Female Bisexuality - Research Paper Example

?Running Head: FEMALE BISEXUALITY Female bisexuality: Scholarly versus popular media discussions Female bisexuality: Scholarly versus popular media discussions Scholarly Article Lisa M. Diamond conducted a ten year longitudinal study in which she explored the nature of female bisexuality and the identification of sexuality as it changed in affiliation and identification over time. The conceptualizations that were used to frame the study were as follows: 1. Bisexuality as a transitional stage: 2. Bisexuality as a third type of sexual orientation: and 3. Bisexuality as a heightened capacity for fluidity (Diamond, 2008, p. 7). The participants in the study were 79 non-heterosexual women between the ages of 18 and 25 who were interviewed in 1990, 1997, 2000, 2003, and 2005. The interviews were conducted face to face in various locations including the homes of the participants and the offices at the University of Utah. The participants were informed that they would be asked “that they would be asked about their prior and current sexual attractions, behaviors, and identification” (Diamond, 2008, p. 8). The results of the study found that 67% of the participants had redefined themselves in relationship to their sexuality at least once during the period of time that the interviews take place. Of the participants, 36% had changed their sexual identity more than once. The changes in sexual identity had no association to educational attainment or in the setting of the first interviews. Women who changed their identity during that time were more likely to have parents that had not divorced. Women who were either bisexual or listed themselves as no label were more likely to change their sexual identity but to the either bisexual or unlabeled rather than to either heterosexual or lesbian than those already identifying with one of those two designations. Of the participants, only one identified themselves as lesbian who had previously been bisexual in the beginning of the study period. Overall, the researcher concluded that the label of bisexual was more stable than not which was not the expected result of the work. Popular Media An article in the New York Times discussed the concept of attraction as it relates to women. According to the article women were not as stimulated by the sight of men without clothes as women. Sensuality is more relevant to sexual arousal than is gender. What women find erotic is not based on the male nude form but the sensuality of the subject matter. Scientists have discussed the nature of attraction for women and have connected it to bisexuality in women. Researcher Meredith Chivers states that for women who are heterosexual “looking at a naked man walking on the beach is about as exciting as looking at landscapes.” Proving this point, she showed participants in her study landscapes of the Himalayas and naked men doing yoga or tossing stones in the ocean. Both sets of footage had the same response, but women doing calisthenics in the nude increased blood flow at a significant rate. The discussion in the article sought to explain how bisexual behavior has become a more common experience in female interactions. Newman (2008) writes that “Dr. Chivers’ work adds to a growing body of scientific evidence that places female sexuality along a continuum between heterosexuality and homosexuality, rather than as an either-or phenomenon”. Josephine Decker who directed a documentary called “Bi the Way” about the frequency of bisexual behavior in women states that women are more fluid in their sexuality. In contrast, when men who were identifying themselves as bisexual were given the same type of test by Dr. Chivers it was determined that they were more attracted to naked men than women. This suggests that there is a distinct difference between the way in which women and men are aroused from a visual perspective and that the concept of bisexual activity is likely founded through different perspectives on arousal. Even though female bisexual behavior is a trend in popular culture, it is likely that it is founded in female states of arousal and where they are derived. Comparison Both of the articles that were surveyed in this paper were focused on the nature of bisexuality in women and the way in which identity and purpose of attraction is established. The research study by Diamond (2008) was developed more specifically about sexual identity with discussions about how the individual perceives their identity reviewed periodically to understand the changes in sexual identity over a ten year period from the time of young adulthood towards the age of thirty or so. The article in the New York Times was focused on the reasons that women are likely to become identified with being bisexual. Connecting the two articles is the idea that bisexuality in women and the sexual orientation of women is fluid because of the nature of arousal. The presentation of the information is clearly established in the article in the New York Times while the journal article is more difficult to comprehend because it is oriented with academic language. The article in the journal is specifically intended for those who have a broader understanding of scientific research with a series of pieces of information that are based upon quantified research. Without knowledge that allows for the audience to understand scientific research methods and results, it would be very difficult for the reader to come to an understanding of what the frequencies and statistical analysis means in relationship to the inquiry. The article for the New York Times is more clearly written so that most people reading the article would understand the intentions of the researcher and the results. The results are compared to popular culture trends, including the evidence of pop culture icons such as Madonna, Brittney Spears and Lindsay Lohan to frame the evidence of the study that is being discussed. The information is very similar, although the topic has a slight difference in its intention, but the availability of the information is very different. The accessibility of the information is framed through very familiar pop culture references that can help the individual who is reading it to establish a connection between the research and society. The academic journal article has the advantage of primary research results so that the reader sees the evidence in the quantified results. This type of results sections allows the reader to have clear evidence that can back up the information that is being presented. In the news article that type of information is not included and therefore the results are not clearly based on evidence that is presented. The article only reports that the evidence exists but does not expand that information to support the results. When looking for evidence to support the topic matter, the journal article is clearly a better resource over the article in the popular media. The article in the popular media, however, has overall higher accessibility for a broader audience. The journal is designed for academic purposes and the articles that it contains are intended to help other academics to support their further research and study of the issues that are contained within it. The popular media provides information that people can use in order to understand what is being researched and how this relates to life within modern society. The intention is not necessarily to provide research data so that work can be done based upon that information, but to report to the public information than can give context to phenomena that is happening around them. The lack of data in a popular culture form of reporting is one of the reasons that academic and peer reviewed journals are more important in the university setting. The information in an article is re-interpreted by the writer who may not have the same nuance of information that the researcher who originally wrote the study that is being reported will have at their disposal. A formal study of sex is required for anyone who is intending on coming to conclusions about sex based upon real information rather than merely reported information. Conclusion In reading both of these articles it becomes clear that academic study is a very different experience than reporting on academic research. It is a vital service to the public to report on academic studies so that broader levels of understanding can be gained from the efforts of researchers. Students, however, should focus their research on peer reviewed articles in which they find data that supports theory. Without adequate data the information is secondary and is not clearly expressed in order for quoting the information in a research paper. As in the example of the work done by Dr. Chivers, researching and finding her original article would be a better way in which to approach including her work in a research paper than merely using a report by a news reporter about what the researcher had accomplished. News reporting is intended to be interpretations about what is observed and discovered. An interpretation of a study may make conclusions that are somewhat exaggerated rather than in context with the actual figures that are presented. Understanding the exact results can provide for a different perspective by the reader than that which an interpretation that is intended for entertainment value will provide. News is informative, but is also subject to needing readership that comes from having enough sensationalism in order to support the needed revenue that comes from having a large subscribership. This means that the angle from which the reporter supports their allegations and claims is not based solely on the evidence, but on the interpretation of the evidence in order to present an interesting story. It is clear that for the general public a media report will have the best information so that the it is clear and accessible with journal articles having the best information for academic study. References Diamond, L. M. (2008). Female bisexuality from adolescence to adulthood: Results from a 10 year longitudinal study. Developmental Psychology. 44 (1), 5-14. Newman, A. (12 June 2008). What women want (maybe). New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/12/fashion/12bisex.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0 Read More