Sex, Ethics, and Communication

Book excerpt: Sex, Ethics and Communication: A Humanistic Approach to Conversations on Intimacy addresses the need for thoughtful consideration of human sexuality and sexual communication. Written from a secular humanist perspective, the book places communication, rather than biology, psychology, or religion, at the heart of our understanding of sex and sexual behavior. The book steers away from strict standards of "normal" behavior, case studies and hypothetical examples, and encourages readers to contribute their own examples and reflect on their own experiences. Designed to encourage classroom discussion, Sex, Ethics and Communication can be used in courses on human sexuality, women's studies, communication ethics, and interpersonal communication. Written in a serious, honest style, the material still effectively employs humor to increase reader comfort with challenging topics. The book is divided into three sections. Part I covers sexual ethics, and discusses responsibility, vulnerability, the problems of categorization, and different ethics of communication. Part II is devoted to sex as a form of communication, and the ways in which sex and spoken communication interact. Part III addresses ethical sex and how it is related to other areas of social and cultural concerns such as work, pay, and marriage. Specific topics include: Why Statistics are Useless for Ethics Sexual Metaphors and Narratives Making Good Sex More Likely Innocence vs. Experience Marriage and Family This thoughtful, theoretical treatment of sex will engage a generation of students reared on the internet, Facebook, and YouTube who want and need help with face-to-face communication skills, and who are interested in understanding how to negotiate sex as an interpersonal activity.