Cross-cultural differences shape sexual norms that outsiders stereotyping women.

Evidence

At the risk of “essentializing,” American women as a class are more likely to engage in premarital sexual activity than can be the case for women in many developing countries, where virginity and chastity are highly valued and tightly controlled. — David Theo Goldberg, John Solomos, A Companion to Racial and Ethnic Studies, 1186

Categorization

• CANDY: A punchy cross-cultural observation about conflicting sexual norms that could open a conversation.
• XREF: Connects to discussions of the ‘welfare queen’ myth and sexualized stereotypes of black women in US discourse.