Sexual Identity : Social And Cultural Aspects Of Sexuality

Alike gender, sexuality is also a social construct, especially when looking at the period before the 18th century, when one’s sexual orientation did not matter, hence there being no need for justification, just as pointed by Foucault: “Sexual practices had little need of secrecy; words were said without undue reticence, and things were done without too much concealment; one had a tolerant familiarity with the illicit.” (3). And the 19th century came and brought with it a big change, and not only did people become engulfed by social norms, whom they should abide at all costs, but they also had to keep their sexual preferences under lock and key: “But twilight soon fell upon this bright day, followed by the monotonous nights of the Victorian

From birth, one's sexuality is shaped by society. Cultures institute behaviors that are to be seen as the societal norms, which work to constantly reinforce societal expectations of how genders should act in relation to one another. Although some may argue that one's sexuality is an innate characteristic resulting from genetic makeup, there is a large amount of evidence pointing to its social construction instead. Through the power differences between males and females, established gender roles, and drastic economic shifts, society establishes sexuality and reinforces the behaviors that are expected of its citizens.

Historically, societies have divided the sexes into male and female and assigned specific gender roles for each group to ‘perform’. Alternative sexual practices outside of the norm were considered unacceptable and abnormal. These ideologies of heteronormativity have been reinforced throughout various social institutions including media where heteronormative portrayals have been considered standards. Furthermore, as Rogers mentioned, “Commonly intertwined with such heterocentrism are values celebrating heterosexuality as normal and natural while condemning or at least rejecting lesbigay sexualities.” (Rogers 72). Heteronormativity is largely depicted in the media and reinforce dominant norms of society, which portray heterosexual romantic relationships

It’s no secret that we all have sex. Every person grows up as an individual, learning things about themselves as they go along, as well as learning about others. We all eventually end up calling someone else our significant other, whether it be of the same sex or not, and we all end up making personal decisions about our sexual identity and actions as we progress through life. We define our sexual identities of something unique to only us and we acquire our identities with a mix of influences: biological, psychological, social, cultures, values, and society in the time in which we are growing up. After such influences, we make the choice when to lose our

This paper examines the social aspects of the sexual identity in America, illustrating how sexual identities have progressed, evolved, and transformed. Social categories have been created as a tool used for social divide and control, inadvertently creating stereotypical facts and discriminatory opinions on sexes; while also helping create social and welcoming communities, whose goals are to diminish ideals such as those. Concluding, this paper will have explained the dichotomous categories of different sexualities and the divides within them. The already established sexual divide leaves no room for those stuck in the in between of today's society, especially one as progressive as America’s. Derived from the examples giving, this paper argues

In the documentary Middle Sexes: Redefining He and She, the prejudices towards transgender and intersex individuals, as well as the fear they experience because of these prejudices, are underlined. A transgender individual is one that identifies with a gender that is not associated with their biological sex. An intersexual individual, however, is one that is born with indefinite sexual anatomical characteristics, making it difficult to identify as a male or female (Croteau & Hoynes, 2013). In addition, this documentary emphasizes the impact of cultural expectations on sexual orientation and gender identification.

in our society we are given strict guidlines of what a man and a femal should behave like. no matter where we go we are first judged by our gender and secoundly our race. some people believe that sexual confusion or gender role confusion are diorders that people have from birth, which is true, but at times these behaviors come from tramatic or negative experiances. for a child or indivual person to become confused aboul there sexual role in society they experiencesome form or belittle ment based on their divergent behavior toward the strict gudlines of sexuality. our society has stressed out the idea that the ideal girl should not be powerful, aggressive or strong, and the ideal boys should not have a petite physique, play with dolls or engage

Social Construction of Sexuality Sexual orientation refers to an enduring pattern of sexual, affectional, or romantic attractions to individuals of the opposite sex, same sex, both sexes, or more than one gender. These attractions and behaviors that express them, engender an individual’s awareness of their social identity and sexuality. Sexuality is composed of a broad range of behaviors and processes, including the way your body develops and the way you feel and respond toward others. To understand the social construction of sexuality we must pay attention to the factors that shape and constrain it: race, ethnicity, gender, and social class, without ignoring the limitations, constraints, and disadvantages faced such as poverty, prejudice

This paper will be a short summary of the ways in which a Counselor can navigate effectively the growing yet sensitive topic of Sexual Identity; based on Chapter 10 of the Christian Counseling Ethics book by Randolph Sanders, entitled The Sexual Minority Client. This paper will discuss the responsibilities Counselors have in being aware of their own competence levels to counsel efficiently clients who have questions regarding sexual identity. This paper will discuss controversies and issues surrounding homosexuality as well as the steps a Counselor must take to preserve their Integrity while preserving the well-being of the client. In conclusion, this paper

Throughout history, definitions of sexuality within a culture are created and then changed time after time. During these changes, we have seen the impact and power one individual or group can have over others. In the Late Nineteenth Century into the Early Twentieth Century, we see multiple groups of people and or authorities taking control over the idea of sex and how they believe society is being impacted by sex. At this point in time, society had groups of people who believed they had the power to control how society as whole viewed and acted upon sex. Those particular groups and ideas changed many lives and the overall definition of sexuality within that culture.

Sexuality is a social identity that goes beyond the objectivity of the title and into the subjective scope of the personal lives of individuals, which in turn fabricate the social constructivism of a nation. Classism, heterosexism, and cisgenderism are further reinforced within the institutionalization of heteronormativity, being the promotion of the gender binary and heterosexuality as the only valid form of gender expression and sexual orientation. The normalization of this system is not enforced as inconspicuously as one would believe, with both Western and Eastern countries visibly dictating social norms in regards to sexuality, by deeming certain sexual practices as socially acceptable through the sanction of microaggressions and

When you go on with your daily lives and norms, you tend to not give much attention to what kind of roles certain genders play or how we perceive certain gender to perform said roles. Lorber mentions in the early part of her argument that we seem to treat sex, gender, and sexuality and the norms that come with them like fish and water (Lorber, 1994) . We have almost become numb to the norms and expectations that come along with certain genders and roles. However, when we see something out of the norm or missing, we notice it. Whether we keep it to ourselves or point it out, that is up to the individual.

Sexuality and sexual practices play a crucial part in how one defines oneself. The moral struggle between sinful or normal has a dramatic effect on how one views themselves, and one is perceived. When we can gain knowledge of how people process their own attitudes towards sexuality we can learn more about how humans tick.

Sexuality encompasses aspects in a person’s life that involves sex and gender identity, sexual orientation and sexual behavior. It encompasses the physical, social and psychological aspects of a person’s sexual behavior. It underpins what an individual is, affects the individual’s life wholesomely and is unique to each and every individual. A general stereotype of sexuality in old people exists in the society. Most people tend to believe that sexuality diminishes with age and that old people are not supposed to be sexually active beings. It is a reality however that most old people engage in sexual activities and have sexual needs even late into their lives (Connaughton & McCabe, 2015). Beliefs on sexuality in old people have greatly influenced negatively the way old people express their sexuality. The cartoon depicts an old couple possibly in one of their routine appointments with their family doctor. The couple despite the doctor’s attempt to engage them in a conversation regarding their sexual health is reluctant to discuss it with their doctor. A reaction such as the one associated with this couple can be as a result of the negative way in which the society views sexuality in the elderly. The result of such negativity is depicted by the way the couple seems irritated by the doctor’s line of discussion.

even though sexuality can be considered universal, the sexual behaviors affiliated with it offer different attitudes in various communities. Sexuality is aligned to sexual attraction where individuals can identify themselves with a broad range of sexuality that is bisexual, gay or being lesbian. Sexuality can change over time in a person depending on the circumstances surrounding him or her. It may be affected by the social circle and emotional imbalances that may occur in an individual. Interestingly there exists sexual inequality among many societies in the world. As observed, many societies encourage men to have multiple sex partners but forbid it in women. Moreover, pre-marital sex is promoted in men, but women are flaunted if they participate in pre-marital sex. Across the globe, Western Europe has embraced certain norms in sexuality such as homosexuality whereas African society embraces a negative attitude towards the same.