Sexual experiences are an important part of everyday life, yet little research has taken place to understand it’s implication in the leisure realm. As leisure scholars adopt a holistic view of the individual, one’s sexual experiences remain a critical element devoid of empirical research. The current study examined the linkages between leisure and sexual experiences for six couples in the life stage of early adulthood. Findings revealed that relationally, couples conceptualized sexual experiences as a means to express love. At an individual level, it was clear that leisurely dimensions including intrinsic motivation, perceived freedom, involvement, arousal, mastery and spontaneity were present in some sexual experiences. This research provides support that sexual experiences can be plotted on Neulinger’s (1981) Leisure Continuum highlighting the work-like and/or leisurely aspects of relational sexual experiences.

Sexual experiences are an important part of everyday life, yet little research has taken place to understand it’s implication in the leisure realm. As leisure scholars adopt a holistic view of the individual, one’s sexual experiences remain a critical element devoid of empirical research. The current study examined the linkages between leisure and sexual experiences for six couples in the life stage of early adulthood. Findings revealed that relationally, couples conceptualized sexual experiences as a means to express love. At an individual level, it was clear that leisurely dimensions including intrinsic motivation, perceived freedom, involvement, arousal, mastery and spontaneity were present in some sexual experiences. This research provides support that sexual experiences can be plotted on Neulinger’s (1981) Leisure Continuum highlighting the work-like and/or leisurely aspects of relational sexual experiences.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Miami University, Dept. of Psychology, 2008. / Title from second page of PDF document. Includes bibliographical references (p. 123-132).

Esta pesquisa analisa as obras Tropic of Cancer (1961) e Tropic of Capricorn (1961) do escritor norte-americano Henry Miller sob o viés autobiográfico com o intuito de averiguar, nas narrativas, como o autor constrói a masculinidade de seu narrador por meio de suas experiências sexuais. Percebe-se que o autor, por meio de seu personagem protagonista autobiográfico se comporta, às vezes, dentro dos parâmetros de uma masculinidade hegemônica diante do ato sexual ou nas conversas sobre mulheres com seus interlocutores masculinos, já que é fruto de uma sociedade patriarcal. Por outro lado, o autor-narrador também se mostra a favor de atitudes liberais femininas com relação à sexualidade, pois sua identidade e seus valores são revistos e reavaliados ao longo do processo narrativo. Além disso, há outros aspectos observados nas narrativas de Miller que respaldam a identidade em construção de seu narrador e as transformações de sua escrita cuja estética rompe com as regras do academicismo norte-americano do período entre-guerras. O narrador, por meio de um espírito livre, tece críticas de forma audaciosa e nada sutil diante dos fatos da vida, envolvendo as sociedades descritas nas obras - a norte-americana e a francesa -, comparando-as a ponto de denegrir a primeira e exaltar a segunda. São analisadas também as longas reflexões sobre sexo, amor, liberdade, casamento, raça, etnia, vida e morte por meio de comentários, descrições e devaneios com um estilo próprio que transita entre o irônico, o humorístico, o surreal e o metafórico. / This research analyzes the works Tropic of Cancer (1961) amd Tropic of Capricorn (1961) by the American author Henry Miller under the autobiographical perspective. The aim is to investigate in both narratives how the author constructs his narrator\'s masculine identity through his sexual experiences. What we can realize is that the author, as an autobiographical protagonist, sometimes behaves himself within the hegemonic masculinity parameters in relation to the sexual intercourse or in conversations about women with his male partners since he comes from a patriarchal background. On the other hand, the author-narrator is also in favor of liberal attitudes concerning sexuality since his identity and his values are revised and reorganized all through the narrative process. Besides, we also look at other aspects in the narratives which support the narrator\'s identity construction and the author\'s way of writing whose aesthetics breaks the rules of the North-American academicism of the interwar period. The narrator, through his free soul, audaciously criticizes the facts of life involving the two societies described in the book - the American and the French comparing them by denigrating the first and praising the second. In the narratives we also analyse the long reflexcions about sex, love, freedom, marriage, race, ethnics, life, death through commentaries, descriptions and daydreams alternating them by using irony, humor and a lot of metaphors.

Youth in the foster care system experience unique and challenging situations online, such as higher risks of inappropriate messaging (e.g., sexting) and unwanted solicitations from strangers. As a vulnerable group of adolescents, foster youth often use online platforms as a resource to express themselves and seek support over their sexual experiences online. This thesis analyzes how foster youth seek support online for their sexual risk experiences, including sexual abuse, sexting, and sexuality. To understand how adolescents (ages 13-17) in the child welfare system seek support for these experiences, we conducted a thematic analysis of 541 individual posts made by 121 different foster youth on an online mental health peer support forum. The majority of the foster youth used the platform to seek support online over their traumatic sexual experiences involving sexual abuse (42%), sexting (31%), and sexuality (28%). Approximately 9% of foster youth used the platform to connect with others for sexting. As a result of seeking support online and connecting with others on the platform, they shared personal and intimate details about themselves and their experiences and, unfortunately, also encountered unwanted sexual solicitations while doing so. Our research highlights the importance of providing safe spaces for foster youth to seek support and advice regarding their sexual risk experiences online. Trigger Warning: This thesis discusses sensitive topics, such as sexual abuse and sexuality. Reader discretion is advised.

Au cours des dernières années, l'évaluation de la violence sexuelle entre partenaires intimes (VSPI) a connu un essor croissant. Toutefois, une incertitude demeure vis-à-vis lesquels des instruments de mesure évaluent le mieux cette problématique. La présente étude a pour objectif de comparer et d'évaluer la concordance de deux mesures couramment utilisées, soit le Sexual Experiences Survey (SES) et le Conflict Tactics Scales (CTS2). Cette étude comporte un deuxième objectif qui vise à élargir le champ de la VSPI en évaluant la présence de gestes pornographiques et de relations sexuelles forcées avec autrui au sein de la dynamique de la violence. L'échantillon se compose de 138 femmes ayant recours aux services de maisons d'hébergement. Les données indiquent que le SES et le CTS2 détiennent un taux de concordance élevé à 76,8 %. Par contre, dans le cadre de cette étude, le CTS2 a su détecter un plus grand nombre de cas de VSPI que le SES. Par ailleurs, les femmes qui ont rapporté des gestes de nature pornographique sont 12 à 20 fois plus susceptibles d'être victimes de violence sexuelle sévère sur les deux mesures. Les résultats sont discutés en lien avec les implications au niveau de la recherche et de l'intervention en maison d'hébergement. ______________________________________________________________________________ MOTS-CLÉS DE L’AUTEUR : violence entre partenaires intimes, violence sexuelle, SES, CTS2, pornographie, relations sexuelles forcées avec autrui.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo central compreender como as expressões de gênero de mulheres com experiências afetivo-sexuais com mulheres estão associadas aos cuidados dedicados ao corpo, realizados em prol da saúde. As informações foram coletadas a partir de pesquisa de campo realizada durante quatro meses em espaços de sociabilidade das integrantes do Tambores de Safo, grupo de percussão composto por mulheres feministas, lésbicas e bissexuais que se autodefinem negras, residentes no município de Fortaleza, estado do Ceará. O foco de observação da pesquisa recaiu na performatividade e dispositivos performáticos de gênero apresentados pelas participantes nos ensaios e exibições do grupo. Também foram realizadas entrevistas informais visando explorar bem como articular as noções de saúde e expressões de gênero das mulheres. As análises dos dados etnográficos revelou a importância da ambiência dos espaços de circulação na organização dos arranjos estéticos do grupo. Refletiu-se acerca das coisas que compunham tais arranjos e que funcionaram em campo como dispositivos performáticos de gênero: os cabelos (dreadlock/black) e os objetos (alfaia e xequerê). Os usos do corpo na circulação pelos espaços, na interação com os sujeitos, na aprendizagem das performances do batucar possibilitaram à pesquisadora o conhecimento das corporalidades das mulheres do grupo, bem como das maneiras pelas quais as participantes davam a ver seus corpos e a compreensão das errâncias de gênero resultantes do estabelecimento de certos tipos de performances como estratégia protetiva para manutenção de uma vida menos afetada pela discriminação e mais saudável. / The main objective of this work is to better understand how the gender expressions of women who have affective and sexual experiences with women are related to bodily self-care in order to promote health.The data was collected during a four-month field research with a percussion group called Tambores de Safo composed of black feminist women, lesbians and bisexuals and from Fortaleza in Ceará State. The focus of the observation was the performativity and gender performance related devices used by the group participants in their rehearsals and presentations. Moreover, informal interviews were performed to explore and make links related to health believes and womens expression of gender. The analyses of the ethnographic data revealed the importance of the ambience of the social places often visited by the group for the organization of their esthetic compositions. The researcher reflects about things that composed those esthetic arrangements and that served as performance related devices such as the hairstyle (dreadlock/black) and instruments (alfaia drum and shekere rattle). Experiencing the body usage in their social places, in the interaction with the group and percussion learning sessions enabled the researcher to find out more about the corporealities of the group members. This also allowed the researcher to observe how they presented their bodies and to understand the recurrent gender changes resulting from the establishment of certain types of performances aimed at the management of a less affected by discrimination and more healthier life.

Fundação Carlos Chagas Filho de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado do Rio de Janeiro / O presente trabalho teve como objetivo central compreender como as expressões de gênero de mulheres com experiências afetivo-sexuais com mulheres estão associadas aos cuidados dedicados ao corpo, realizados em prol da saúde. As informações foram coletadas a partir de pesquisa de campo realizada durante quatro meses em espaços de sociabilidade das integrantes do Tambores de Safo, grupo de percussão composto por mulheres feministas, lésbicas e bissexuais que se autodefinem negras, residentes no município de Fortaleza, estado do Ceará. O foco de observação da pesquisa recaiu na performatividade e dispositivos performáticos de gênero apresentados pelas participantes nos ensaios e exibições do grupo. Também foram realizadas entrevistas informais visando explorar bem como articular as noções de saúde e expressões de gênero das mulheres. As análises dos dados etnográficos revelou a importância da ambiência dos espaços de circulação na organização dos arranjos estéticos do grupo. Refletiu-se acerca das coisas que compunham tais arranjos e que funcionaram em campo como dispositivos performáticos de gênero: os cabelos (dreadlock/black) e os objetos (alfaia e xequerê). Os usos do corpo na circulação pelos espaços, na interação com os sujeitos, na aprendizagem das performances do batucar possibilitaram à pesquisadora o conhecimento das corporalidades das mulheres do grupo, bem como das maneiras pelas quais as participantes davam a ver seus corpos e a compreensão das errâncias de gênero resultantes do estabelecimento de certos tipos de performances como estratégia protetiva para manutenção de uma vida menos afetada pela discriminação e mais saudável. / The main objective of this work is to better understand how the gender expressions of women who have affective and sexual experiences with women are related to bodily self-care in order to promote health.The data was collected during a four-month field research with a percussion group called Tambores de Safo composed of black feminist women, lesbians and bisexuals and from Fortaleza in Ceará State. The focus of the observation was the performativity and gender performance related devices used by the group participants in their rehearsals and presentations. Moreover, informal interviews were performed to explore and make links related to health believes and womens expression of gender. The analyses of the ethnographic data revealed the importance of the ambience of the social places often visited by the group for the organization of their esthetic compositions. The researcher reflects about things that composed those esthetic arrangements and that served as performance related devices such as the hairstyle (dreadlock/black) and instruments (alfaia drum and shekere rattle). Experiencing the body usage in their social places, in the interaction with the group and percussion learning sessions enabled the researcher to find out more about the corporealities of the group members. This also allowed the researcher to observe how they presented their bodies and to understand the recurrent gender changes resulting from the establishment of certain types of performances aimed at the management of a less affected by discrimination and more healthier life.

Studien undersöker fenomenet: upplevelser av läkande sexuella möten efter negativa sexuella erfarenheter. Syftet är att undersöka hur personer med tidigare negativa sexuella erfarenheter kan uppleva sexuella möten med andra som läkande samt hur det kan främja den sexuella hälsan. Fokus ligger på hur sexuella möten med andra kan upplevas, beskrivas och förstås som läkande. Ett underliggande syfte är att förmedla hopp till dem som kanske har förlorat hoppet om njutningsfulla sexuella möten med andra. Kunskap kring detta kan även komma att bidra till utvecklingen av hälsofrämjande arbete gällande sexuell hälsa hos personer med negativa sexuella erfarenheter. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis användes som kvalitativ metod och fem intervjuer med personer som upplevt läkande sexuella möten genomfördes. Samtliga identifierade sig som kvinnor varav tre som bisexuella, en som heterosexuell och en som heterosexuell men attraheras av människor. Teorier för att begripliggöra fenomenet var Existentiella perspektiv, Social Baseline Theory samt Teorier om att omforma kroppsminnen. Tidigare relevant forskning var inom områden Sexuell läkning efter trauma, Social smärta och läkning samt Andra ingångar till upplevelser av läkande sexuella möten. Huvudteman som framkom var Ingen press! – första steget till läkning, Från olust till lust, Upplevelser av läkande sexuella möten samt Skillnaden mellan då och nu. Sammanfattningen är att intervjupersonerna uppgav att de kunde läka från tidigare negativa sexuella erfarenheter med hjälp av sexuella möten med andra. Genom tillitsfulla relationer vågade de anta sexuella utmaningar som främjade deras sexuella hälsa och förmåga att njuta. I de sexuella mötena hjälpte den andra dem att reglera och hantera känslor som kom upp. De kunde då omforma negativa kroppsminnen på ett djupt motsägande sätt och nå upplevelser av läkning. Slutsatsen är att mer forskning om fenomenet upplevelser av läkande sexuella möten behövs. Det kan vara så att det några har skadat kan behövas andra för att läka. / The study examines the phenomenon: experiences of healing sexual encounters after negative sexual ordeals. The purpose is to investigate how people with previous negative sexual experiences can experience sexual encounters with others as healing and how it can promote sexual health. The focus is on how sexual encounters with others can be experienced, described and understood as healing. An underlying purpose is to convey hope to those who may have lost hope of enjoyable sexual encounters with others. Knowledge about this may also contribute to the development of health-promoting work regarding sexual health in people with negative sexual experiences. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was used as a qualitative method and five interviews with people who experienced healing sexual encounters were conducted. All of them identified as women of which three as bisexual, one as heterosexual and one as heterosexual but attracted to humans. Theories to understand the phenomenon were Existential Perspective, Social Baseline Theory and Theories of reshaping body memories. Previous relevant research was within areas of Sexual Healing After Trauma, Social Pain and Healing and Other Paths to Experiences of Healing Sexual Encounters. The main themes that emerged was No pressure! - the first step to healing, From no desire to desire, Experiences of healing sexual encounters and The difference between then and now. In summary the interviewees reported that they were able to heal from previous negative sexual experiences with the help of sexual encounters with others. Through trusting relationships, they dared to take on sexual challenges that promoted their sexual health and ability to enjoy sex. In the sexual encounters, the other helped them to regulate and deal with the emotions that arose. They could then reshape negative body memories in a deeply contradictory way and achieve experiences of healing. The conclusion is that more research on the phenomenon experiences of healing sexual encounters is needed. It is possible that what some have injured may require others to heal.