Hierarchies in heterosexuality: Orgasms, intercourse and sexual scripts

Abstract

This article, based on a set of 71 interviews conducted in France between 2014 and 2017, examines the basis of contemporary scripts for ‘good’ heterosex and reciprocal pleasure. It shows that, paradoxically, the male discourse on the pre-eminence of female orgasm falls within a persistently gendered order in which male desire prevails. It finds that non-penetrative genital practices continue to be stigmatized and are in general only practiced in conjunction with penile-vaginal intercourse. Interviews show that when people adopt what are still considered ‘inferior’ scripts it is usually as a result of external constraints. This article adds to our knowledge of changes in contemporary heterosexual practices over time but also what remains unchanged, while shedding light on current dynamics in gender relations.