Introduction

SEX. The most searched word in Google retrieves a huge amount of results. In less than 1 minute, 4 billion possibilities and a lot of information: «How to Have Sex», «The Benefits of Having Sex More Often», «Having sex for the First Time», «Open Sex», «Daily Sex Video», «Sex, Love and Relationships», «What Happens to Our Bodies During Sex»... Pictures, articles, comics and more. Links to which kids, teenagers and youngsters can access without restrictions, except the ones imposed at home.

Historically, sexuality has been explored as an intrinsic experience between the individual and the context. Each generation has created its own ethical codes to explore the body and pleasure and has transmitted its experience through paintings, sculptures, literature and oral tradition. From the totemic genital worship in primitive societies, exalting maternity, fertility and feminine eroticism; to the exploration of male eroticism through masturbation, the cult of phallus and the body beauty of the Egyptians, Greeks and Romans. In pre-Columbian cultures sexuality was open and free, virginity was not a special gift, homosexuality and separation of the couple was accepted. Eroticism was part of nature and it was connected with its principles. The obscenity in the center, «not with the meaning which today is given to the word 'obscene' but with that of 'sexually wise and clever'», as the psychoanalyst Clarissa Pinkola Estés tells in her book Women who run with the wolves..

The abyss opened was so big that until today we deal with its consequences, easily seen just having a look at the feminine dichotomy ‘lady - bitch', ‘virgin - lustful’, ‘reserved - crazy’, ‘prudent - hysterical'... There was no chance for exploration.

Fear, shame, guilt and punishment took root generation after generation, merging its characteristics according with the century and its trends, without leaving its essence: «On the subject of sex, silence became the rule. The legitimate and procreative couple laid down the law. The couple imposed itself as model, enforced the norm, safeguarded the truth, and reserved the right to speak while retaining the principle of secrecy», as Michel Foucault portrayed the Victorian period in The History of Sexuality. This is how the 20th century began along with the technical innovations of the Second Industrial Revolution, communication was transformed and mechanized conception of the body-sketch was installed, which must be improved, corrected, adapted for consumption. Pornography industry was massified. The limits were blurred between the permissiveness on some selected taboo subjects and inherited prejudices. The new codes of pleasure appeared. There was talk again about eroticism and sexuality, without leaving the Victorian repression and puritanism incarnated in the collective psyche.

Teenagers are educated in this collage, with no space for personal exploration that leads to the recognition of one's own desires and limits —and of the others—, for the free development of identity. «Everyone knew, for example, that children had no sex, which was why they were forbidden to talk about it, why one closed one's eyes and stopped one's ears whenever they came to show evidence to the contrary, and why a general and studied silence was imposed», wrote Foucault on his analysis of Victorian sexuality. In some contexts it seems like a news story from a contemporary newspaper.

As caregivers and teachers, it’s important to collaborate on the integral development of girls and boys, and accompany them in their passage into adulthood —without taboos or prejudices— to make them take conscious decisions and, in the midst of the misinformation that overwhelms them, build responsible and libertarian life projects. For this it is necessary, not only to transmit physiological contents and talk about genitality and the consequences of sexual practice, but to help them to recognize themselves as autonomous and free people, facilitating the development of their potential through basic skills.

• Self-recognition, recognition of desire, body and identity.
• Consent and limits.
• Recognition of the other, listening and observation of the environment.
• Emotion management.
• Acceptance of difference, approach to equality and rights.
• Recognition of good and bad practices of love.

And this is a political project to facilitate the reflection and construction of a new Ethics of Pleasure, that promotes the development of caring and sexual health of teenagers and young people, equality between sexes and empowerment of women, to fight against problems such as gender violence, teenage pregnancy and epidemic diseases such as HIV / AIDS.

The Amorfiesta Didactic Guides propose a series of activities compiled in 6 dossiers for caregivers, teachers and tutors to discuss and create content with groups of teenagers and young people in their classes. But also so that adolescents and young people can reflect while playing in their own environments. In this version we provide two topics to talk about from the story of Petra and Pascacio: Stereotypes and myths of romantic love. If youe would like more information and learning materials about new masculinities, street harassment, limits and self-care or sexual education, please don't hesitate to contact the Amorfiesta team by email (amorfiesta@gmail.com) or visiting our web and social networks.

Following Petra and Pascacio’s route you can build Amorfiesta!

Temáticas