Papers by Christin Bowman
Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2013
With the present study, I explore the function, meaning, and empowerment potential of masturbatio... more With the present study, I explore the function, meaning, and empowerment potential of masturbation for 765 American women. The sample was somewhat diverse, but primarily young (79% under 30), White (75%), educated (85% with at least a bachelor’s degree), and heterosexual (67%). Participants completed an online anonymous survey that included endorsement of various attitudes toward masturbation, reasons for masturbating, and emotions following masturbation. Two split-half exploratory factor analyses (followed by confirmatory factor analyses) indicated that women’s reasons for masturbating clustered into five main reasons: (a) sexual pleasure, (b) to learn about or better understand their bodies, (c) as a release, (d) to substitute for partner sex, and (e) general sexual dissatisfaction. Women’s feelings regarding their masturbation fell into three clusters: (a) shame, (b) sexual empowerment, and (c) fear that one is acting selfishly. Most women in my study did not feel ashamed about m...
Psychology of Women Quarterly
Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theo... more Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theory suggest that it functions in the service of both protection from harm and enabling sexual pleasure. However, sexual agency can be difficult for women to navigate in a social landscape in which femininity ideologies remain powerful social forces, operating in racialized ways. We examined how embodiment, sexual desire, and entitlement to sexual pleasure were associated with sexual agency in the service of protection (i.e., condom use and refusing unwanted sex) and pleasure (i.e., asking for what one wants from a sexual partner) for Black and White heterosexual college women using path analysis and path invariance testing. We found that across race, women’s embodiment was associated with greater comfort with their sexual desire, which in turn was associated with greater entitlement to sexual pleasure and sexual agency in service of both pleasure and protection. While Black and White wome...
Journal of Adolescent Research, 2015
In this mixed-methods study, we adopted a feminist theoretical lens in conceptualizing gender as ... more In this mixed-methods study, we adopted a feminist theoretical lens in conceptualizing gender as hierarchical and complementary ideologies—femininity and masculinity—that are fundamental constituents of institutionalized heterosexuality as a way to understand the persistence of gender inequity in adolescents’ heterosexual relationships. In Study 1, we conducted separate analyses for girls and boys to evaluate whether masculinity ideology for boys and femininity ideology for girls account for boys’ endorsement of male coercion and for girls’ endorsement of feminine conventions in heterosexual relationships with a sample of 250 tenth-grade students ( n = 144 girls). Masculinity ideology proved to be as strong or stronger than femininity ideology in predicting these respective outcomes. In Study 2, we sought to understand this pattern through a thematically informed narrative analysis of interviews with 53 of the Study 1 participants ( n = 35 girls) on their beliefs about and experienc...
Bowmanthank you for making me one of your own. And the countless hours I spent writing at home we... more Bowmanthank you for making me one of your own. And the countless hours I spent writing at home were made infinitely more manageable by my sweet cats, José and Pedro. Finally, my friends, near and far, have cheered me on throughout this process. Thanks to Kristie Timber,
Council on Undergraduate Research Quarterly
The Palgrave Handbook of Sexuality Education, 2016
Children, Sexuality and Sexualization, 2015
In the US, psychological researchers have been at the forefront of establishing and contributing ... more In the US, psychological researchers have been at the forefront of establishing and contributing to a public discourse on sexualization that holds responsible the media and corporations for using sexualization for profit. A growing body of knowledge produced by psychologists asks a particular set of research questions: What are the negative effects of sexualization on girls and women? How can we understand girls’ and women’s ‘participation’ in sexualization practices while maintaining the perspective that external forces are ultimately responsible and should therefore be called out and redressed? In the US public discourse, sexualization is understood as perhaps an unfortunately simplistic word for two distinct phenomena: (1) the sexualization of culture, which is an intensified presence and infusion of often uncalled-for sexuality into products, media and norms; and (2) the sexualization of individuals, meaning both the process and the effects of living within this sexualized context particularly on girls and women. This includes how girls navigate these pervasive representations of women and girls as sexual objects and introduces the psychological phenomena of self-sexualization and overt resistance to sexualization and being sexualized. Consistent with much of mainstream psychology, the behaviour of girls and women in relation to sexualization is studied with the assumption that this process is a response to the cultural omnipresence of sexualized imagery.
APA handbook of sexuality and psychology, Vol. 1: Person-based approaches., 2014
Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2020
Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theo... more Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theory suggest that it functions in the service of both protection from harm and enabling sexual pleasure. However, sexual agency can be difficult for women to navigate in a social landscape in which femininity ideologies remain powerful social forces, operating in racialized ways. We examined how embodiment, sexual desire, and entitlement to sexual pleasure were associated with sexual agency in the service of protection (i.e., condom use and refusing unwanted sex) and pleasure (i.e., asking for what one wants from a sexual partner) for Black and White heterosexual college women using path analysis and path invariance testing. We found that across race, women’s embodiment was associated with greater comfort with their sexual desire, which in turn was associated with greater entitlement to sexual pleasure and sexual agency in service of both pleasure and protection. While Black and White women evidenced similar levels of both forms of agency, Black participants’ agency in the service of protection was unrelated to their entitlement to sexual pleasure. We discuss these findings in light of racialized discourses of women’s sexuality and the importance of understanding sexual desire as anchored in the body and enabling young women’s sexual agency.
Psychology of Women Quarterly, 2020
Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theo... more Sexual agency is a fundamental dimension of sexual subjectivity and well-being. Research and theory suggest that it functions in the service of both protection from harm and enabling sexual pleasure. However, sexual agency can be difficult for women to navigate in a social landscape in which femininity ideologies remain powerful social forces, operating in racialized ways. We examined how embodiment, sexual desire, and entitlement to sexual pleasure were associated with sexual agency in the service of protection (i.e., condom use and refusing unwanted sex) and pleasure (i.e., asking for what one wants from a sexual partner) for Black and White heterosexual college women using path analysis and path invariance testing. We found that across race, women’s embodiment was associated with greater comfort with their sexual desire, which in turn was associ-ated with greater entitlement to sexual pleasure and sexual agency in service of both pleasure and protection. While Black and White women evidenced similar levels of both forms of agency, Black participants’ agency in the service of protection was unrelated to their entitlement to sexual pleasure. We discuss these findings in light of racialized discourses of women’s sexuality and the importance of understanding sexual desire as anchored in the body and enabling young women’s sexual agency
Children, Sexuality and Sexualization, 2015
In the US, psychological researchers have been at the forefront of establishing and contributing ... more In the US, psychological researchers have been at the forefront of establishing and contributing to a public discourse on sexualization that holds responsible the media and corporations for using sexualization for profit. A growing body of knowledge produced by psychologists asks a particular set of research questions: What are the negative effects of sexualization on girls and women? How can we understand girls’ and women’s ‘participation’ in sexualization practices while maintaining the perspective that external forces are ultimately responsible and should therefore be called out and redressed? In the US public discourse, sexualization is understood as perhaps an unfortunately simplistic word for two distinct phenomena: (1) the sexualization of culture, which is an intensified presence and infusion of often uncalled-for sexuality into products, media and norms; and (2) the sexualization of individuals, meaning both the process and the effects of living within this sexualized context particularly on girls and women. This includes how girls navigate these pervasive representations of women and girls as sexual objects and introduces the psychological phenomena of self-sexualization and overt resistance to sexualization and being sexualized. Consistent with much of mainstream psychology, the behaviour of girls and women in relation to sexualization is studied with the assumption that this process is a response to the cultural omnipresence of sexualized imagery.
In this mixed-methods study, we adopted a feminist theoretical lens in conceptualizing gender as ... more In this mixed-methods study, we adopted a feminist theoretical lens in conceptualizing gender as hierarchical and complementary ideologiesfemininity and masculinity-that are fundamental constituents of institutionalized heterosexuality as a way to understand the persistence of gender inequity in adolescents' heterosexual relationships. In Study 1, we conducted separate analyses for girls and boys to evaluate whether masculinity ideology for boys and femininity ideology for girls account for boys' endorsement of male coercion and for girls' endorsement of feminine conventions in heterosexual relationships with a sample of 250 tenth-grade students (n = 144 girls). Masculinity ideology proved to be as strong or stronger than femininity ideology in predicting these respective outcomes. In Study 2, we sought to understand this pattern through a thematically informed narrative analysis of interviews with 53 of the Study 1 participants (n = 35 girls) on their beliefs about and experiences with
Psychology of Women Quarterly
With the present study, I explore the function, meaning, and empowerment potential of masturbatio... more With the present study, I explore the function, meaning, and empowerment potential of masturbation for 765 American women. The sample was somewhat diverse, but primarily young, (79% under 30), White (75%), educated (85% with at least a bachelor's degree), and heterosexual (67%). Participants completed an online anonymous survey that included endorsement of various attitudes toward masturbation, reasons for masturbating, and emotions following masturbation. Two split-half exploratory factor analyses (followed by confirmatory factor analyses) indicated that women's reasons for masturbating clustered into five main reasons: (a) sexual pleasure, (b) to learn about or better understand their bodies, (c) as a release, (d) to substitute for partner sex, and (e) general sexual dissatisfaction. Women's feelings regarding their masturbation fell into three clusters: (a) shame, (b) sexual empowerment, and (c) fear that one is acting selfishly. Most women in my study did not feel ashamed about masturbating; instead, many women felt sexually empowered. A hierarchical multiple regression demonstrated that women were more likely to feel sexually empowered by the fact that they masturbate if they reported being more sexually efficacious, having higher genital self-image, and masturbating for sexual pleasure or to learn more about their bodies. Results lend support to the feminist theory that when women are able to focus on their own sexual pleasure or learning, without the concerns of pregnancy or pleasing a partner, they may feel sexually empowered.
Girls' Sexualities and the Media, 2013
In May 2010, a convening of thirty people, representing large and community-based organizations t... more In May 2010, a convening of thirty people, representing large and community-based organizations that work with girls, scholars, young feminist activists, policy think tanks, media organizations and funders, made a commitment to raise awareness about the sexualization of girls in the media. Two profound problems quickly became clear. The first, that sexualization is a secret in plain sight, was hardly a secret really, but so pervasive as to appear impossibly entrenched, as well as "the way things are," a "natural" evolution and the persuasive narrative in the wake of growing sexual freedoms for women, trickling down to girls. The second, that parents, educators, health professionals, community, religious leaders, and media talking heads are comfortable doing a lot of judging and pessimistic hand wringing, but offer little concerted effort to push back against the gargantuan tide of increasing objectification, commodification, and sexualization of girls. What began as an idea to host a one-day summit on the sexualization of girls transmogrified into a plan to launch a movement to name this emerging reality as unacceptable, and to challenge it, while strengthening our commitments to supporting girls' and young women's right to the development of their sexuality and overall wellbeing. This positioning and set of goals recognizes and redresses the profound lack of and need for "enabling conditions" that require the end of or at least a substantive challenge to sexualization, the constant and monolithic press in the media to be a "good sexual object" rather than an embodied (sexual) subject.
APA Handbook of Sexuality and Psychology, Oct 2013
Our bodies are the permeable boundary between our individual sense of self and the society in whi... more Our bodies are the permeable boundary between our individual sense of self and the society in which we live. From the most banal bodily acts of life - how we dress, the magazines we read, with whom we sleep - to the big questions of social organization regarding marriage, family, sexual morality, and sexual health, the body is always involved in some way. The body is at once our own, something we share with others, and also something that is important to and shaped by the social world. Almost everything about sex is also about the body; sexuality is an intrinsic part of an embodied self. Although there is certainly much research that focuses on particular biological functions of sexual bodily parts and physiological processes associated with, and in some cases considered to comprise, sexuality, this line of research is predicated on the body as fundamentally and exclusively organic and, for the most part, hardwired. We begin the introduction to this chapter by articulating social concepts of "the body" and their relationship to understandings of and research about sexuality.
Research Blogging by Christin Bowman
SPARK Research Blog, Jun 5, 2014
APA Public Interest Directorate, Feb 18, 2014
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Papers by Christin Bowman
Research Blogging by Christin Bowman