2 of 4: EcoSex @ U Conn - Ryan and Jetha's Sex at Dawn - Student Responses: Michael's Take

Dear Earthlings:

The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha's Sex at Dawn was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alissa, John, and Rhiann. 

Here is Michael's take:

Response to Sex at Dawn

           

I enjoyed Sex at Dawn as it provides an interesting bridge point between a lot of the ideas discussed by authors like Margulis in terms of evolutionary history and the history of

cooperation and those of authors like Diamond and the broader readings about eco-sexuality, polyamory, and sexual fluidity.

            One aspect that permeates the book though that I don’t necessarily agree with is their arguments about selfishness and cooperation and their criticism of Richard Dawkins’s seminal work The Selfish Gene. While Dawkins certainly does extrapolate his arguments about genetic evolution to explain selfishness in individuals, I think they misrepresent his article. The fundamental selfish actor in Dawkins hypothesis is DNA. He sees the ever-increasing complexity and superfluousness of genetic sequences in organisms as being the selfishness of DNA. He isn’t saying that humans possess a gene that encodes selfishness, but rather that life is the consequence of nucleic acid bases wanting to propagate themselves selfishly and that any selfishness we exhibit is a consequence of that.

            I further disagree with their notion that selfishness and cooperation aren’t both engrained into us on an evolutionary basis. Early humans had to cooperate within their clans but ultimately treated competing clans in a manner we’d deem selfish. I think ultimately it would be most beneficial if we treated everybody as a clan member and cooperated, but a selfish desire to propagate our clans DNA over that of another clan is something I think that has been a part of our nature for a long time and that we cannot escape.

Do you agree with their interpretation of jealousy in popular music?

Mchael Maranets

Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love

Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio

U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Course Announcement and Description

Dear Earthlings:

Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 

Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD

Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire

Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities

University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

   

Follow us in the social media

Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Website: www.serenagaia.com 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 

Author's Page/Lists all books: 

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS1VKA 

YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

 

Hearts on Fire: Together in Ecosexual Love. Where: @ Playa Azul. When: Jan 25, 2014

Hi lovely Earthlings! 

I'm introducing a new film project.  We're organizing an ecosexual beach wedding to celebrate our love for Playa Azul.  Save the date: Jan 25, 2014.  Playa Azul is the bride and the whole community is invited to wed her.  Everyone gets to kiss the bride too!  We'd like to envision this as a way to expand the conversation of marriage equality beyond the human couple and across biological realms.  We feel this is related to all who practice love outside of the box.  How about you?  Please watch the video and share your thoughts.  You can ask your questions here as well.  We'll be very grateful.  Thank you!

 

SerenaGaia is the project's inspiring force.  Yours truly is also known as Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio: author, professor, visionary.  She's based in Puerto Rico and lives on the Caribbean shore.    Shaison P. Ouseph, the project's artistic director, is an award-winning filmmaker based in Mumbay, India.  Together we created the video you watched via transcultural digital communication.  How did you like it?  The artistic quality of this collaboration anticipates the quality of the videography we intend to produce together. 

 

Hearts on Fire: Together in Ecosexual Love

We designed this series of visual documentaries to help celebrate the love humans receive from Earth's beautiful ecosystems.  We also intend to open up the discourse of marriage equality to entire human communities.  This is the logo we created together.  What kind of inspiration does it create for you?  Share your thoughts with us.  We will appreciate them!  Thank you!

More details about the project are available below and on our Facebook and Indiegogo pages, including how we plan to fund the project and what each episode will entail.

The template episode will be a wedding to/with/on Playa Azul, a Caribbean beach that has loved SerenaGaia for 16 years.  She's lover her back!  So a miracle of balance between humans and ecosystems has happened.  Together, we celebrate of this energizing, ecosexual relationships.  Love the Earth?  Marry an ecosystem with us!  Te Amo Playa Azul I Love You is scheduled for January 25, 2014.  Bring your own magic to this ceremony.  We are now accepting proposals from participants.  Everyone gets to kiss the bride!  Looking for Playa Azul/Punta Aenas?  Click here for Google Map.

Ready to fund the project?  Our Indiegogo campaign is open: BECOME AN OFFICIAL DONOR HERE!  GREAT PERKS FOR YOU!  Stay tuned for more information and tell us about your interest.  We will be very grateful and reward you with a whole range of exciting perks.  We can't wait to thank you! 

Interested in having the docu-series come to you?  Let us know where you are ans what you'd like us to do.  We will consider your offer: further documentaries will be planned as the project evolves. It's a great way for you and your communities to get positive attention for your good ecosystemic work: sustain your ecosexual love.

Dear Earthlings:

It's such a pleasure to announce new projects to you.  This one is really exciting.  We look forward to your input.  Comments?  Questions?  Don't hesitate to leave them here.  Thank you!

Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy: education to love.  Come back for more wonders: from EcoSex @ U Conn, Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

All good wishes and Namaste,

 

Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD

Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire

Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love  

Professor of Humanities

University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

   

Follow us in the social media

Poly Planet GAIA Blog:  http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Website: www.serenagaia.com 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 

Author's Page/Lists all books: 

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS1VKA 

YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

 

 

1 of 4: EcoSex @ U Conn - Ryan and Jetha's Sex at Dawn - Student Responses: Adam's Take

Dear Earthlings:

The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jetha's Sex at Dawn was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alexandra, and Rhiann. 

Here is Adam's take:

Response to Sex at Dawn

            I had already purchased and owned “Sex at Dawn” years before I knew it would be on the list of readings required for a college class. Probably my favorite book that we

have read so far, “Sex at Dawn”, by Christopher Ryan and Cacilda Jethá, is informative, multi-disciplinary, well-written, and ultimately a funny read which caused me, at multiple times, to sit back, look at myself and my surroundings, and reflect.

            “Sex at Dawn” discusses both the evolutionary and cultural roles of sex through time, much like Lynn Margulis and Dorion Sagan did in “Mystery Dance”, though Margulis and Sagan might be annoyed that the authors primarily only looked at the sexuality of primates. In addition, the book covers an emotional/psychological perspective, similar to the way that Deborah Anapol does in “The Seven Natural Laws of Love”. The healthy dualism sprinkled with feminist perspectives and ideals made “Sex at Dawn” truly enjoyable for someone of my background and beliefs; I could identify with much of what was brought up with ease.

             Many critics say “the book downplays ways that monogamy can be evolutionarily adaptive,^[1] and that the book over-exaggerates human promiscuity and similarity to bonobos” (Wikipedia article on Sex at Dawn), points with which I disagree. The authors never say that monogamy is essentially wrong or estranged from the human condition; they merely make the argument that we evolved from polyandrous roots and, in many ways, still have polyandrous needs and desires. To the “similarity with bonobos” argument, the authors say that we share an obscene amount of genes with bonobos, generally have similar social tendencies, and that, until about 200,000 years ago, were likely indistinguishable – all points with which I agree.

            In the beginning, one of the authors, presumably Christopher Ryan, recalls a story in which he temporarily reverted back to his primal, animalistic defense instincts in order to protect himself and his girlfriend from an attacking monkey. My question is – do you distinctly recall a time or times when you succumbed to your base, primal instincts? And if so, how did you feel and what were the responses of those who witnessed your exhibition, if any people did?

Adam Kocurek

Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love

Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio

U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Course Announcement and Description

Dear Earthlings:

Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 

Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD

Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire

Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities

University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

   

Follow us in the social media

Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Website: www.serenagaia.com 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 

Author's Page/Lists all books: 

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS1VKA 

YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini
 

 

5 of 5: EcoSex @ U Conn - Diamond's Sexual Fluidity - Student Responses: Rihann's Take

Dear Earthlings:

The EcoSex course at U Conn is complete.  It was a great experience.  We spent time reading amazing books.  And here we resume posts to be shared with you.  Thinking out of the box and across disciplines.  Students had been sending their responses in, with discussion questions.  In class, we did connected the dots: a holograph of what we've read together, the "required readings."  Multiple perspectives and good synergy.  Here, we offer a glimpse.  Lisa Diamond's Sexual Fluidity was one of two cultural-theory theory books.  We got five responses: from Adam, Michael, Alissa, John, and Rhiann. 

Here is Rihann's take:

Response to “Sexual Fluidity”

 

The section I chose to respond to in Sexual Fluidity regards attraction as unbiased by gender schemas. I’ve always thought that I was more attracted to people’s souls and the mental connection

that I have with said person. However, I had never listed the things I like about my intimate partners before and analyzed the characteristics in terms of gender neutral. Many of the characteristics I consider myself attracted to are gender neutral as well as personality based. However, I have never found myself sexually or romantically attracted to a woman even though the things I like about the men I’ve been with are not specific to men. This concept really made me think. In my life time, could I one day find myself interested in a woman? I had never contemplated this before. To be honest the question makes me a little uncomfortable that I do not know the answer. I wonder if my peers had similar reactions to this section or have experiences with being attracted to the person not the gender.

            Additionally, Sarah’s story really struck me. There’s something special about female best friends that live together. I do have a very deep connection and relationship with my roommate. Although, I have never been attracted to her sexually, the things I like about my lovers and intimate partners I also like about her. I also recognize that she is an attractive woman. It’s weird to think that these premises match the premises of Sarah’s story. Again, it makes me uncomfortable to relate our relationship to Sarah and Nadine’s. I assume that this is because I come from a very heteronormative background and have never considered being anything else. Ultimately, their story made me think and look at my relationship with my best friend and roommate. I noticed how much our relationship resembles as dating relationship minus a sexual aspect. It’s interesting to me to contemplate our bond in concordance with attraction. These were my reactions to the text and I look forward to elaborating on them. I’m very curious to hear about my peers relationships and attraction to their best friends and lovers.

Rihann Peterson

Published with permission

WGSS 3998 - Ecosexuality and the Ecology of Love

Prof. Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio

U Conn, Storrs, Spring 2013

Course Announcement and Description

Dear Earthlings:

Let "nature" be your teacher in the arts of love.  Education is the heart of democracy, education to love.  Come back for more wonders: Students Responses have resumed, to appear now every Tuesday.  More Book Reports to be scheduled soon, every other Thursday.  

Namaste,
 

Serena Anderlini-D'Onofrio, PhD

Gilf Gaia Extraordinaire

Author of Gaia, Eros, and many other books about love Professor of Humanities

University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez

   

Follow us in the social media

Poly Planet GAIA Blog: 
http://polyplanet.blogspot.com/ 

Website: www.serenagaia.com 

Be Appraised of Ecosex Community Project PostaHouse  Become a Fan: www.facebook.com/GaiaBlessings 

Author's Page/Lists all books: 

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B001JS1VKA 

YouTube Uploaded Videos: http://www.youtube.com/SerenaAnderlini