Token Resistance to Sexual Intercourse and Consent to Unwanted Sexual Intercourse: College Students' Dating Experiences in Three Countries.

The article studies token resistance to sexual intercourse and consent to unwanted intercourse among college students in the United States, Russia and Japan. One form of sexual miscommunication of sexual intent is to say no to sexual intercourse while meaning yes. There are a number of reasons why women might pretend to be less interested in sexual intercourse than they really are. This form of sexual miscommunication is important to study because the act of consenting to unwanted sex may, in some cases, be a form of nonviolent sexual coercion. Sexual values at the cultural level are supported by institutions such as schools, family, and religion, which in turn are related to the sexual attitudes and norms held by groups and individuals within the society. Cultural variation in socialization practices related to sexual permissiveness and gender equality in sexuality is likely to be related to values of collectivism and individualism. It seems reasonable to predict that couples will be less free to engage in direct and honest communication in societies that grant more power and sexual rights to men than to women than in societies that grant equal privileges to men and women.