THEO on sex and marriage
You will synthesize relevant content from:

ï‚· Donna Freitas, sex and the soul

ï‚· McGonigal, The willpower instict (only chapter 1-6)

ï‚· VT posts of your classmates (and that of the other section if you like)

ï‚· Your own research data

To support an argument in response to the questions:

ï‚· How does the sexual behavior of your age cohort compare to that of

Americans of the same age from the 1940s through the 1980s?

ï‚· When they reflect on their cohort’s behavior when they were your age,

how do older generations of Americans assess the benefits or harms of

casual sex, one-night-stands, etc.?

ï‚· To what extent is hooking up beneficial to the well being of Millennials?

ï‚· What are the best tools people can use to avoid hooking up once they

have determined that it is not beneficial?

An argument requires that you clearly state an opinion that you then support

in hopes of convincing readers to accept your opinion as valid. (See the

guidelines for writing synthesis and ethics essays in the course control panel for

details on how to write an argument.) Your thesis statement will begin with that

opinion and include your essential support for it.

Example: Hooking up may seem like a good way of connecting emotionally

without risk of “catching feelings,” but, as Freitas shows, hooking up actually

unleashes all sorts of negative feelings that interfere with students’ happiness

and well-being. At the most extreme, these feelings can lead to depression,

shame, and increased social anxiety. And for those who don’t suffer the worst

effects, hooking up is still a waste of time and energy that could be better spent

socializing in fun ways without sex. Students need emotional connection with

others and there are ways to get without sex or more commitment than they can

want at the moment. They can develop better self-control to lead healthier,

happier lives while waiting for the right time to “settle down.”

Sources for your own research

RESEARCH:

Interview someone who was your age during an era from 1940 to 1990 about the

sexual norms of that period and what s/he thought about them then and now.

I interview one man born in 1956, who believe that woman at that time, find a future husband in college. He is a religious man, even though a lot of people on his era accept the culture of one night stand, he still believe that sex in marriage should be the right one. He kind of regret that he was one of the “victim” in outside sex life.

1. Determine the criteria for “beneficial to well being.” For instance, I would

define beneficial to well being as any activity that meets the following

criteria:

ï‚· Promotes an immediate sense of happiness or contentment

ï‚· Does not conflict with ones conscience, i.e. does not provoke

ï‚· Is consistent with ones positive goals for future happiness

ï‚· Is consistent with ones character and sense of integrity

2. Summarize as thoroughly yet succinctly as you can what Freitas thinks is

harmful about the hook up culture at spiritual colleges.

Add:

3. Using content from Sex and the Soul, to what extent do you think that hooking

up is beneficial to the well being of college students? Offer reasons for your

view using the guidelines from “Writing a Good Ethics Essay.”

4. Your thesis and outline should meet the guidelines from the handout from

spot.colorado, “Writing a Good Ethics Essay.”

embarrassment, guilt, shame, or regret