Growing Up Sexually

JAVANESE (Java, Indonesia)

Index → Indonesia → Javanese

 “Sex is never discussed openly; “Javanese equals and close friends, however, do discuss sex frequently, and this is how adolescent boys and girls learn about it. It is generally believed that that boys receive much of their early sexual experience from prostitutes in the towns who are associated with coffee stalls along the streets. I have never been able to find out how the adolescent boys of the villages where prostitutes are not available obtain their actual early experience. Village girls usually have only a very brief adolescence, as they marry between the ages of twelve and fifteen”[1], which according to Geertz is an exponent of control. Parents avoid sex talk and intercourse in front of children, but would leave room for “indirect observation, the overhearing of adult conversations, or the imparting of information by older people such as grandparents” (Koentjaraningrat, [1971:p98])[2]. Adolescents are said to have their “first” sexual experience with town prostitutes or a select group of girls or women who are “willing to be free with their favors” (Jay, 1969:p36, 44)[3]. Among the ®Sundanese, infants’ genital region is “gelegentlich freundlich-neutral gestreichelt […] (Von Loh, 1996:p122)[4]. At the age of 40 days, the girl’s clitoris is rubbed with a paste made of turmeric, which is believed to have healing properties. At least in the late 1950s, the organ was then slightly “incised” with no blood drawn (Jaspan and Hill, 1987:p22)[5].

Janssen, D. F., Growing Up Sexually. VolumeI. World Reference Atlas. 0.2 ed. 2004. Berlin: Magnus Hirschfeld Archive for Sexology

Last revised: Apr 2005