Existential and Psychological Problems of Aging: The Perspective of Ukrainian Lyrics’ Art Representation

Purpose. Aging is intricate process of self-transformation in view of involution of body, loss of sexual attractiveness, but at the same time, old age is a time for reconsideration of self-existence in time and in the world within coherence of life sense targets and their (successful) realization. Unique individual experience of growing old implemented in Ukrainian literature (and lyrics) can complete the data received by gerontology. Moreover gender approach in literary gerontology highlights masculine / feminine phenotypical features of internal reverberating of aging. Theoretical basis. To inquire into existential and psychological problems of aging exemplified in the twentieth-century Ukrainian Lyrics it is seems to be the most effective to employ philosophical (A. Anhelova, V. Demidov, T. Dziuba, K. Pigrov, S. Lishaev, O. Khrystenko and others) and psychological (O. Berezina, S. Hamilton, V. Savchyn, Y. Sapogova and others) approaches in gerontology, as well as feministic studies on elder female body discrimination, in particular in literature (K. Woodward, J. King). Originality. This research paves the way to the development of gender and literary dimensions in Ukrainian gerontology and anthropology in general. Some of the existential and psychological problems of aging (as anxiety of body involution and decline of strength, as well as finding the compensatory pleasure in wisdom and spiritual treasures) are revealed on the material of 20th-century Ukrainian poetry (N. Livytska-Kholodna, B. Lepkyi, M. Zerov, Yurii Klen, Y. Malaniuk, Y. Tarnawsky, I. Zhylenko, S. Yovenko and others). The individual lyric experience of aging in different gender moods is anchored mostly in psychic, mental, sense-life strategies. Conclusions. Among the feminine strategies of aging self-reception there are observation of own elder body with anxiety and fear, its "invisibility", deepened feelings of loneliness, self-estrangement, but also finding the sense of life and soul harmony in own family, offspring. Masculine self-reception of aging deals with ideal spiritual model of Wise old man – more abstract than personal; masculine anxiety is caused by physical bodily declining, not attractiveness, but strength and power loosing.

The Case of Atypical Sexual Attractiveness in a Male Domestic Dog—A Case Study

During the ovarian cycle in domestic dogs, females do not accept males during the first days of estrus but become attractive to males from the beginning of proestrus, with this attractiveness persisting until the end of the estrus phase. It is believed that increased estradiol is responsible for the female attractiveness to the males. In this paper we describe the case of strong, but atypical attractiveness of a castrated male to various, adult, intact males, influenced by the emitted semiochemical signals. Any significant changes in the level of hormones typically involved in the process connected with estrus and responsible for sexual arousal in the males were assessed. The case animal was a 4 year old castrated male Border Collie that was extremely attractive to various males, which presented high levels of sexual arousal, with intensive sniffing and licking of the preputial area, specific vocalization, increased salivation and, finally, mating attempts. Clinical examination of the castrated male revealed a lack of testes in the scrotum and abdominal cavity confirmed by USG. Laboratory tests indicated basal levels of estradiol, testosterone, and progesterone (15.23 pg/mL, <0.05 ng/mL, 0.25 ng/mL), and sex was confirmed via cytogenetic and molecular analysis. Chemical analysis (HS-SPME) of the urine indicated a huge similarity to the profile obtained from a bitch in estrus, with an elevated level of acetophenone, which has been previously postulated in the literature as being a characteristic of the estrus phase in female domestic dogs. This case presented very atypical sexual attractiveness, particularly when taking into account the basal levels of hormones which, according to current knowledge, are responsible for the creation of attractiveness. As a hypothesis requiring verification, we propose the idea of involvement of other hormones in the creation of incidental attractiveness or increased production of compounds responsible for attractiveness (sex pheromones) resulting from metabolic events unrelated to reproductive processes. To our knowledge it is the first described case presenting this phenomenon, which, with more detailed study, could shed new light on the process of creation of sexual attraction in the domestic dog.

HOW DOES LABELLING FACE IMAGES INFLUENCE SEXUAL ATTRACTION?

The present study consists of two separate experimental studies focusing on how labelling face images influence sexual attraction. In Study 1, 30 gender-neutral face photographs were shown to the participants. A total of 407 participants, 278 (%68) women and 129 (%32) men, participated in the first study. In Study 2, 75% feminine face photos were shown to male participants and 75% masculine face photos were shown to female participants. The number of photos shown to each participant was 30. A total of 282 participants, 151(%54) women and 131 men (%46) participated in the second study. In both studies, some of the participants were told that the photographs belonged to men, while others were told that they belonged to women and questions about photographs in the first study were repeated. Kruskal-Wallis H test conducted to investigate whether the responses changed according to the gender tag of the photos. The results show that the perception of attraction does not only change according to physical features, but also according to the gender label of the body to which physical features belong. The findings are discussed by referring to evolutionary, social constructionist approaches and the concept of sexual fluidity. Keywords: Sexuality, Facial Attractiveness, Sexual Attractiveness, Sexual Fluidity

Sexuality in the Apocrypha

This piece examines references to sexuality in the diverse writings of the Apocrypha. It uses the term “sexuality” broadly to encompass matters pertaining to sexuality, rather than in the more confined sense that is found in discussions of sexual orientation and sexual theory. It will therefore consider a range of ways in which sexual drive or desire finds expression in various contexts, from marriage to sex work, same-sex relations to celibacy, and beyond. It will do so by examining such references in the particular context of the writings being considered and in the light of the broader social context. It discusses each writing or set of writing in turn: 1 Esdras, Baruch, Judith, the Books of the Maccabees, 2 Esdras, Ben Sira/Sirach, Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, Susanna, the Additions to Esther, and the Letter of Jeremiah. There are sexual elements common to many of these works: male stereotypes about women in their sexuality as dangerous, associated with mockery of men who lose control to women; male predatory behavior; rape and sexual violence in war; linkage of idolatry to profligate sexuality; gender role reversals, which as exceptions confirm the norms; affirmation of sexual attractiveness when not abused and of (arranged) marriage and the processes of procreation and nurture; and disapprovals of sex work and marriage to foreigners or exogamy.

The East Asian Erotic Picture Dataset and Gender Differences in Response to Opposite-Sex Erotic Stimuli in Chinese College Students

Understanding the processing of sexual stimuli has become a significant part of research on human sexuality. In addition to individual characteristics (gender and sexual orientation), empirical studies have shown that cultural factors play an important role in sexual stimuli processing. The attitudes toward sex have been reported to be more conservative in East Asian societies as compared to western countries, and significantly more sexual difficulties are observed among East Asian people. However, stimulus materials, which potentially facilitate human sexuality research on native East Asian people, are relatively not satisfactory. Erotic stimuli depicting East Asian figures are limited in the existing picture datasets. To address this issue, we present a collection of 237 erotic and 108 control pictures, accompanied by self-reported ratings of sexual arousal, pleasantness, and sexual attractiveness for opposite-sex erotic stimuli by heterosexual males and females (n = 40, divided into two equal-sized subsamples). This collection is divided into six categories, depending on their contents: dressed males (44), semi-nude males (65), nude males (64), dressed females (64), semi-nude females (52), and nude females (56). We showed gender differences in sexual arousal, pleasantness, and sexual attractiveness ratings in response to opposite-sex erotic pictures. Males reported the highest levels of sexual arousal, pleasantness, and sexual attractiveness for nude female pictures, whereas females reported the highest levels of sexual arousal, pleasantness, and sexual attractiveness for semi-nude male pictures. The erotic picture dataset may provide a useful resource of erotic stimuli that can be used as stimulus materials in experimental research on sexual function in East Asians.

HOW NURSES ARE PORTRAYED IN AMERICAN AND TURKISH MOVIES

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe how nursing and nurses are portrayed in American and Turkish movies. Methods: First of all, we examined the films with the keywords nurse and nursing. The majority of the films were produced in the United States. Turkish film industry produced only six films between 1968 and 2020. Three movies from the United States (English Patient, Nurse Betty, Meet the Parents) and three movies from Turkey (Beautiful Coffee Server, Imperator, Brought by the Sea) with at least one nurse character with a significant part were covered. Thematic qualitative method was used to analyze the movies’ content. Results: All nurses, except one, were female, white, young, single, and childless. In “English Patient”, the nurse is portrayed mainly as a self-sacrificing character. In “Nurse Betty”, nursing is seen as a profession that can be done without education. “Meet the Parents” draws attention to common stereotypes about male nurses. In “Beautiful Coffee Server”, the nurse character is typically reduced to a supporting role, enforcing the message to the viewer that nurses were not really needed in healthcare. “Imperator” emphasizes the nurse’s sexual attractiveness and behavior rather than her professional work. And finally, in “Brought by the Sea”, portrayal of nurse creates a potent favorable image of nursing. Conclusion: Study findings show that movies, except “Brought by the Sea”, do not represent the reality. Nurses should be aware of the way they are portrayed in movies and team up with the media to effectively create a down to earth and accurate image of nursing.

HOW NURSES ARE PORTRAYED IN AMERICAN AND TURKISH MOVIES

Purpose: The purpose of the study was to describe how nursing and nurses are portrayed in American and Turkish movies. Methods: First of all, we examined the films with the keywords nurse and nursing. The majority of the films were produced in the United States. Turkish film industry produced only six films between 1968 and 2020. Three movies from the United States (English Patient, Nurse Betty, Meet the Parents) and three movies from Turkey (Beautiful Coffee Server, Imperator, Brought by the Sea) with at least one nurse character with a significant part were covered. Thematic qualitative method was used to analyze the movies’ content. Results: All nurses, except one, were female, white, young, single, and childless. In “English Patient”, the nurse is portrayed mainly as a self-sacrificing character. In “Nurse Betty”, nursing is seen as a profession that can be done without education. “Meet the Parents” draws attention to common stereotypes about male nurses. In “Beautiful Coffee Server”, the nurse character is typically reduced to a supporting role, enforcing the message to the viewer that nurses were not really needed in healthcare. “Imperator” emphasizes the nurse’s sexual attractiveness and behavior rather than her professional work. And finally, in “Brought by the Sea”, portrayal of nurse creates a potent favorable image of nursing. Conclusion: Study findings show that movies, except “Brought by the Sea”, do not represent the reality. Nurses should be aware of the way they are portrayed in movies and team up with the media to effectively create a down to earth and accurate image of nursing.