Globalization changes attitudes to sex in Northern Caucasus

There is no free discussion about sexual relations and marital life in Northern Caucasus, while publicly declared conservative attitudes in this area seriously differ from the practice, Irina Kosterina, the author of the study "What is the attitude to sex, virginity and marriage in Northern Caucasus?", and the journalists interviewed by the "Caucasian Knot", believe.

The traditional approach to discussing intimate life in Northern Caucasus is being rethought under the influence of globalization, Irina Kosterina, who is also a sociologist, and Coordinator of the "Gender Democracy" Programme of the Heinrich Böll Foundation.

"The majority is still insisting that for girls it is important to preserve their virginity until marriage, but new trends evolve in the modern era. For example, it is argued that according to the Islam, a male should also keep his virginity till marriage," Ms Kosterina said.

Along with the declarative principles, in real life there are different behaviours, the researcher has noted. "There are those who live quite differently; first of all, males, who have different sexual partners and love-mates," she has explained.

She associated the taboo on the discussions of some topics of sexual life with the traditions, but not with the norms of Islam. In many Muslim countries, people discuss sexual topic of calmly, but in Northern Caucasus such conversations are not accepted.

Svetlana Anokhina, a Dagestani journalist, asserts that in Muslim communities on the Internet, sexual issues are discussed quite freely; and the topic of intimate relationships is not tabooed as such.

Maxim Shevchenko, a journalist, agrees that among residents of Northern Caucasus, rhetoric is often at odds with practice in sexual matters. Irina Kosterina's study can overcome the manifestations of hypocrisy in this sphere, he has suggested.

In Northern Caucasus, there are people practicing indiscriminate sexual relations, although in words they are trying to adhere to generally accepted norms, Mr Shevchenko has added.