Marginals and Deviants - Sexual deviants

4 important questions on Marginals and Deviants - Sexual deviants

How was sexual deviance seen? What groups were associated with what?

  • Whatever the source of difference, sexual deviance was seen as a common characteristic.
  • Lepers and Jews were associated with lasciviousness and Muslims with perverse sexual practices.
  • Protestants claimed that Catholic clergy seduced nuns and female parishioners.
  • Witches were accused of having sexual intercourse with the devil, and vagrants of having many short-lived liaisons.
  • In theory, any sexual act outside marriage, and even any non-procreative act within marriage, was forbidden by the Church.

When did women came to court?

Women only tended to come before the courts due to the scandal caused by a woman subverting the natural order by pretending to be a man.

How did people look at prostitution during the early modern period?

  • Prostitution, previously the socially acceptable outlet for male sexual energies in particular, was largely driven underground as part of a wider moral agenda during the early modern period.
  • In the Middle Ages prostitutes were frequently taxed according to their trade like any other workers, and many cities even established official bordellos or bath-houses.
  • Attitudes seem to have changed by the mid-sixteenth century, after which prostitutes and their clients had to operate with much more discretion.
  • Higher grades + faster learning
  • Never study anything twice
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Discover Study Smart

How did the Catholic Reformation go about prostitutes?

  • The Catholic Reformation spawned a number of religious orders which took charge of rehabilitating repentant prostitutes.
  • The English Society for the Reformation of Manners undertook its own moral crusade to close brothels and bawdy houses, which became officially prohibited in many parts of Europe.
  • The authorities were aware that their focus on sexual immorality might also generate prurient interest in the practices they condemned.

The question on the page originate from the summary of the following study material:

  • A unique study and practice tool
  • Never study anything twice again
  • Get the grades you hope for
  • 100% sure, 100% understanding
Remember faster, study better. Scientifically proven.
Trustpilot Logo