroll 2019 2 Abstract Quantitative research on sexuality suggests that sexual satisfaction is important for physical health, mental health, and relationship outcomes, but most of this research fails to capture the subjective ways that sexual satisfaction is perceived and achieved. In this study I employ in-depth qualitative interviews to explore the ways that women and men understand both “good” and “bad” sex. I employ sexual script theory as a framework to explain the ways that sexual expectations and behaviors are patterned in reference to cultural, interpersonal, and intrapsychic understandings of sex. In the first chapter I explore the role of novelty as a factor in “good” sex and the tensions that exist between the predictable and the unfamiliar. In the second chapter I delve into the role that gender plays in constructing perceptions of sexual satisfaction and the ways that the narratives of men and women converge and differ. Finally, in the third chapter I address the prevalence of sexual violence reported by the women in my sample and explain how this is a product of the gendered norms embedded in cultural-level sexual scripts. Overall, my research suggests that women and men have similar expectations for what makes sex “good,” but dominant norms surrounding sexuality disproportionately place women in subordinate roles, and therefore greater risk of violence, during sex. ii Dedication For everyone who has supported me throughout graduate school. This would not have been possible without the support of my wonderful community. iii Acknowledgments I would not have been able to complete a project of this magnitude without extensive support from my community. First, I would like to acknowledge all 70 people that participated in an interview. Thank you for being so open and vulnerable and for giving me insight into some of the most private aspects of social life. My partner Brian has been an incredible source of support throughout this entire process. We met during my first semester of grad school and he has stuck by me during all the challenges I’ve experienced. Thank you for celebrating my successes, boosting me up after failures, and picking up the slack at home when I’ve been overwhelmed by work. Overall, my experiences in grad school have been positive and this can largely be credited to my amazing advisor Dr. Korie Edwards. She is someone I can look up to not only professionally, but personally as well. Thank you for consistently giving me incisive feedback and supporting the decisions I made about my research and my life without reservation. I greatly appreciate the members of my committee, Dr. Kristi Williams and Dr. Steve Lopez from the sociology department, as well as my graduate faculty representative Dr. Julia Jorati from the philosophy department. They sacrificed a lot of time and energy to facilitate my dissertation defense and I am so grateful. Thank you for your time, your advice, your feedback, and the valuable perspectives you brought to my iv project. Special thank you also to Dr. Corinne Reczek, who despite not being able to serve on my committee was willing to offer her insight on my dissertation proposal and made sure I started this endeavor with a clear sense of direction. The feedback you gave me on my proposal helped shape my entire project in a positive way and I thought about your comments the entire time I was writing, thank you. The most bittersweet part of finishing my dissertation is no longer working among the wonderful friends I have made in the sociology department. It’s been a joy to meet so many thoughtful, compassionate, and supportive people and build relationships with people who can directly relate to the challenges I’ve faced. Thank you for listening to my grievances, sharing your own, and drinking with me for the last seven years. A huge part of why I wanted to come to Ohio State for grad school was the existing network of friends I already had in Columbus. I’m happy to say that at the end of this process those relationships are still just as significant as they were when I made that decision, and they were instrumental in supporting me. To all my friends both here in Columbus and elsewhere thank you so much for being who you are, for being in my life, and for helping me emotionally through this process. I love you so much. Finally, the biggest thank you to my parents who are at the root of everything good in my life. Thank you for reading to me every day, for helping me make lifelong friends, and for loving and supporting me unconditionally always. v Vita 2012…………………………………….B.A. Sociology, Ithaca College 2014…………………………………….M.A. Sociology, The Ohio State University 2014-2019……………………………...Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of Sociology, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: Sociology vi Table of Contents Abstract ............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments.............................................................................................................. iv Vita ..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... viii Chapter 1. Introduction ....................................................................................................... 1 Chapter 2. Novelty ........................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 3. Gender ............................................................................................................. 65 Chapter 4. The Scripting of Rape and Sexual Assault ...................................................... 94 Chapter 5. Conclusion ..................................................................................................... 118 Bibliography ................................................................................................................... 133 Appendix A. Methodology ............................................................................................. 141 Appendix B. Complete List of Respondents................................................................... 154 Appendix C. Interview Guide ......................................................................................... 157 vii List of Tables Table 1.1 Sample Demographics………………………………………………………...29 Table 2.1 Novel Locations……………………………………………………………… 50 Table 2.2 Novel Behaviors………………………………………………………………52 Table 2.3 Frequency of Pornography Use……………………………………………….56 Table 3.1 Factors of “Good” Sex………………………………………………………...66 Table 3.2 Perceived Impact of Gender…………………………………………………..84 Table 4.1 Non-Consensual Sexual Encounters…………………………………………..99 Table 5.1 Relationship Status…………………………………………………………..119 Table A.1 Sample Demographics……………………………………………………....146 Table B.1 List of Respondents Part 1………………………………………...…...……155 Table B.2 List of Respondents Part 2…………………………………...……………...156 viii Chapter 1. Introduction Sex has always been inherently interesting to me. It is at once ubiquitous and taboo; almost universally acknowledged as important but simultaneously an inappropriate topic of conversation in polite company. This is what initially attracted me to the study of sexuality- I don’t like being told what to talk about and if something is socially significant I’m going to discuss it regardless of if I’m deemed profane, prurient, or unfeminine. The same drive for intellectual and social rebellion is what led me to employment in an adult bookstore during my undergraduate years. Shortly after being doubly engrossed in sexuality within academia and employment my interest deepened. It became clear through my studies that sex was a powerful and under-researched social experience, and the conversations I had at and about my job reinforced that people cared about sex but were often unclear about how to contextualize what felt like deeply personal and individualized experiences. Because I worked in the sex industry I was identified by friends and acquaintances as someone who was open to talking about sex, and during the course of my employment people would often ask me, seeking reassurance, “is this normal?” Is it normal that I experience anxiety surrounding sex? Is it normal that I like this? Is it normal that my partner said that? The answer is, of course, if something is consensual and experienced positively that normalcy is irrelevant, but there 1 are clear patterns in how people experience sexuality both from an anecdotal and sociological perspective. I put these issues aside for a few years, but while I was working on other projects I kept coming back to sexuality and the conversations that I had while in undergrad. As I was talking to men and women about sex I noticed that their experiences