Sexual Stereotypes and Practices of University Students in Turkey

Abstract

This article is based on a study of young people and sexuality in Turkey. The focus of this study included messages about sexuality, sexual beliefs, sexual experiences with a view to consent and resistance, religiosity, and certain interrelations therein. A total of 471 students (273 women, M age = 20.5 years, and 198 men, M age = 21 years) from four different universities in Turkey participated in a survey with measures of restrictive and permissive messages about sexuality received from various sources, beliefs about sexual roles of men and women in relationships, and questions about a range of sexual experiences, including coital and non-coital. The incidence and characteristics of ideal sexual partnership and incidence and dynamics of experiences involving token resistance and consent to unwanted sex were specifically investigated. The results provided a snapshot of the sexual lives of students in this country at the crossroads of secularism and traditional Muslim mores. Both commonalities and differences were found across gender. Both men and women received more restrictive than permissive messages. The most important message source was same-sex friends for men and parents for women. Men had more dating and sexual partners than women. The correlations of religiosity and messages with sexual experiences and attitudes were mostly in the expected direction. Women were more likely to have a token resistance incidence and both genders were equally unlikely to consent to unwanted sex. The results were discussed in relation to the cultural context and the relevant literature, and recommendations are offered for future research.