Nisa ! Kung Woman

795 Words4 Pages
Many of us grow up with different cultures and speak different languages, but at the end of the day we are all human beings inhabiting this Earth. As human beings we all share the same necessities for survival and recognize reproduction as a vital part of continuing life on this planet. Sexuality is an organism’s preparedness for engaging in sexual activity and plays an important role in reproduction. In the assigned reading of Nisa: The Life and Words of a !Kung Woman by Marjorie Shostak, the author elaborates the role of sexuality in !Kung San of Botswana. We are able to observe the role sexuality plays in this society, through Nisa’s thoughts and experiences. Depending on the norms of a certain culture, sexuality can be viewed in different forms. Some culture’s norms display their ideal behavior, in regards to sexuality, as a practice that should be restricted only for the purpose of marriage and can often be taboo if expressed prior to marriage. However, in the !Kung culture the nature of sexuality is normal and can be seen practiced by young children. Although it is not an expected nor an ideal behavior within this culture for young children to discover sexuality, this early sexual…show more content…
As sexual curiosity arose in the !Kung children, sexual play was an activity chosen to exercise. “Sexual play of younger children begins with boys playing together and girls playing together, and then changes to boys and girls playing with each other” (109). Although there was genital contact involved in sexual play, intercourse did not occur until years later. Nisa disclosed how she was very observant of others’ in attempt to understand sexuality. She mentioned how she would lie at night and watch her parents have intercourse or as she mentioned “work”. She also shared how she would examine others’ sex play to see what was actually being
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