An accountability partner is someone who supports another person to keep a commitment or maintain progress on a desired goal. They will often be a trusted friend or acquaintance who will regularly ask an individual about their progress or receive confessions of moral wrongdoing. Accountability partners can interact through regular in-person meetings, through the internet, or through a mixture of interactions. Within evangelical Christianity, accountability partners and groups are used in efforts to resist sexual temptation, including masturbation, viewing pornography, or pre-marital sex. In recent years, numerous kinds of accountability software have been developed, surveillance apps which track a user's internet use and send reports to a predetermined accountability partner.
Outside of evangelical Christianity, accountability partners have been used in a range of contexts for individuals who want to keep commitments, improve their productivity, or maintain self-care routines. This includes use in health and wellbeing, business, and academia. Studies of accountability partnership programmes have found improved results in practices such as self-examination for skin cancer in at-risk groups or the production of scholarship in a university department.
Within evangelical Christianity, accountability partners have been used as part of programmes to help young men who have committed to sexual purity avoid temptations such as masturbation, viewing pornography, and sexual activity. [1] [2] The Promise Keepers, an Evangelical Christian parachurch organization for men, advocates the use of accountability groups to help their members put into practise their Seven Promises, including (but not exclusively) a promise to sexual purity. Members of the Promise Keepers believe that participation in these accountability groups is essential to their vision of godly masculinity and many find disclosing their internal struggles to a trusted other to be a powerfully cathartic exercise. [3] A study of a Silver Ring Thing event in 2009 found that young people who committed to premarital abstinence were instructed to find an accountability partner of the same gender to help them keep their pledge. [4] One study of students at an evangelical university in the US found a correlation between having an accountability and gender, with women more likely to have an accountability partner than men (59% for women; 42% for men). [5]
In her 2015 study of evangelical men who pledge pre-marital chastity, sociologist Sarah Diefendorf argued that part of the power of accountability partnerships can be explained through the emotional release and relief of tension that is provided by the act of confessing one's sexual temptations. [2] The sociologist John Bartkowski in 2000 notes the importance of emotional release provided by accountability groups, finding that they provide opportunities for intimacy among men where it is not uncommon for men to weep and hug one another. However, Bartkowski also notes that this intimacy required accountability group members to carefully manage homosocial intimacy, avoiding the emergence of erotic, homosexual attraction and maintaining traditional conceptions of gender. According to Bartkowski, means of achieving this include overt homophobic teaching, the emphasis of filial rather than romantic relationships, and the reinforcement of essentialist conceptions of masculinity. [3] Diefendorf notes the importance of gender in accountability relationships: men will choose to be accountable to other men in order to avoid the potential for sexual temptation, which might occur if discussing sexual thoughts and activities so openly with women. [2]
In his 2000 study of Promise Keepers, Bartkowski observed that while accountability groups aspire to ideals of equality and community (with chairs arranged in a circular formation, and members recruited from diverse social backgrounds and Christian denominations), this ideal is undercut by gendered aspects of these groups. Women are typically excluded from accountability groups and set up as an "other" against which group members define themselves, with gender-based inequality further exhibited through the endorsement of family structures based around male headship in these groups. Inequality is also manifested in formal and informal leadership structures which emerge in Promise Keeper accountability groups, based on proximity to Promise Keeper organizational structures or how long one has been a Christian. [3]
Accountability partnership arrangements can also make use of accountability software. These are surveillance apps which track a user's internet activity and send reports to a predetermined accountability partner. [6] Covenant Eyes—the largest of these apps—had in September 2022 over 50,000 downloads of its app and an annual revenue of US$26 million. A report by Wired in 2022 found a number of security risks with many of these apps. Additionally, tests conducted by the magazine found that searching terms such as "gay" or "lesbian", or accessing online support for young LGBT people, immediately sent a "questionable activity report" to the accountability partner. [7]
Outside of Evangelical Christian culture, accountability partners are used to help individuals achieve goals and stick to commitments. [8] [9] Some people use accountability partners to help them commit to a regular exercise regime and eat healthily, [10] [11] [12] while others have recommended the use of accountability partners to achieve professional goals. [13] [14] A study into skin self-examination among patient groups with a higher risk of skin cancer published in 2016 found that, while the use of smartphones and automatic reminders increased the incidence of self-examination, those assigned an accountability partner were not significantly more likely to self-examine. Further, satisfaction rates were lowest amongst those assigned the accountability partner group. [15] In high stress jobs such as social work, accountability partners can be used to help a person follow through on a self-care plan and reduce occupational burnout. [16]
In academia, some scholars make use of writing accountability groups to increase productivity, reduce procrastination and benefit from peer mentoring, community support, and improved time management skills. A 2022 study found that such groups can be particularly beneficial for scholars from a minority group, who are under-represented in higher education may not find the same support elsewhere. [17] A 2018 study of an accountability partner programme at Washington State University found that the scheme improved the scholarly production of county-level faculty and fostered a more collaborative and encouraging research environment. The programme involved a formal matching process and required regular attendance at monthly meetings, along with administrative and financial support, all of which were found to be necessary for the success of such programmes. [18]
Sexual abstinence or sexual restraint is the practice of refraining from sexual activity for medical, psychological, legal, social, philosophical, moral, religious or other reasons. Sexual abstinence is distinct from asexuality, which is a sexual orientation where people feel little or no sexual attraction. Celibacy is sexual abstinence generally motivated by factors such as an individual's personal or religious beliefs. Sexual abstinence before marriage is required in some societies by social norms, or by law in some countries. It is a part of chastity.
James Clayton Dobson Jr. (born April 21, 1936) is an American evangelical Christian author, psychologist, and founder of Focus on the Family (FotF), which he led from 1977 until 2010. In the 1980s, he was ranked as one of the most influential spokesmen for conservative social positions in American public life. Although never an ordained minister, he was called "the nation's most influential evangelical leader" by The New York Times while Slate portrayed him as a successor to evangelical leaders Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson.
Abstinence pledges are commitments made by people, often though not always teenagers and young adults, to practice abstinence, usually in the case of practicing teetotalism with respect to abstaining from alcohol and other drugs, or chastity, with respect to abstaining from sexual intercourse until marriage; in the case of sexual abstinence, they are sometimes also known as purity pledges or virginity pledges. They are most common in the United States among Catholic and Evangelical Christian denominations, while others are nonsectarian.
Promise Keepers is an Evangelical Christian parachurch organization for men. It opposes same-sex marriage, and champions chastity and marital fidelity and the man as being head of the household.
In sociology, homosociality means same-sex relationships that are not of a romantic or sexual nature, such as friendship, mentorship, or others. Researchers who use the concept mainly do so to explain how men uphold men's dominance in society.
Men's studies is an interdisciplinary academic field devoted to topics concerning men, masculinity, gender, culture, politics and sexuality. It academically examines what it means to be a man in contemporary society.
Purity rings are rings worn as a sign of chastity. Since the 1990s, Christian organizations in the United States used the purity ring as a symbol of commitment. In particular, Catholic and evangelical Christian groups which promoted virginity pledges and virginity before marriage, such as True Love Waits and Silver Ring Thing. Wearing a purity ring is typically accompanied by a religious vow to practice abstinence until marriage. Chastity rings are part of the abstinence-only sex education movement and are intended to act as a physical reminder of the wearer's chastity vow.
Sociology of gender is a prominent subfield of sociology. Social interaction directly correlated with sociology regarding social structure. One of the most important social structures is status. This is determined based on position that an individual possesses which effects how they will be treated by society. One of the most important statuses an individual claims is gender. Public discourse and the academic literature generally use the term gender for the perceived or projected (self-identified) masculinity or femininity of a person.
The men's movement is a social movement that emerged in the 1960s and 1970s, primarily in Western countries, which consists of groups and organizations of men and their allies who focus on gender issues and whose activities range from self-help and support to lobbying and activism.
Sexual capital or erotic capital is the social power an individual or group accrues as a result of their sexual attractiveness and social charm. It enables social mobility independent of class origin because sexual capital is convertible, and may be useful in acquiring other forms of capital, including social capital and economic capital.
Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) is a sex education instruction method based on a curriculum that aims to give students the holistic knowledge, attitudes, skills, and values to make healthy and informed choices in their sexual lives. The intention is that this understanding will help students understand their body and reproductive processes, engage in safer sex by reduce incidents of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs) such as HIV and HPV, reduce unplanned and unwanted pregnancies, as well as lowering rates of domestic and sexual violence.
Machismo is the sense of being "manly" and self-reliant, a concept associated with "a strong sense of masculine pride: an exaggerated masculinity". Machismo is a term originating in the early 1930s and 1940s best defined as having pride in one's masculinity. While the term is associated with "a man's responsibility to provide for, protect, and defend his family", machismo is strongly and consistently associated with dominance, aggression, grandstanding, and an inability to nurture. The correlation to machismo is found to be deeply rooted in family dynamics and culture.
Adolescent sexuality is a stage of human development in which adolescents experience and explore sexual feelings. Interest in sexuality intensifies during the onset of puberty, and sexuality is often a vital aspect of teenagers' lives. Sexual interest may be expressed in a number of ways, such as flirting, kissing, masturbation, or having sex with a partner. Sexual interest among adolescents, as among adults, can vary greatly, and is influenced by cultural norms and mores, sex education, as well as comprehensive sexuality education provided, sexual orientation, and social controls such as age-of-consent laws.
In gender studies, hegemonic masculinity is part of R. W. Connell's gender order theory, which recognizes multiple masculinities that vary across time, society, culture, and the individual. Hegemonic masculinity is defined as a practice that legitimizes men's dominant position in society and justifies the subordination of the common male population and women, and other marginalized ways of being a man. Conceptually, hegemonic masculinity proposes to explain how and why men maintain dominant social roles over women, and other gender identities, which are perceived as "feminine" in a given society.
Pornography has been defined as any material in varying forms, including texts, video, photos or audio that is consumed for sexual satisfaction and arousal of an individual or partnership. The effects of pornography on individuals or their intimate relationships have been a subject of research.
Metrosexual is a term describing a man living in an urban culture who is especially meticulous and scrupulous about his personal style, grooming and appearance. It is often used to refer to heterosexual men who are perceived to be effeminate rather than strictly adhering to stereotypical masculinity standards. Nevertheless, the term is generally ambiguous on the gender and sexual orientation of a man as it can apply to cisgender, transgender, heterosexual, gay or bisexual men. Some academics consider metrosexuals to be exhibiting narcissistic tendencies.
In the United States, sex education is taught in two main forms: comprehensive sex education and abstinence-only as part of the Adolescent Family Life Act, or AFLA. Comprehensive sex education is also called abstinence-based, abstinence-plus, abstinence-plus-risk-reduction, and sexual risk reduction sex education. This approach covers abstinence as a choice option, but also informs adolescents about age of consent and the availability of contraception and techniques to avoid contraction of sexually transmitted infections. Every state within the U.S. has a mandated AIDS Education Program.
Hookup culture is one that accepts and encourages casual sex encounters, including one-night stands and other related activity, without necessarily including emotional intimacy, bonding or a committed relationship. It is generally associated with Western late adolescent sexuality and, in particular, United States college culture. The term hookup has an ambiguous definition because it can indicate kissing or any form of physical sexual activity between sexual partners. The term has been widely used in the U.S. since at least 2000. It has also been called nonrelationship sex, or sex without dating.
NoFap is a website and community forum that serves as a support group for those who wish to give up pornography and masturbation. Its name comes from the slang term fap, referring to male masturbation. While reasons for this abstinence vary by individual, the main motivation cited is attempting to overcome addiction to pornography, or other compulsive sexual behaviours. Other reasons for abstinence include religious and moral reasons, self-improvement, and physical beliefs that are not supported by medicine.
Purity culture was a movement in the 1990s within Christianity which emphasized sexual abstinence.