Biological factors / Choice / Environment Demographics / History Gender role / Gender identity Human sexual behavior / Animal sexuality Critiques of sexual behavior Gay rights / Laws / Same-sex marriage Homophobia / Biphobia / Psychology Medical science / Gay community Two-Spirit / Violence against LGBT people History of the Gay Community Christianity / ...

Including:

• Bisexuality - Description
• Bisexuality - Bisexuality in history
• Bisexuality - Ancient Greece
• Bisexuality - Middle Eastern cultures
• Bisexuality - Modern Western prevalence of bisexuality
• Bisexuality - Social status of bisexuality
• Bisexuality - Terminology
• Bisexuality - Bisexuality in modern Western entertainment
• Bisexuality - Bisexuality in animals

Read more here: » Bisexuality: Encyclopedia - Bisexuality

Marriage is a relationship between individuals which has formed the foundation of the family for most societies. Marriage can include legal, social, and religious elements. In western societies, marriage has traditionally been understood as social contract between a man (husband) and a woman (wife), while in other parts of the world polygamy has been the most common form of marriage, usually in the form of polygyny (a man taking several wives) but occasionally in the form of polyandry (a woman taking several husbands). In some western ...

Including:

• Marriage - Definitions
• Marriage - Types of marriages
• Marriage - Western world
• Marriage - Eastern world
• Marriage - Polygamy monogamy and polyandry
• Marriage - Traditional cultures
• Marriage - Marriage today in Belgium The Netherlands Canada Spain
• Marriage - Unique Practices
• Marriage - Recognition
• Marriage - Rights and obligations
• Marriage - Marriage restrictions
• Marriage - Termination
• Marriage - Weddings
• Marriage - Marriage and religion
• Marriage - Marriage and economics
• Marriage - Criticisms of marriage
• Marriage - Pragmatic marriage
• Marriage - Romantic Marriage Vs. Pragmatic Marriage

Read more here: » Marriage: Encyclopedia - Marriage

The term polygamy (literally many marriages in late Greek) is used in related ways in social anthropology and sociobiology. In social anthropology, polygamy is the practice of marriage to more than one spouse simultaneously (as opposed to monogamy where each person has only one spouse at a time). Like monogamy, the term is often used in a de facto sense, applying regardless of whether the relationships are recognised by the state (see marriage for a discussion on the extent to which states can and do recognise poten ...

Including:

• Polygamy - Forms of polygamy
• Polygamy - Related terms
• Polygamy - Bigamy
• Polygamy - Trigamy
• Polygamy - Polyamory
• Polygamy - Poly relationship
• Polygamy - Polygamy worldwide
• Polygamy - Patterns of occurrence
• Polygamy - Polygamy and religion
• Polygamy - Legal situation
• Polygamy - Multiple divorce and marriage for polygamy
• Polygamy - Recent polygamy cases
• Polygamy - Current proponents and opponents
• Polygamy - How polygamists find more spouses
• Polygamy - Mormon fundamentalists - aggregate in communities
• Polygamy - Muslims & traditionalist cultures
• Polygamy - On the Internet - polygamy personals
• Polygamy - Polygamy in fiction
• Polygamy - Bibliography

Read more here: » Polygamy: Encyclopedia - Polygamy

Promiscuity is the practice of making relatively unselective, casual and indiscriminate choices. The term is most commonly applied to sexual behavior, where it refers to sex that is not in the framework of a steady sexual relationship, or occurs in multiple, simultaneous sexual relationships. A promiscuous person may nevertheless be quite selective in their choice of sexual partners. A common concern about promiscuity is the potential to run a higher risk of contracting sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) including HIV ...

Including:

• Promiscuity - Dark room
• Promiscuity - Brothels

Read more here: » Promiscuity: Encyclopedia - Promiscuity

A "dark room" in a bar, etc., takes the promiscuity somewhat further, because the darkness hardly (or not at all) allows selection of a "partner" based on visual appearance and thus on visual aspects of sexual attraction. It complicates practicing safer sex, and if people enter dressed, is also a risk regarding pickpocketing. However, for some people the lack of visual perception has a special charm, allowing one to concentrate more on other senses; it may also provide better opportunities because visual aspects that otherwise form a barrier, including tho ...

See also:

Promiscuity, Promiscuity - Dark room, Promiscuity - Brothels

Read more here: » Promiscuity: Encyclopedia II - Promiscuity - Dark room

Human beings rarely give all possible values for a given parameter the same value, though not all people agree on the values or relative rankings. Examples of differences which may be given different values in different societies include darker/lighter skin color or thinness/fatness. Local valuation may affect social standing, reproductive opportunities, or even survival. Possession of above average amounts of some abilities is valued by m ...

See also:

Human variability, Human variability - Sources of human variability, Human variability - Social significance and valuation of human variability, Human variability - Common human variations

Read more here: » Human variability: Encyclopedia II - Human variability - Social significance and valuation of human variability

The practice of restricting sexual contact to a single partner (married or not) for a limited period of time, ending that relationship before beginning another (though in practice there may be a brief overlapping time-period) is referred to as serial monogamy (as opposed to polyamory, swinging, etc.). Historically, monogamy was much less practised than polygamy (specifically polygyny). Mostly because of European expansion, monoga ...

See also:

Monogamy, Monogamy - Human monogamy, Monogamy - Monogamy in the animal world

Read more here: » Monogamy: Encyclopedia II - Monogamy - Human monogamy

According to the Ethnographic Atlas Codebook derived from George P. Murdock’s Ethnographic Atlas recorded the marital composition of 1231 societies, from 1960-1980. Of these societies, 186 societies were monogamous. 453 had occasional polygyny, 588 had more frequent polygyny, and 4 had polyandry. Polygamy - Patterns of occurrence. At the same time, even within societies which allow polygyny, the actual practice of polygyny often occurs only rarely. To take on more than one wife often requir ...

See also:

Polygamy, Polygamy - Forms of polygamy, Polygamy - Related terms, Polygamy - Bigamy, Polygamy - Trigamy, Polygamy - Polyamory, Polygamy - Poly relationship, Polygamy - Polygamy worldwide, Polygamy - Patterns of occurrence, Polygamy - Polygamy and religion, Polygamy - Legal situation, Polygamy - Multiple divorce and marriage for polygamy, Polygamy - Recent polygamy cases, Polygamy - Current proponents and opponents, Polygamy - How polygamists find more spouses, Polygamy - Mormon fundamentalists - aggregate in communities, Polygamy - Muslims & traditionalist cultures, Polygamy - On the Internet - polygamy personals, Polygamy - Polygamy in fiction, Polygamy - Bibliography

Read more here: » Polygamy: Encyclopedia II - Polygamy - Polygamy worldwide

Historical and literary records from most literate societies indicate that male bisexuality was common and indeed expected. These relationships were generally age-structured (as in the practice of pederasty in the Mediterranean Basin of antiquity, or the practice of shudo in pre-modern Japan) or gender-structured (as in the Two-Spirit North American tradition or the Central Asian bacchá practices). Male heterosexuality and homosexuality, while also documented, appear mostly as exceptions, unless we are examining cultures influenced by the A ...

See also:

Bisexuality, Bisexuality - Description, Bisexuality - Bisexuality in history, Bisexuality - Ancient Greece, Bisexuality - Middle Eastern cultures, Bisexuality - Modern Western prevalence of bisexuality, Bisexuality - Social status of bisexuality, Bisexuality - Terminology, Bisexuality - Bisexuality in modern Western entertainment, Bisexuality - Bisexuality in animals

Read more here: » Bisexuality: Encyclopedia II - Bisexuality - Bisexuality in history

Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures: modern understanding emphasizes the legitimacy of sexual relations in marriage, yet the universal and unique attribute of marriage is the creation of affinal ties (in-laws). Traditionally, societies encourage one to marry "out" far enough to strengthen the ties, but "close" enough so that the in-laws are "one of us" or "our kind". One exception to this rule is found in the marriage of royalty, who strengthen their aid through concentration of wealth rather than thr ...

See also:

Marriage, Marriage - Definitions, Marriage - Recognition, Marriage - Types of marriages, Marriage - Western world, Marriage - Eastern world, Marriage - Polygamy monogamy and polyandry, Marriage - Forced marriages, Marriage - Unique practices, Marriage - Marriage restrictions, Marriage - Weddings, Marriage - Termination, Marriage - Rights and obligations relating to marriage, Marriage - Marriage and religion, Marriage - Marriage and economics, Marriage - Romantic marriage and pragmatic marriage, Marriage - Pragmatic marriage, Marriage - Pragmatic marriage contrasted to romantic marriage, Marriage - Same-sex marriage, Marriage - Introduction, Marriage - Jurisdictions accepting same-sex marriage, Marriage - Controversy, Marriage - Criticisms of the institution of marriage

Read more here: » Marriage: Encyclopedia II - Marriage - Definitions

Precise definitions vary historically and between and within cultures: modern understanding emphasizes the legitimacy of sexual relations in marriage, yet the universal and unique attribute of marriage is the creation of affinal ties (in-laws). Traditionally, societies encourage one to marry "out" far enough to strengthen the ties, but "close" enough so that the in-laws are "one of us" or "our kind". One exception to this rule is found in the marriage of royalty, who strengthen their aid through concentration of wealth rather than thr ...

See also:

Marriage, Marriage - Definitions, Marriage - Types of marriages, Marriage - Western world, Marriage - Eastern world, Marriage - Polygamy monogamy and polyandry, Marriage - Traditional cultures, Marriage - Marriage today in Belgium The Netherlands Canada Spain, Marriage - Unique Practices, Marriage - Recognition, Marriage - Rights and obligations, Marriage - Marriage restrictions, Marriage - Termination, Marriage - Weddings, Marriage - Marriage and religion, Marriage - Marriage and economics, Marriage - Criticisms of marriage, Marriage - Pragmatic marriage, Marriage - Romantic Marriage Vs. Pragmatic Marriage

Read more here: » Marriage: Encyclopedia II - Marriage - Definitions

The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia. A revolution has taken place and the United States has become a dystopia. The Constitution has been abrogated, and a new order has been established: the Republic of Gilead. The Republic of Gilead is ruled through biblical propaganda and rigid enforcement of social roles. Most citizens have been stripped of their freedoms. All religions, except the official state religion, have been suppressed. Those who do not conform to the new societal norms are pressed into service as maids and ...

See also:

The Handmaid's Tale, The Handmaid's Tale - Themes, The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women in pre-Gileadian society, The Handmaid's Tale - Social regulation of human sexuality, The Handmaid's Tale - Sumptuary laws, The Handmaid's Tale - Plot, The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique, The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references, The Handmaid's Tale - References in social science

Read more here: » The Handmaid's Tale: Encyclopedia II - The Handmaid's Tale - Themes

Studies have shown that human sexual behavior does not generally fit neatly within structures imposed by societies or religions, with masturbation being almost universal, and pre-marital sex, serial monogamy, adultery and homosexual and bisexual behavior being far more common than these societies are willing to acknowledge. There is much hypocrisy about sexual behavior in all directions. As an example, societies which aggressively regulate sexual behavior tend to have high levels of hidden child sexual abuse, the public discussion of which is taboo in polite society. For example, this behavior has been documented in Pakistan ...

See also:

Sexual norm, Sexual norm - Overview, Sexual norm - Traditional Attitudes, Sexual norm - Trends in Western Society

Read more here: » Sexual norm: Encyclopedia II - Sexual norm - Overview

A "dark room" in a bar, etc., takes the promiscuity somewhat further, because the darkness partly (or totally) prevents selection of a "partner" based on visual appearance and thus on visual aspects of sexual attraction. It complicates practicing safer sex, and if people enter dressed, is also a risk regarding pickpocketing. However, for some people the lack of visual perception gives a special kind of pleasure, allowing them to concentrate more on other senses; it may also provide better opportunities for some, because visual aspects that otherwise form a barrier, including tho ...

See also:

Promiscuity, Promiscuity - Dark room, Promiscuity - Brothels

Read more here: » Promiscuity: Encyclopedia II - Promiscuity - Dark room

These countries have the particular possibility that same-sex couples as well as opposite sex couples may engage in marriage. Although same-sex unions have been recorded in the history of a number of cultures, marriages between same-sex partners were rare or nonexistent in other cultures. Same-sex marriage remains infrequent worldwide, especially as it is not offered in most countries. However, some countries recognize same-sex marriage, including the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, and Spain; in the United States same-sex marriage is l ...

See also:

Marriage, Marriage - Definitions, Marriage - Types of marriages, Marriage - Western world, Marriage - Eastern world, Marriage - Polygamy, monogamy, and polyandry, Marriage - Traditional cultures, Marriage - Marriage today in Belgium, The Netherlands, Canada, Spain, Marriage - Unique Practices, Marriage - Recognition, Marriage - Rights and obligations, Marriage - Marriage restrictions, Marriage - Termination, Marriage - Weddings, Marriage - Marriage and religion, Marriage - Marriage and economics, Marriage - Criticisms of marriage, Marriage - Pragmatic marriage, Marriage - Romantic Marriage Vs. Pragmatic Marriage

Read more here: » Marriage: Encyclopedia II - Marriage - Marriage today in Belgium, The Netherlands, Canada, Spain

The primary biblical reference in The Handmaid's Tale is to the story of Rachel and Leah (Genesis 29:31–35; 30:1–24). While Leah was fertile and was blessed by God, Rachel was barren, meaning she could not have children. Rachel proceeds to compete in producing sons for her husband, by using her handmaids as property. Rachel takes immediate possession of the children produced by her handmaids. In the context of Atwood's book, the story is one ...

See also:

The Handmaid's Tale, The Handmaid's Tale - Themes, The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women in pre-Gileadian society, The Handmaid's Tale - Social regulation of human sexuality, The Handmaid's Tale - Sumptuary laws, The Handmaid's Tale - Plot, The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique, The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references, The Handmaid's Tale - References in social science

Read more here: » The Handmaid's Tale: Encyclopedia II - The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references

Atwood's tale presents a number of social critiques. It presents a dystopic vision of American society in the period 1970–1985, particularly in the period of backlash against feminism. This critique is most clearly seen in both Offred's remembrance of the slow social transformation towards theocratic fascism, and in the ideology of the Aunts. Atwood also presents a critique of modern fundamentalist religious movements, including American fundamentalist Baptist Christianity, and Iranian fundamentalist Islam. In the American ca ...

See also:

The Handmaid's Tale, The Handmaid's Tale - Themes, The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women in pre-Gileadian society, The Handmaid's Tale - Social regulation of human sexuality, The Handmaid's Tale - Sumptuary laws, The Handmaid's Tale - Plot, The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique, The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references, The Handmaid's Tale - References in social science

Read more here: » The Handmaid's Tale: Encyclopedia II - The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique

The story is told from the perspective of Offred, a Handmaid. "Offred" is the patronymic which describes her function in the Republic of Gilead; Offred belongs to, or is "of" her Commander, Fred. It is not revealed whether Offred has a "real" name, or whether she has a surname. In fact none of the characters in the novel are identified as having surnames, enhancing the other-worldly quality of the story. Based on certain clues which may have been left by Atwood, some believe that Offred's real name is June (eg. at the beginning of the story ...

See also:

The Handmaid's Tale, The Handmaid's Tale - Themes, The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women in pre-Gileadian society, The Handmaid's Tale - Social regulation of human sexuality, The Handmaid's Tale - Sumptuary laws, The Handmaid's Tale - Plot, The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique, The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references, The Handmaid's Tale - References in social science

Read more here: » The Handmaid's Tale: Encyclopedia II - The Handmaid's Tale - Plot

A 1990 film adaptation of the novel was directed by Volker Schlöndorff. It starred Natasha Richardson (Offred), Faye Dunaway (Serena Joy), Robert Duvall (The Commander, Fred), Aidan Quinn (Nick), and Elizabeth McGovern (Moira). A straight stage adaptation by Brendon Burns was toured by the Haymarket Theatre, Basingstoke, UK in 2002. There is also an opera, written by Poul Ruders, which will premiere in 2009. imdb page ...

See also:

The Handmaid's Tale, The Handmaid's Tale - Themes, The Handmaid's Tale - Dystopia, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women, The Handmaid's Tale - Subjugation of women in pre-Gileadian society, The Handmaid's Tale - Social regulation of human sexuality, The Handmaid's Tale - Sumptuary laws, The Handmaid's Tale - Plot, The Handmaid's Tale - Social critique, The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation, The Handmaid's Tale - Biblical references, The Handmaid's Tale - References in social science

Read more here: » The Handmaid's Tale: Encyclopedia II - The Handmaid's Tale - Film stage and musical adaptation

Marriage - Pragmatic marriage. A Pragmatic (or 'Arranged') marriage that is facilitated by formal procedures of family or group politics. A responsible authority sets up or encourages the marriage. The authority could be parents, family, a religious figure or a consensus. The former two often start the process with informal pressure, social pressure, whilst the latter two often start the process with a formal system or statement. In both cases, the authority has a compelling veto over the marriage, and this syste ...

See also:

Marriage, Marriage - Definitions, Marriage - Recognition, Marriage - Types of marriages, Marriage - Western world, Marriage - Eastern world, Marriage - Polygamy monogamy and polyandry, Marriage - Forced marriages, Marriage - Unique practices, Marriage - Marriage restrictions, Marriage - Weddings, Marriage - Termination, Marriage - Rights and obligations relating to marriage, Marriage - Marriage and religion, Marriage - Marriage and economics, Marriage - Romantic marriage and pragmatic marriage, Marriage - Pragmatic marriage, Marriage - Pragmatic marriage contrasted to romantic marriage, Marriage - Same-sex marriage, Marriage - Introduction, Marriage - Jurisdictions accepting same-sex marriage, Marriage - Controversy, Marriage - Criticisms of the institution of marriage

Read more here: » Marriage: Encyclopedia II - Marriage - Romantic marriage and pragmatic marriage