Andrew Stine
Sex in America
Week 3
1/30 Lecture
Submit book choice for review by Feb 3 - CH 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Response Paper 1 Prompt - Posted Feb 22
Response Paper 1 - Due Feb 25
Chapter 2 – Sexual Cultures and Encounters in the New World
- What cultural biases or perspectives led European settlers to see indigenous individuals
as sinful aberrations of acceptable moral behavior?
- What behaviors or social practices were cited as examples of the indigenous peoples’
moral corruption?
- How did Europeans attempt to correct and control these behaviors?
- How do members of the indigenous communities respond?
White supremacy
- Europeans looked for a “scientific” ‘explanation of human differences for thousands of
years. Human hierarchy - How do Native Americans fit into that hierarchy?
- In the late 15th century, Europeans discovered the Americas and discovered natives -
Europeans believed human society progresses in a linear fashion (Human societies
develop on a linear track - hunter-gatherers>growth>change>progress - Became more
civilized) Europeans fought a lack of progress in Native American culture - Natives were
less civilized, savages.
- Europeans didn’t find anything civilized to European standards.
- Europeans had a right and a duty to take charge of the land.
- As Christians, they had an obligation to spread Christ and save the savages from hell.
Women
- In the Catholic/Christian church, Women were given a secondary position to men.
- Biblical evidence that men used to control women in society.
- The catholic church is patriarchial and authoritarian - Resists change - inequality between
men and women.
Marriage
- Ancient Greeks used marriage as a transactional deals
- 8th century - marriage becomes a sacrament in the catholic church
- Polygamy to monogamy change - Sacred practice/union - Breaking that union/divorce
became difficult.
- Women are still considered property.
Bias/European perspective
- Inaccurate interpretations and only one perspective - What they wrote down was filtered
by their own cultural lens- what did they NOT write down and what had been
misrepresented?
A brief and true report of the newfound land of Virginia - BOOK
Martalineal
- In native society, the family line went through the women - More fluidity with gender and
sex.
The Three C’s
- Convert: Convert native Americans to Catholicism
- Civilize: Teach Native Americans how to live “correctly” and make them into tax-paying
citizens of the Spanish empire.
- Colonize: To establish settlements and control the frontier.
Doc 4/Essay 2 - Violence/ sexual violence as a form of punishment and control
French
- Explorers to find the Northwest Passage - The waterway through the Americas to get to
the Pacific Ocean - Couldnt find the passage - Found Fur
- Natives completely controlled the fur trade network - The French were there to trade furs
and get rich - they depended on the natives - Maintain better relationships - Adaptive.
Doc 2/Essay 3 - French and Native American relations
Doc ½ - Native American customs
Doc 3 - Priest on male relations
