Media Influence On Virginity And Non-Hispanic Culture

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Virginity is a social concept that varies with the individual. It is typically defined as the act of penile-vaginal intercourse and carries with it different importance based on ethnicity. Berger and Wenger’s study on the ideology of virginity emphasizes this societal view by stating that the participants considered full vaginal penetration as the loss of virginity (1973). In order to examine the contrasting views of virginity in America based on ethnicity, this research will focus on virginity and the importance of it based on Hispanic/Latinx and non-Hispanic culture. Given the impact of media and cultural norms, it is hypothesized that non-Hispanic cultures in America will have a more liberal view on virginity compared to Hispanic cultures, …show more content…

Media plays a big role in educating the youth of America and developing their idea of social norms. Popular films and shows such as American Pie and New Girl emphasize the new view of losing one’s virginity during college or before the age of 25 (Fortenbury, 2014). A study on media’s influence on virginity loss proves how influential media can be on virginity views by detailing the participants use of movies to describe or influence their own virginity loss (Carpenter, 2009). This outlook has resulted in the perception that virginity is not as important as it was in the past. New statistics show that “the average American loses his or her virginity at age 17” (Fortenbury, 2014). This has influenced American society to believe that virginity must be lost during teen years. An article by Megan Scudellari discusses a study by the Kinsey Institute for Research in Sex, Gender, and Reproduction in Indiana in which experience in sex is more appealing than virginity. Virgins in the …show more content…

It is a commit that is made both physically and mentally. It is more complex and difficult than a simple survey. The Sterk article made it aware how the topic should be viewed, how to find the sample, conduct the interview, and make connections between the different results gained. For instance, Sterk’s way of slowly gaining insight and information about the environment and people gave insight on how to approach the sample population. The topic of virginity can be a sensitive and controversial topic for certain individuals. When finding individuals to speak to, the sample will be taken from an area representative of that specific culture, much like Sterk searched within the New York City and Atlanta area in well-known public areas and known prostitution neighborhoods. This means getting involved in Hispanic events and approaching individuals that are comfortable enough to discuss the topic. Given the method Sterk used during the interviews, few structured questions will be employed in order to gain demographic information, in combination with open-ended questions that give insight and details about the views on virginity based on culture. The interview will be focused more on the conversation rather than the structured questions that are typical of surveys, in order to gain the most qualitative and representative view based on the

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