Sociocultural Correlates of Permissive Sexual Attitudes: A Test of Reiss's Hypotheses About Sweden and the United States - Statistical Data Included

Journal of Sex Research, Feb, 2000 by Martin S. Weinberg, Ilsa Lottes, Frances M. Shaver

Nonregulatory Perspective

Reiss theorizes that the more naturalistic view of sexuality held by Swedes compared to Americans contributes to a more nonregulatory approach to sexuality. He states that Sweden "has much less in the way of a puritanical set of laws defining `normal sexuality'" (Reiss, 1980, p. 210). In describing the nonregulatory perspective, Reiss says that the Swedish people hold a private-autonomous view of sexuality. In contrast, he argues that sexuality in the U.S.--although in some sense viewed as private--is still seen as an area that the state can enter into via laws (i.e., people have a regulatory view). In Sweden, the sense of privacy is stronger and laws regarding sexuality are fewer: The primary laws concern the legal age for nonmarital coitus (it is 15) and restrictions against incest.

In addition, Sweden has been one of the world's leaders in promoting comprehensive sex education as a compulsory part of its school curriculum. The program supports a private-autonomous, egalitarian, naturalistic, and responsible view of sexual interactions (Jones et al., 1986; Reiss, 1980). Also, Grano (1986) emphasizes that in Sweden, in contrast to many other countries (including the U.S.), there are no noticeable political, religious, or cultural obstacles to the provision of contraceptive and abortion services. Holmgren (1989) writes that abortion in Sweden is regarded as an emergency measure and presents women seeking abortions as having a complex moral dilemma. These women most often make their decision after considering relationships, responsibility, and the long-term welfare of the child, rather than absolute rules and rights. Thus, with respect to legal restrictions surrounding abortion and contraception, there is support for the Reiss depiction of a nonregulatory privacy perspective in Sweden.

The area of homosexuality also illustrates differences in sexual regulation. Since the decriminalization of homosexuality in Sweden in 1944, same-sex behavior has been subjected to fewer restrictions than in the U.S. Further, in 1978 the minimum legal age for engaging in homosexual acts was lowered in Sweden from 18 to 15, the same age as for heterosexual acts. In addition, the ethical principles guiding sex education programs in Sweden promote tolerance of homosexuality, although Trost and Bergtrom-Wallen (1997) point out that even though laws and the media support tolerance of homosexuality, homosexuals are often subjected to discrimination in their private interactions. With regard to sex work, however, Sweden is currently showing less of a nonregulatory perspective than in the past, and has recently passed a law called the Prostitution Act. In this law the customer of a prostitute, but not the prostitute, is criminalized.

According to Reiss, institutionalized supports for the privacy perspective encourage individuals to tolerate a wide variety of sexual behaviors. Nevertheless, he observes that tolerance does not necessarily lead to behavioral enactment or a full endorsement of all activities. For example, Reiss proposes that the Swedish rate of extramarital coitus is lower than the U.S. rate. When interpreting the available data he speculates that many people in the U.S. engage in extramarital coitus despite their belief that this behavior is not morally acceptable. He suspects that extramarital activity exceeds levels of its acceptance in the U.S., while the reverse is true for Sweden.