The kinds of behaviors that are sanctioned or prohibited vary greatly from culture to culture. An individual's decision regarding what is "right" or "wrong" has multiple determinants, such as the ethnic or subgroup culture to which one belongs, religious beliefs, common family structure within a society, and even the sex of the individual.

There have been many changes in the United States in the last several decades with respect to sexual mores. Despite the changes which have occurred in the last thirty to forty years, when we examine moral sanctions and prohibitions in a broad cross-cultural perspective, we find that, in general, our society is actually less permissive than most. For example, in their classic work Ford and Beach (1951) surveyed the sexual behaviors in some 190 different cultures around the world and found that the American culture was more restrictive than most. Likewise, Murdock (1960) studied 250 cultures scattered throughout the world and concluded that the United States was one of only three cultures which placed a general prohibition on intercourse outside of marriage. For most people in the world, some type of formal marriage bond, is much less important in determining sexual mores than are other variables, such as kinship patterns or social status (Jensen, 1976).

There are, however, several cultures that are even less permissive than our own. Perhaps the most sexually restrictive culture studied is that of Inis Beag, a small island folk community of some 350 individuals off the coast of Ireland (Messenger, 1969). Any sexual activity outside of marriage is totally taboo, and the residents of Inis Beag marry relatively late in life: women at around age 25 and men at an average age of 36. Within marriage, the husband always initiates sexual activity, and only the male superior position is used. Stimulation of the partner's breasts or penis, passionate kissing, and all forms of oral-genital activities are totally prohibited. Nudity is also unheard of among these people; partners keep their underwear on during intercourse and wash only those parts of the body that extend beyond their clothing, for example, face, neck, lower arms, legs, and feet.

One broad generalization does emerge from the studies of sexual behaviors of different cultures: all societies regulate sexuality in some way. Incest taboos, or some prohibition of intercourse between relatives, seems universal. However, the degree of closeness of relationship that defines incest does vary to some extent. Most societies also have some prohibitions against forcing sexual activity on another. But even such prohibitions against rape are not universal. Among the Trobriand Island people of the South Pacific, it is actually socially accepted and even expected for groups of women to rape a man (as long as he is from another village) if he ventures too close to the women's village by himself (Malinowski, 1929).

Determinations about which sexual activities are right and which are wrong seem almost totally culturally determined, with a tremendous amount of variability around the world. As we look now at more specific sexual behaviors and attitudes, we will continue to observe this extreme diversity among the different societies of the world.