Women’s Sexual Pleasure and the Intimate Spaces of Heterosexual Sex in Cape Town, South Africa

Pascoe, Laura

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-60417-6_20

Cited by 3 publications

(2 citation statements)

References 42 publications

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“…Existing literature on white women’s heterosexual identities and pleasure in South Africa emphasize how women are taught to view their bodies and the erotic in negative ways. In her study, Pascoe (2018) interviewed heterosexual women from various racial, socioeconomic and religious backgrounds, and found that white and black women alike were taught that sex was not something to be talked about nor that it can be enjoyable. Instead, the risks and dangers associated with sexuality are foregrounded, further intensifying practices of self-surveillance amongst women (Tamale, 2014).…”

Section: Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Literature on female heterosexuality in South Africa has usually been located in the crucial areas of (hetero)sex and HIV risk (see Bhana and Pattman, 2011; Jewkes and Morrell, 2010; MacPhail and Campbell, 2001; Varga, 1997), reproductive health and teenage pregnancies (see Bhana et al, 2010; Jewkes et al, 2001; Jewkes et al, 2015; Morrell et al, 2012; Varga, 2003), and sexual and gender-based violence (see Boonzaier and De la Rey, 2003; Gqola, 2007; Moffett, 2006; Mphaphuli and Smuts, 2021) – often with disadvantaged and mostly black African women as research subjects. This article aims to take a step back from regarding female heterosexual identities in the context of risk and violence, by exploring sexual agency and pleasure instead, which have often been overlooked in the field of heterosexuality studies within African contexts (Marais, 2019; Pascoe, 2018).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Decently transgressing: expressions of female heterosexuality and the discourses of (hetero)sexual pleasure in South Africa

Smuts

2021

Sexualities

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This article explores sexual agency and pleasure among heterosexual women in South Africa. By focussing on Tupperware-style sex-toy parties, this article offers a glimpse into a ‘hidden’ world of white, middle-class women living in Johannesburg. What is revealed in this ethnographic account is that these gatherings promise women new ways of enjoying sex, while remaining within the boundaries of heteronormative notions of (hetero)sex. I use the term ‘decently transgressing’ to capture the ways in which the women in this study make sense of their (hetero)sexual selves and how they negotiate their (hetero)sexual agencies, particularly in relation to past and present heteronormative discourses within the South African context. The findings show that there are tensions between women wanting to embrace their own sexual agency and desires, yet at the same time being limited by certain heteronormative norms.

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Section: Frameworkmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Decently transgressing: expressions of female heterosexuality and the discourses of (hetero)sexual pleasure in South Africa

Smuts

2021

Sexualities

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Power relations and negotiations in contraceptive decision-making when husbands oppose family planning: analysis of ethnographic vignette couple data in Southwest Nigeria

Adanikin

McGrath

Padmadas

2019

Culture, Health & Sexuality

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Contraceptive use in Nigeria has remained low at less than 15% for over two decades. Although husbands' opposition is acknowledged as one of the factors impeding women's contraceptive use, little is known about how wives negotiate when their husbands oppose family planning. We address this research gap by conducting thematic analyses of qualitative data from 30 interviews of married couples. We employed thematic analysis to identify relevant themes from the transcribed data. The findings clearly demonstrate attitudes highlighting imbalance in power relations and contraceptive decision-making within marital relationships. By initially complying with the husband's wish as a 'sign of honour', and then making further attempts at convincing him about family planning use, a woman can achieve her contraceptive target; or through the involvement of a third party. Wives are less empowered to overtly use contraceptives when their husbands oppose family planning, however, there are accepted justifications for covert use. The findings underscore the need to strengthen family planning interventions to enable behavioural change among Nigerian men, promote gender and reproductive health rights, and empower women with better negotiation skills.

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Negotiating HIV and pregnancy prevention and sexual pleasure amongst heterosexual men and women in South Africa

Pascoe

2020

Culture, Health & Sexuality

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Women’s Sexual Pleasure and the Intimate Spaces of Heterosexual Sex in Cape Town, South Africa

Cited by 3 publications

References 42 publications

Decently transgressing: expressions of female heterosexuality and the discourses of (hetero)sexual pleasure in South Africa

Decently transgressing: expressions of female heterosexuality and the discourses of (hetero)sexual pleasure in South Africa

Power relations and negotiations in contraceptive decision-making when husbands oppose family planning: analysis of ethnographic vignette couple data in Southwest Nigeria

Negotiating HIV and pregnancy prevention and sexual pleasure amongst heterosexual men and women in South Africa

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