Sexuality In The ! Kung Analysis

Sexuality in the !Kung Situated in remote parts of Africa, live a group of hunter and gatherers, known as the !Kung. They are a nomadic people who build huts near water sources and spend most the day in search of food. Whenever resources run out, they move. Because the villages they set up are only temporary, they construct rudimentary dwellings that offer little to no privacy. Children are often exposed to their parents lovemaking, and as a result, their curiosity awakens, manifesting itself in their play. Parents and children sleep together in small one-room huts that have no partitions or separators, and even share the same blankets (Shostak, 1981, p. 95). This makes it very difficult for parents to make love without their children noticing. Though they would prefer not to expose their children to their sexual activity, finding a private place and time without
Children, except for the very young, are often left behind for efficiency. Adults can cover more ground and go greater distances if their children stay in the village. This unsupervised time allows !Kung children the freedom to spend their time playing, which they prefer. However, this play does not only consist of making up games and activities, but also spending a considerable amount of time engaging in sexual play. Though adults do not approve of their children participating in sexual play, they do not do much about it. Adults remember playing the same way in their childhood, though they rarely admit to it (Shostak, 1981, p. 99). However, !Kung children primarily engage in those types of behaviors when their parents are not in view, and therefore do not have to worry about rebuke. Sexual play in young children begins with same sex play: boys playing with boys and girls playing with girls. Eventually, this changes and boys will begin to play with girls. Children want to pretend they are having sex to imitate what they saw their parents