Sociological Perspectives On Sexual Activity - 1544 Words

During the adolescent years a lot of change occurs both physically and emotionally and although engaging in sexual activity is a personal decision, taking risks can certainly have outside influences. Psychologist Urie Bronfenbreener’s ecological perspective theory posits that a child’s development is formed through interconnected influences with their environment based on a layered system. These systems include: microsystem (direct connection to groups or institutions), mesosystem (the interconnection between microsystem components), exosystem (social settings that indirectly affect the child because of their influences on the microsystem and mesosystems) and macrosystem (culture, values and laws governing the other systems). (Moritsugu,†¦show more content†¦This was something questioned by Chakema Carmack, Rhonda K. Lewis and Angelica Roncancio, when they assessed subjective norms, attitudes, self-efficacy and intention in their 48 item survey to determine the behavior and self perceptions towards condom use of African American adolescents. In the article â€Å"Get the Message: Targeting Beliefs to Develop Risk Reduction Intervention Messages for African American Adolescents,† found in the American Journal of Community Psychology, these three researchers sought to: â€Å"(1) Identify the most important theoretical determinants of condom use intention in African American adolescents, males and females, separately using the integrative model(IM)of behavior prediction and (2) identify underlying beliefs within the determinants that were good candidates for message development in similar interventions.† (Carmack, Lewis, Roncancio, 2015, p. 396) They conducted a $40 paid survey of 446 African American adolescents, ages 12-17, in a mid-west city (44% male, 56% female), which was followed up at 3 and 6 month intervals. At initiation only 36% reported having experienced sexual intercourse, of them 25% had sex within the previous 3 months, but by the 6 month follow-up 72% reported having had sex. (Carmack, Lewis, Roncancio, 2015, p. 398) A part of the conclusion states; â€Å"safer sex interventions should emphasize condom use negotiation between partners, as well as other