News and Commentary on Arab Women, Palestine, Cultural Politics, and Everything in Between
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Friday, February 09, 2007
Arabs and Sexual Satisfaction: Half and Half
The results of a first of its kind study on the sexual health of Arabs presented during a conference in Dubai show that half of Arab men and women are not happy with their sex life. (Arabic)
The amazing thing is that the other half is happy!!
the link worked for me, but unfortunately, I don't read Arabic.
I understand how someone fakes orgasm and gets away w/ it, but how do you fake foreplay and get away w/ it? I guess you don't!
ask non-arabs and we might hear the same stuff. it would be good to do some intesectional cultural analysis; it just shows how hetero sex has issues. just thought i'd get your readers going!
My understanding is that sex is conceived in the 1) US as an exchange of trade 2) much of the west as an exchange of gifts 3) more enlightened western societies as an exchange of art 4) in the Arab world as theft
Well, I guess the implication is...ooh, they don't have a proper sexual life, ooh now we understand, as we have always suspected, why they are violent. They want to get laid... huh ng
I agree that non Arabs have issues about sexuality (hetero and same sex). In posting about Arab debates about sexulaity I'm not implying that the rest of the world is doing great.
the implications of the study, of course, if these were to be called implications when a conclusion or a hypothesis predetermines the results. But, you also know the politics of the source where these results were published. ng
The study is conducted by an American company, that's true, but the results were presented at an Arab conference about sexuality under the auspices of the Arab League. So it's not being used to tarnish the reputation of the Arabs. The people who made the study do say that reluctance to deal with sexual issues is not an Arab issue only. Would you accept the results have they been conducted by an Arab survy company?
Yes, there is an orientalist, racist discourse that pathologizes Arab sexuality and uses it to "explain" The Arab. But does this mean that we as Arabs can't talk about problems relating to sexuality in our societies because of the fear how they will be used by Islamophobes? We do have sexual problems (like other people) and we need to talk about them now (not after we defeat imperialism because life is too short and unhappy individuals can't defeat anybody except themselves).
Lastly, the half and half results of the survey are actually positive. I doubt that you get 50% of Americans say that they are happy with their sex life. Oh my god, that will be a distaster for capitalism!
I trust you understand I have nothing against a public arab discourse on sexuality, etc. and that I do encourage that, but what I am afraid of is the way in which such study or its results might be used or manipulated to confirm prediscursive attitudes about "sex and the umma" in the Arab and Muslim world. I remember another study in the past which was done on laughter in the Arab and Muslim world which studied whether Arabs and Muslims laugh at all. I mean even though this is science or knowledge or whatever, it's preconceptions precede it... So, now, I cannot be totally positive about a study by an American company that wants to determine whether Arabs have enough sex, etc. Obviously, if the Arabs took the initiative in doing that, that would be better. Whenever Arabs take the initiative, it's better in my estimation... A+ ng
so what was the conclusion of that study? Do Arabs laugh?
of course I agree with your reservations. What vexes me is how to speak in this context. What stragies to use to subvert the racist discourse but without being defensive and apologetic or silent.
EXACTLY! That is the question and that's why we terribly need new theoretical approaches, a sort of "Arab negative dialectic," but it has to be articulated separately from the Frankfurt School. We need new formulations. Allah ma3ana! ng
13 comments:
seems like an interesting article, i would have liked to read it but the link did not work out for me!
the link worked for me, but unfortunately, I don't read Arabic.
I understand how someone fakes orgasm and gets away w/ it, but how do you fake foreplay and get away w/ it? I guess you don't!
ask non-arabs and we might hear the same stuff. it would be good to do some intesectional cultural analysis; it just shows how hetero sex has issues.
just thought i'd get your readers going!
All statistics are fals.
My understanding is that sex is conceived in the
1) US as an exchange of trade
2) much of the west as an exchange of gifts
3) more enlightened western societies as an exchange of art
4) in the Arab world as theft
Well, I guess the implication is...ooh, they don't have a proper sexual life, ooh now we understand, as we have always suspected, why they are violent. They want to get laid... huh
ng
hi ng,
the implication of the study or the comment (s)?
nayj,
I agree that non Arabs have issues about sexuality (hetero and same sex). In posting about Arab debates about sexulaity I'm not implying that the rest of the world is doing great.
the implications of the study, of course, if these were to be called implications when a conclusion or a hypothesis predetermines the results. But, you also know the politics of the source where these results were published.
ng
hamede,
there are margins of errors, and I think when it comes to sexuality surverys the margin is very large. But,yes, you are right to be suspicious.
hi ng,
The study is conducted by an American company, that's true, but the results were presented at an Arab conference about sexuality under the auspices of the Arab League. So it's not being used to tarnish the reputation of the Arabs. The people who made the study do say that reluctance to deal with sexual issues is not an Arab issue only. Would you accept the results have they been conducted by an Arab survy company?
Yes, there is an orientalist, racist discourse that pathologizes Arab sexuality and uses it to "explain" The Arab. But does this mean that we as Arabs can't talk about problems relating to sexuality in our societies because of the fear how they will be used by Islamophobes? We do have sexual problems (like other people) and we need to talk about them now (not after we defeat imperialism because life is too short and unhappy individuals can't defeat anybody except themselves).
Lastly, the half and half results of the survey are actually positive. I doubt that you get 50% of Americans say that they are happy with their sex life. Oh my god, that will be a distaster for capitalism!
I trust you understand I have nothing against a public arab discourse on sexuality, etc. and that I do encourage that, but what I am afraid of is the way in which such study or its results might be used or manipulated to confirm prediscursive attitudes about "sex and the umma" in the Arab and Muslim world. I remember another study in the past which was done on laughter in the Arab and Muslim world which studied whether Arabs and Muslims laugh at all. I mean even though this is science or knowledge or whatever, it's preconceptions precede it...
So, now, I cannot be totally positive about a study by an American company that wants to determine whether Arabs have enough sex, etc.
Obviously, if the Arabs took the initiative in doing that, that would be better. Whenever Arabs take the initiative, it's better in my estimation...
A+
ng
so what was the conclusion of that study? Do Arabs laugh?
of course I agree with your reservations. What vexes me is how to speak in this context. What stragies to use to subvert the racist discourse but without being defensive and apologetic or silent.
EXACTLY! That is the question and that's why we terribly need new theoretical approaches, a sort of "Arab negative dialectic," but it has to be articulated separately from the Frankfurt School. We need new formulations. Allah ma3ana!
ng
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