Introduction
Global changes in people’s sexual behavior, called the “sexual revolution,” have been taking place in the world since the middle of the last century. In a number of countries, this process continues to the present day. The essence of the “sexual revolution” is a radical breakdown of traditional norms, restrictions, and prohibitions in the field of sexual relations. Giddens argued that the impact globalization has on the most intimate and personal areas of people’s lives is no less, if not even more significant, than its impact on the economic, political, and ideological spheres of society (Giddens as cited in Stumbler et al., 2018). In turn, the sexual revolution, which changed the relationship between the sexes, requires significant changes in the interpretation of many political, social, pedagogical, and legal views that have existed for a long time regulating relations – sex, love, and intimacy.
Main body
Human sexuality, not reducible to the sexual instinct, has existed at all times. “Liberation” only allowed it to more clearly manifest its multifaceted nature, in which researchers see such aspects as “intimacy, eroticism, sensuality (psycho-emotionalness), the physicality of the individual” (Taormino et al., 2013). Sexuality, as a person’s vitality modulated by sexual attraction, manifests itself in a wide range of forms of intimate relationships and erotic-emotional behavior, which allows speaking of it as a socio-humanitarian transformed human sexual nature (Taormino et al., 2013). The main feature of the so-called plastic, or liberated, sexuality, which has lost its former strong connection with procreation and has spread throughout the world in recent decades, is an unprecedented variety and individualization of forms of sexual self-expression (Stombler et al., 2018). This forces scientists to talk about human sexuality not in the singular, but in the plural and encourages them to consider it not globally, but in specific socio-cultural and personal contexts.
Sexuality is no longer something natural and given in its normality and definiteness of goals. It ceases to be an instinct and becomes a personal characteristic, consciously formed and inherently connected with the “Self-concept” of a person, with his/her self and identity. In 2016, Spa Finder published a large survey of trends in sexual wellbeing (Johnston, 2019). It noted that the wellness industry up to this point included all possible aspects: physical and mental health, spirituality, comfort in the workplace, but completely excluded the issue of sex. The authors claimed 2016 as the year when sex in the public mind finally became part of self-care (Johnston, 2019). Six futurists predict that by 2028, more than 25% of young people will have long-distance sex using gadgets, and by 2045, one in 10 will have an intimate experience with an AI-powered sex doll (Johnston, 2019). In addition, it is important to note that the widespread of homosexual contacts, which arose as a result of the transformation of society’s ideas about sexuality, was the reason for changes in the regulatory documents of many countries.
Significant changes have occurred in public perception of the sex industry. Although the stigma that the profession carries, sometimes makes life difficult for sex workers. Many of the sex workers have previously worked or continue to work in health care, welfare, education, or charities (Fox, 2018). These workers themselves note that intimacy and tactile contact is a natural, biological way to feel good.
Conclusion
In this context, the need for constant sociological research of the changes that occur in the sexual culture of various socio-demographic communities is obvious. Here a huge layer of little-studied issues lies, that are interesting for sociological theorizing and empirical measurement. This implies the study of intimacy in ontogenesis and its transformation in the form of socio-cultural norms, rules, and customs. It is also of interest to study the consequences and prerequisites of shifting the boundaries of the intimate, internal and external, de-intimated, the study of the manifestation of intimacy in the public area.
References
Fox, F. (2018). A sex worker perspective. Porn Studies, 5(2), 197-199.
Johnston, C. M. (2019). On the evolution of intimacy: A brief exploration into the past, present, and future of gender and love. ICD Press.
Stombler, M., Baunach, D., Burgess, E., Simonds, W., Windsor, E. (2018). Sex matters: The sexuality and society reader. W. W. Norton & Company.
Taormino, T., Shimizu, C., Penley, C., Miller-Young, M. (2013). The feminist porn book: The politics of producing pleasure. The Feminist Press at CUNY.