A social model of sexuality refers to a framework, or way of thinking about sex and sexuality, that acknowledges that sex and sexuality are not experienced in isolation, and are not only tied to our physical bodies. Disability activists and academics have introduced the idea of a social model of sexuality as a contrast and alternative for a medical model of sexuality which focuses on the individual and the body as the place where sexuality exists.
A social model of sexuality takes into account not only the anatomical and physiological parts of sex, the parts that we can observe and measure. It considers an individuals experience of sexuality as connected to other individuals, their families and friends, their societies and social networks, as well as the larger systems of influence and power that impact all of us.
As such, a social model approach to a sexual complaint is not just in terms of what's happening in their genitals, but in terms of the kinds of messages they were raised with and have internalized in terms of their gender, race, class, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, to name a few considerations. A social model looks not just at an experience in the moment, but at the forces that shaped the person and the experience.
An example: if someone experiences pain during sex, a medical model approach would be to examine their body, ask them "what's wrong" with them, and try to isolate particular body parts that aren't working as the experts expect them to. A social model approach would include information about the body, but would be most interested asking the individual about their experience, letting them label what is working and what isn't. And more importantly, a social model would consider the social conditions that the person was raised and lives in. What options were open to them in terms of sex education, sexual expression, and sexual rights? What sorts of messages were they raised with about sexuality? How do these multiple factors influence their experience of sex as painful today?
Benefits of the Social Model of Sexuality
A social model doesn't dictate that one kind of body, or preference or desire is better than another. By putting an individual in relationship to all other people, the social model acknowledges that diversity exists everywhere and that difference is something we all experience. By being more open to difference social models are more inclusive of more experience, and in this way reflect a broader reality of human sexuality.
In a social model people are encouraged to name things for themselves. To describe how they feel sexually, who they desire, and who they want to be in relationships with. This process is empowering rather than dis-empowering, as the choice to label comes from the individual and not the outsider/expert. The social model tells more of a story, or tells more stories, about sexuality than the medical model which seeks to collapse sexual experience into fewer discrete categories.
By forgoing reliance on one expert to fix problems, the social model provides both individuals and communities with more tools to make change. For example, by looking at difference not as a weakness but a strength, the social model might encourage people who feel isolated because of the way they experience sex, to reach out to others, creating support systems where people can share experiences, learn more about how other people experience sexuality, and then have more voices to support if they decide they do want to make a change in their lives.
By emphasizing not just the individual in isolation, but in relation to society, the social model, from the beginning, works to connect people to each other. As the name suggests, the social model acknowledges that whether or not we choose to live with other people or be in sexual or romantic relationships with others, we are all interdependent, and in order to make change, we must look not just to ourselves, but to our communities and society.
Drawbacks of the Social Model
As a more holistic approach, one that focuses on both the individual and society, there are few drawbacks to taking a social model approach. The exception would be if a social model approach excluded medical information and techniques. Sexuality is an experience of body, mind, society, and for some people spirit. Ignoring the many ways that scientific research and medical treatment may help us attain our sexual goals doesn't make much sense. The social model encourages people to stop thinking that a medical approach is the only, or the most important way of thinking about sexuality. But it shouldn't erase this approach entirely.
