Sexuality Discourse in the Context of the Study Titled ‘Sex Life of the Warsaw Academic Youth’, 1903 and 2018

Abstract

The main purpose of the text is to present selected results of research conducted in 1903 and 2018 on sexual customs of students of Warsaw universities based on the survey titled ‘Sex Life of the Warsaw Academic Youth’. The article consists of two parts: theoretical and empirical. The former one refers to the constructivist character of sexuality and its arrangement. It points to correlations between power and discourse. The review also mentions the role of re-discourse in the process of shaping sexuality, i.e. performativity and the binariness of culture. The theoretical considerations are based on concepts developed by Michel Foucault, Judith Butler, Gail Rubin, and Jeffrey Weeks. The empirical part is a comparative analysis of survey research based on the ‘Sex life of the Warsaw Academic Youth’ survey conducted in 1903 as well as its modified version conducted in 2018. The research focuses on the sexual life of young men studying at Warsaw universities. It covers the areas of personal hygiene, sexual experience, and sexually transmitted diseases, allowing for the interpretation of the studied phenomena through the historical context.