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Sex, Sexuality and Reproduction Membership
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Adultery
Until recently a rigid double standard existed regarding adultery. A single act of adultery by a woman was "an unpardonable breach of the law of property and the idea of hereditary decent" and discovery brought severe punishment. Acts of adultery committed by husbands were generally "regarded as a regrettable but understandable foible". (Lawrence Stone: The Road to Divorce: England 1530-1987, OUP 1990, p. 7) The proportion of women married for more than 5 years who have had extramarital sexual encounters is today virtually the same as that of men. The double standard still exists, but women no longer tolerate it. (Anthony Giddens: The Transformation of Intimacy, Polity 1992, p12) Generally men are more likely to have been unfaithful than women (22% and 13% respectively) - 4 million people in the UK in total. The Observer sex poll 2002 has more results. Because women no longer accept male sexual dominance and hypocrisy, both sexes must deal with the consequences of this new freedom. Personal life is now an open project, which can lead to fulfillment or anxiety. (Anthony Giddens: The Transformation of Intimacy, Polity 1992, p8). Sexuality is now a lifestyle choice. It is a feature of ones-self, a connecting point between a person's body, self-identity and social norms (p15). There are people who have rejected monogamy because they want other lovers and can be honest about it. Other people are becoming more comfortable with bi-sexual feelings. Freely chosen love based on trust, rather than tradition based on obligation and possession, informs how we relate, whom we marry, how we have sex, whether we raise children. However, the law and our working-life hasn't kept apace with these changes.
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