CGS 105 Chapter Notes - Chapter I & II: Sexual Repression, Religious Experience, Heterosexuality
4 Jul 2018
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CGS 105 – Textbook Notes – The History of Sexuality, Parts I & II
Part One: We 'Other Victorians'
19th century Victorian oppression
17th century sexual freedom
Victorian bourgeoise concealed/censored sexuality, and made the heterosexual, reproductive
couple the norm
Repression of sexuality in children
'Other Victorians' = those who can still talk about sex
oProstitutes
oPsychiatrists
Sexual repression around the same time as when capitalism started to take hold
oSomething about sex goes against capitalist work ethic
o"At a time when labor capacity was being systematically exploited, how could this
capacity be allowed to dissipate itself in pleasurable pursuits, except in those that enabled it
to reproduce itself"
Is sex is taboo, then speaking about it is certainly taboo, so you can't speak out about how it is
taboo
Religious experience happening where people are talking about sex and its acceptability like
they are preaching, changing society's view toward sex
Why did we come to say that we are repressed?
o"…we must also ask why we burden ourselves today with so much guilt for having once
made sex a sin"
Is repression a historical fact?
Does power repress sex?
o"Are prohibition, censorship, and denial truly the forms through which power is
exercised in a general way…?"
"Was there really a historical rupture between the age of repression and the critical analysis of
repression?"
Part Two: The Repressive Hypothesis
I: The Incitement to Discourse
First strategy in repressing sex: repress its name/language
oPrudes don't say it
oOnly talk about it with certain people
oAt the same time talking more about it, but in an indecent and shameful way
Desire as the root of all evil
o"Not only will you confess to acts contravening the law, but you will seek to transform
your desire, your every desire, into discourse"
18th century rational perspective to sex
oPolicing of sex "…through useful and public discourses"
Countries concerned with populations, so had to be concerned with sex and how it was
practiced
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Document Summary
Cgs 105 textbook notes the history of sexuality, parts i & ii. Victorian bourgeoise concealed/censored sexuality, and made the heterosexual, reproductive couple the norm. "other victorians" = those who can still talk about sex o o. Sexual repression around the same time as when capitalism started to take hold o o. Something about sex goes against capitalist work ethic. "at a time when labor capacity was being systematically exploited, how could this capacity be allowed to dissipate itself in pleasurable pursuits, except in those that enabled it to reproduce itself" Is sex is taboo, then speaking about it is certainly taboo, so you can"t speak out about how it is taboo. Religious experience happening where people are talking about sex and its acceptability like they are preaching, changing society"s view toward sex. Why did we come to say that we are repressed? o.
