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Sex in Canada: The Who, Why, When, and How of Getting Down Up North
A sociological survey of all things sex related in Canadian culture.
What do we do in the bedroom? How often? Who with? Movies and the internet seem saturated in sex, but it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction, and real talk about our own sexual lives can feel uncomfortable. Sex in Canada pulls the covers off, breaking through myths with frank talk and hard facts. Tina Fetner delves into sex among singles and couples; marriage and monogamy; hooking up and committed relationships. Guided by the results of her one-of-a-kind survey of adults aged eighteen to ninety, she shows us how the social forces that shape Canadian’s lives also influence their sexual behavior, reflecting the patterns of the broader world. In applying the tools of social science to a formerly taboo topic, Sex in Canada offers the most accurate picture to date—not just of Canadians’ sex lives, but of why they do what they do and with whom.
What do we do in the bedroom? How often? Who with? Movies and the internet seem saturated in sex, but it’s difficult to separate fact from fiction, and real talk about our own sexual lives can feel uncomfortable. Sex in Canada pulls the covers off, breaking through myths with frank talk and hard facts. Tina Fetner delves into sex among singles and couples; marriage and monogamy; hooking up and committed relationships. Guided by the results of her one-of-a-kind survey of adults aged eighteen to ninety, she shows us how the social forces that shape Canadian’s lives also influence their sexual behavior, reflecting the patterns of the broader world. In applying the tools of social science to a formerly taboo topic, Sex in Canada offers the most accurate picture to date—not just of Canadians’ sex lives, but of why they do what they do and with whom.
216 pages, Paperback
Published April 1, 2024
2 people are currently reading
80 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
April 29, 2024
I really appreciate that there was a study conducted in Canada! It was interesting to see some trends and insights. Some solid explanations of gender studies and culture make the reading more interesting.
I'm not a research professional, so maybe it's not fair of me to say, but I'm not sure a sample of less than 3,000 people is enough for me to take the trends found as extremely official. I think this is an excellent start to open dialogue, educate Canadians, and hopefully encourage more studies in this field of research.
I'm not a research professional, so maybe it's not fair of me to say, but I'm not sure a sample of less than 3,000 people is enough for me to take the trends found as extremely official. I think this is an excellent start to open dialogue, educate Canadians, and hopefully encourage more studies in this field of research.
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April 14, 2024Many years ago, the topic of sex was not discussed very openly. Those who did talk explicitly about sex, were often met with uncomfortable looks and nervous laughter. Over the decades, sexuality has relaxed to the point that it is discussed with respect and respectability, thanks to talk shows and articles in magazines. Canada has had its own moments where sex was discussed openly but not in as much detail as other countries.
Now comes SEX IN CANADA—THE WHO, WHY, WHEN, AND HOW OF GETTING DOWN UP NORTH). Tina Fentner, a Professor of Sociology at McMaster University, knew that studies on sexuality were fairly close to non-existent in Canada. When she taught at McMaster University, much of the data came from American studies. She decided it was time to get up close and personal with Canadians, as to their sexual needs and desires. It resulted in a most eye-opening book where we learn just what Canadians prefer in their personal and private lives.
The data in the book was completed in 2018, before the pandemic changed our lives completely. More than 2,000 people were part of the survey, more than a credible cross-section of respondents. One wonders what data might have been found if it was done while many were quarantined, stores were closed and out movement extremely limited, meaning what would we do for pleasure and entertainment.
That aside, what Fentner found in the surveys was totally fascinating and more comprehensive, looking into all aspects of sexuality, whether straight, gay, bisexual and other preferences. Every page has a new revelation about the type of sex that one preferred, along with the age groups that were associated with the activity. Every possible category was looked into, such as masturbation, sex toy use, dating rituals, partner preferences, sex and age, and so much more.
It is down to the most precise details, finding if more males versus females masturbated, used sex toys, what type of sex play they preferred, including nipple play, massage, toys, oral sex, and every conceivable aspect of pleasure. The percentages are most telling, and there are categories where people over seventy were quite active, dispelling the myth that the elderly shun sex. Quite the contrary.
This book is most important in giving Canadians an honest and open cross-section of dispelling stereotypes, and letting us who loves, why they love, how they love, and much more. The book goes a long way to showing us that, and creating dialogue between people of all sexual preferences in a most intelligent manner.
Now comes SEX IN CANADA—THE WHO, WHY, WHEN, AND HOW OF GETTING DOWN UP NORTH). Tina Fentner, a Professor of Sociology at McMaster University, knew that studies on sexuality were fairly close to non-existent in Canada. When she taught at McMaster University, much of the data came from American studies. She decided it was time to get up close and personal with Canadians, as to their sexual needs and desires. It resulted in a most eye-opening book where we learn just what Canadians prefer in their personal and private lives.
The data in the book was completed in 2018, before the pandemic changed our lives completely. More than 2,000 people were part of the survey, more than a credible cross-section of respondents. One wonders what data might have been found if it was done while many were quarantined, stores were closed and out movement extremely limited, meaning what would we do for pleasure and entertainment.
That aside, what Fentner found in the surveys was totally fascinating and more comprehensive, looking into all aspects of sexuality, whether straight, gay, bisexual and other preferences. Every page has a new revelation about the type of sex that one preferred, along with the age groups that were associated with the activity. Every possible category was looked into, such as masturbation, sex toy use, dating rituals, partner preferences, sex and age, and so much more.
It is down to the most precise details, finding if more males versus females masturbated, used sex toys, what type of sex play they preferred, including nipple play, massage, toys, oral sex, and every conceivable aspect of pleasure. The percentages are most telling, and there are categories where people over seventy were quite active, dispelling the myth that the elderly shun sex. Quite the contrary.
This book is most important in giving Canadians an honest and open cross-section of dispelling stereotypes, and letting us who loves, why they love, how they love, and much more. The book goes a long way to showing us that, and creating dialogue between people of all sexual preferences in a most intelligent manner.
May 5, 2024
What I liked most about this book is that it appears to be a fairly solid study on the ways in which Canadians experience sex. There are limitations to the research methods, as there is with almost all research that depends on self-reporting, and the fact that it was and online survey which means that people who did not have access to a computer or smartphone are not represented. That said, the appendix of the book speaks of the methods used and the limitations of those methods.
What I like about this book is that there is data presented that is readable to the layperson rather than the statistician. It might not be as entertaining as some other books might be, but the data is presented in a way that is easy to understand and interesting--at least to a social nerd like myself.
What I like about this book is that there is data presented that is readable to the layperson rather than the statistician. It might not be as entertaining as some other books might be, but the data is presented in a way that is easy to understand and interesting--at least to a social nerd like myself.
May 23, 2025
3.5 stars
To put it simply, I was bored.
The majority of the statistics already fell in line with my generalized preconceived notions on the who, what, when, and why of sex, so I found myself skimming most of the explanations/hypothesis just to confirm if they matched what I had assumed or already learned elsewhere.
I think it’s really awesome this book exists as a general overview to those that are curious but I picked it up thinking it would go into more detail on niche under represented demographics/topics.
To put it simply, I was bored.
The majority of the statistics already fell in line with my generalized preconceived notions on the who, what, when, and why of sex, so I found myself skimming most of the explanations/hypothesis just to confirm if they matched what I had assumed or already learned elsewhere.
I think it’s really awesome this book exists as a general overview to those that are curious but I picked it up thinking it would go into more detail on niche under represented demographics/topics.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews