Observational Ethnographic Study

What is even stranger is that women fully enforce this sexual double standard. Over 99% of woman agree that women enjoy sex as much as men do, yet when asked to describe a woman who has had many sexual partners, over 59% percent of women used words that fell under the negatively connotative ‘Promiscuous’ category, using words like “slut,” “cheap,” “loose,” “whore,” “easy,” and “dirty.” Twelve percent of women even used words that would suggest that sexually liberal woman are psychologically damaged, using words like “insecure,” “lonely,” “desperate,” “needy,” and ‘unfulfilled.” Only 8% of women tagged a sexually liberal woman in the more positive category of “sexually focused,” the respondents feeling that “these women were uncommitted and focused on sex rather than the relationship” (Milhausen and Herold). In addition, “Women were more likely to discourage a female friend from dating a highly experienced male that a male friend from dating a highly experienced female” (Milhausen and Herold). This fact furthers the case for women’s involvement in maintaining the double standard. In a one study researchers found that “Women will endorse a sexual double standard in which women are judged more

Since women’s acceptance in the labour market the typical Australian family being ‘male breadwinner’ have been replaced by ‘dual income’ families where one partner works full-time while the other works part-time (Chesters 2011). As a result, there was an adjustment in the division of domestic labour where it became more equal as couples divide their time between paid and unpaid work (Chesters 2013). According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS 2009) gender roles in housework became more flexible whilst women participate in paid employment. Men would spend more time doing ‘core female’ domestic activities such as cooking and laundry and less time on outdoor activities such as home maintenance and lawn mowing (ABS 2009). In addition, men take on a greater role with regard to childcare where they spend more of their care time on play activities, these activities are normally done the same time as other activities (ABS 2009). However, some research has found that the ‘more dependent husbands are on their wives for income the less housework’ they would do in order to protect their masculinity (Baxter, Hewitt & Western 2009). Although there is hardly any difference in time spend on household work between full-time and part-time employed men it is is evident unemployed men spend only between 4 and 5 hours more doing housework as

I set out to find a place to begin my observations, not knowing what to fully expect, what I may find. So I decided to look around at what is close to my home that isn’t a place I frequent or have even visited at all. Then it came to me, the Starbucks that is only about a mile away is a perfect place for me to observe subjects that I would consider different from myself, seeing as how I consider such obscene prices for coffee ridiculous. Starbucks is a very popular chain of coffee vendors that describe their product as more about quality than what Americans are used to in typical coffee joints.

The double standard discussed by Andersen and Witham (2011) is the sexual double standard. The sexual double standards get to be obvious when the sexual behaviors of women and men are exposed to different judgments that depend on a variety of societal desires of either gender. For instance, it is acceptable for men to have loads of sexual encounters before settling down for a long haul sexual relationship; in spite of that, the same is not considered for women. Any woman that takes part in a lot of sexual relationships is normally classified as “sluts” while men with the same behavior are thought to be

With the constant push for conforming into what society deems as acceptable, it is no surprise how much of an impact society plays on limiting the perception of what one’s sexual relationship should be. Society manipulates women into behaving in a certain manner in order to fit into this ideal mold of how women should be. Yet only to a certain point, “Be assertive, but not aggressive. Be feminine, but not too passive. Be sexually adventurous, but don’t alienate men with your sexual prowess.” (Bell 26) Due to all of the conditions, which limit women, it is no wonder how many young women feel “weighed down by vying cultural notions about the kind of sex and relationships they should be having.” (Bell 26) Although these limitations proposed by society can cause personal battles between oneself, it is possible to change one’s perception of how one should act regarding their own sexuality. Bell points out that by using “strategies of desire of the Relational Woman”, (Bell 30) this will assist woman in navigating through their sexual and romantic lives. It is normal for women to feel a desire for relationships and it is inevitable that conflict will arise. If women are able to develop and fully accepting their desires, despite the limitations from society, this will to lead women to building lives that are filled with self-acceptance.

Society celebrates when a man has sex for the first time and pushes them to continue, but harshly critiques women who fall on either end of the binary. When a woman chooses to wait to be intimate, she’s labeled as childish or a prude, but if she speaks too confidently of her sexual feelings she’s seen as impure. Angi Becker Stevens addresses this discrepancy between men and women’s sexuality, as well as infidelity, in her article Should Feminists Be Critical of Compulsory Monogamy? by critiquing how the act of a male engaging in cheating is viewed as more acceptable by society than a female participating in similar acts. She explains, “When men break the bonds of monogamy, they are seen as giving in to their base, masculine nature. But when women commit infidelity, they are viewed as not only betraying a partner, but betraying their virtuous, sexually pure gender role as well”. Stevens would critique this fraternity boy’s picture by first deconstructing the caption. The idea of leaving “with everything except her dignity” could carry the implication that the girl is lacking loyalty and cheated on her significant other, or the suggestion that her purity and reputation have been

Researchers have found that, in general, males tend to be more critical toward females who partake in casual sexual relationships; men tend to inflate the number, and experiences, in regards to their sexual relations to enhance their status amongst peers while women reduce the number of sexual experiences as their statuses are diminished amongst their peers with higher numbers (England & Bearak, 2014). This type of sexual double standard can contribute towards sexual assault perpetrations due to perpetrators exploiting intimidating strategies to obtain sexual experience to increase their status quo (Littleton, 2014).

Attitudes towards different issues in society are adopted depending on the prevailing beliefs in such a society. Every trending issue in a society helps shape the attitudes that people develop and greatly influences their behavior. There is no question that every society has a prejudged perception and possible reaction to any event that may occur within the realm of the society. This prejudgment and reaction is often informed by the various experiences that the society may have undergone through in the earlier instances of occurrence of specific events. Leslie Bell, the author of “Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom,” largely focuses on female sexuality detailing the often confusing situations

The Arguments For and Against the Idea that There Is a Move Toward a More Equal Division of Labour Within the Home

In today’s society women are often faced with the challenge of finding their true identity. During this process, they often live through experiences they might end up regretting and wishing they could change. However, without living through these moments and making mistakes, they would not be able to become the person they want to be. Throughout life, one has to make mistakes in order to truly realize what it is they do and do not want in life. In the essay, “Selections from Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom” by Leslie Bell, she speaks about how difficult it is for women to find the perfect balance in their life to become who they are really meant to be. Leslie Bell speaks frequently about the idea that women are supposed to “live up” their twenties, and not get caught up in serious relationships. Leslie Bell often speaks about how when women are in their twenties it is a time period for them to discover new things, find out who they really are, all without the distraction of a genuine male partner. The twenties is a time period for women to experiment both sexually and in relationships. However, at the same time, there is a fine line between being considered promiscuous, while trying to experiment with casual sex. This creates a double standard for men and women. If a man has sex with a mass amount of woman, he is considered to be cool and might be praised for this. His peers may view his sexual activity as an accomplishment.

Sexuality has always been an issue of conflict and debate in society, especially since males and females are classified differently from the moment their gender is determined. This restraint of sexuality has been due to a heterosexual, patriarchal society’s ability to mold how men and women should and should not behave. As a result, sexuality has come to reflect society’s expectations, and throughout history, male and female sexuality has always been distinguishable, ensuring males maintain control of the power hierarchy. Yet, humans have always been having sex – either for reproductive purposes or for pleasure – and while both genders have the right to their own sexuality, it has evolved to be looked down

When I first saw I would be doing my research on China, I was excited; I have a few friends who are from China. The first thoughts that came to my mind were Chinese New Year, unique food, and fascinating traditions. My research pertains to understanding what factors make up the inequality of health and education between rural and urban cities in China. The first time I saw anything pertaining to this issue, I found it interesting because the situation is comparable to what the U.S experiences. Before I preceded to do my research, I did not know how the government in China was handling the situation. After talking with my service-learning partner, Hui and doing my own research, I found that this topic is very complicated. There are many reasons

Oakland University sociologist and anthropologist Heidi Lyons explains the overwhelming proof that there is a sexual double standard. She reports that, “Teenage boys who gain considerable sexual experience do not run the same risk of being labeled deviant as do their female counterparts. More specifically, young women who had a high number of sex partners were socially reprimanded for their behaviors, and young men were rewarded.” (Lyons 3). The young women in this study are seen as socially inferior to the men and Lyons works to expose this fact.

Psychotherapist Leslie Bell’s Hard to Get: Twenty-Something Women and the Paradox of Sexual Freedom argues that young women in their twenties engage in “splitting”, a defensive process in which people dissociate their ideas into separate parts that are unequally valued (28-29). This predicament leads them to choose between two different “strategies of desire:” the “Sexual Woman” and the “Relational Woman” (29). While the Sexual Woman enjoys being promiscuous and unrestricted, the Relational Woman expresses desire for deeper emotional commitment and intimacy (30). However, young women are hindered by certain social factors that exist in today’s society. Religious and ethnic traditions, sexual

How can a female be sure of who they are and their sexual preference if they do not explore and if they do so they are criticized for it? “Men are more approving of casual sex, sex without commitment, and sex with multiple partners than women” (Petersen and Hyde 2011). The authors in Sex Rules: Emerging Adults’ Perceptions of Gender’s Impact on Sexuality, explain that one way to understand these differences in men’s and women’s sexual behavior is through the social norms that govern appropriate behavior for men and women. To do so we have to look at the sexual scripting theory, sexual scripts are rules that individuals develop through social and cultural norms about appropriate sexual behavior. When looking at this based on gender it is found that women’s sexual scripts are emphasized on relationship quality. Men’s sexual scripts emphasize individual pleasure. This again reflects stereotypes and social norms that surround each gender.