Do you know of any good studies on how culture affects one's sexual self?

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Arasia
not a newbie
Posts: 31
Joined: Fri Dec 16, 2016 2:46 pm
Age: 30
Pronouns: she/her
Location: Utah

Do you know of any good studies on how culture affects one's sexual self?

Unread post by Arasia »

My boyfriend and I talk a lot about sex and sexuality, because our experiences and beliefs surrounding it are fairly different. Our discussions help us understand one another and meet each other's needs--and besides that, they're really interesting!
Some background: I come from a religious family and culture, and I believe strongly in the religion I grew up with. A part of that religion is that sexuality is only appropriate in marriage. By contrast, my boyfriend comes from a nonreligious background where casual sex is considered okay and normal. Among his family, it's expected that by the time you're an adult, you've had sexual experience.
We are waiting for marriage to have sex, out of consideration for my belief system. Waiting is more challenging for him than it is for me. In our various discussions about these topics and experiences, I've started to wonder about things like: What determines how a person experiences their own sexuality? How does culture impact when and how a person becomes aroused?
My boyfriend becomes aroused much more often than I do, when we cuddle or kiss. He teases me that it's because he's more attracted to me than I to him (False!). My hypothesis is that, where my culture teaches me to regulate sexual feelings until marriage; his culture teaches him to indulge and enjoy those feelings; and that key difference is a big influence in how we experience (or don't experience) arousal.
I'd really like to read some good studies about the development of sexuality, culture and sexuality, or anything in that vein. If you know of any good links, I'd love to give them a read!