Demonic or divine? Attitudes towards sex and sexuality among Galway university students

Abstract

This article identifies and interprets sexual attitudes among a sample of university students in Galway, Drawing on theoretical models developed by May and Inglis, the paper places the survey findings in the context of socio-cultural changes in Ireland. The author argues that the survey results reflect the division between religious conservatism and increasing secularisation. Although it seems initially that a majority of the Galway students subscribe to a liberal view of sexuality, analysis reveals a more complex picture. Factor analysis shows that attitudes range from religious traditionalism, monogamism, conservatism and patriarchal machismo to liberal hedonism, sex as pleasure and egalitarian open-mindedness.