Discussion Ideas

Chapter 21


Human Sexuality: The Effects of Mass Media

A debate has gone on for years about whether or not images young people see on television or in magazines influence them to "look sexy," "act sexy," or otherwise think it's necessary for them to engage in sex. Children aged 10-12 are sexually active in many cases. Discuss this topic with your students.

Ask them what sorts of images they get of young people and their sexuality on the television. In magazines? Do/did they or their friends feel pressured to have intercourse at a young age? How old were their peers when they began to be sexually active? How old do your students think a person should be before becoming sexually active? And, is abstinence a viable choice? Why or why not?

Evolution of Large Breasts

Most mammals, other that humans and our artificially selected stock animals, have relatively small breasts when not nursing their young. Their breasts swell with milk for the duration of nursing, and then shrink back to their near-normal size afterwards. Humans, however, have noticeable breasts all the time, which also increase in size during nursing.

Why would nature cause the evolution of larger breasts (mammary glands) in human women? Why would this be adaptive? Hint to your students: Think about the early humans, who were short of stature, muscular, hairy, but walked upright. Is it possible that this is one way they could recognize potential mates at a distance?

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