Sexual scripts - meaning and definition
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Definition
Sexual scripts are the shared cultural expectations about who does what, when and why in romantic and sexual situations.
At a glance
- Sexual scripts are shared cultural expectations about who does what, when and why.
- John Gagnon and William Simon described scripts at cultural, interpersonal and personal levels.
- Examples include the expectation that men should initiate or that a date implies something.
- Noticing scripts can help people talk about what they actually want.
In detail
Sociologists John Gagnon and William Simon introduced sexual script theory in 1973. They argued that sexual behaviour is learned and guided by scripts at three levels: cultural messages, expectations between partners, and the private scripts in each person's mind.
Familiar examples include the idea that men should initiate, that sex follows a fixed order, or that a date implies certain expectations. Becoming aware of scripts can help people notice assumptions that do not fit them and talk about what they actually want.
In a sentence
- We realised we'd been following a sexual script neither of us actually liked.
- The lecture on sexual scripts asked why people assume the man should always make the first move.
Where the word comes from
Sociologists John Gagnon and William Simon introduced sexual script theory in their 1973 book Sexual Conduct.
Common questions
What are examples of sexual scripts?
Familiar examples include the idea that men initiate and women respond, that sex follows a fixed order, that a dinner date implies certain expectations, or that intimacy always has the same goal. Many people find some scripts do not fit them.