Gender Sexuality As A Social Construct - 1601 Words

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: â€Å"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: â€Å"But twilight soon fell upon this bright day, followed by the monotonous nights of the Victorian†¦show more content†¦When one is deemed a â€Å"boy†, one has yet to overcome the threshold of childhood, in order to become a man: â€Å"He was a boy, just a boy, when I was a very young girl.† (Will iams 95). Conversely, Stanley was the embodiment of masculinity, from his clothes to his behaviour. He was loud (â€Å"Stanley rarely talks, he â€Å"shouts,† â€Å"bellows,† â€Å"booms,† or â€Å"hollers.†(Guilbert 99)), uncouth, the sole provider of his family, he deemed himself the â€Å"king† of his household and did not shy away from domestic violence. So, just as described by Tenessee Williams, Stanley was exactly how a man was expected to be, back then: He is of medium height, about five feet eight of nine, and strongly, compactly built. Animal joy in his being is implicit in all his movements and attitudes. Since earliest manhood the center of his life has been pleasure with women, the giving and taking of it, not with weak indulgence, dependently, but with the power and pride of a richly feathered male bird among hens. (Williams 29) Being the typical image of American masculinity, Stanley dressed accordingly, he wore a wife-beater and was relatively careless about his appearance because straight men could not be bothered with such trifles: â€Å"He wears an undershirt and grease-stained seersucker pants.† (Williams 71). In contrast, Allan, because of his sexuality, was expected to be the complete opposite of Stanley, extremely careful with hisShow MoreRelatedSexuality And Gender : Social Constructs Essay1366 Words   |  6 PagesSexuality and Gender are social constructs. They are more like fluid concepts. Both are on spectrums. Why could they be considered controversial topics, more specifically the spectrum? Well, the idea of sexuality being more than just heterosexuality has been challenged by conservative types and others alike for years. They may even deem anything other than heterosexuality as something abnormal and immoral. For some, it can be quite difficult to understand that sexuality is on a s pectrum. EspeciallyRead MoreGender And Gender Essay774 Words   |  4 PagesThe social constructionist viewpoint on gender and sexuality seems to be the one of the most plausible ways to study and examine the topics. Although biology no doubt has an impact on attraction, and quite possibly gender, society influences the choices of everyone, and whether a person realizes it or not, society shapes their identity. The structure of society and its norms influence everything a person does, including their gender and sexuality. Gender is already considered to be a social constructRead MoreSexuality As A Social Construct1486 Words   |  6 PagesHannah St. Lifer Sexuality as a Social Construct Heternormativity is the idea that there exist two distinctive classifications of the genders, males and females, with customary roles in society. The idea asserts that heterosexuality is the only normal sexual orientation of people and that all sexual and marital relations must abide by this norm. Society has adopted this belief and constructed it into a standard of life. It is normal for people to automatically presume that most other people are heterosexualRead MoreHuman Nature : Gender System Is Established On A Basis Of Our Own Standards875 Words   |  4 PagesIn the U.S. the gender system is established on a basis of our own standards. â€Å"The paradox of human nature is that it is always a manifestation of cultural meanings, social relationships, and power politics; not biology, but culture, becomes destiny† (Lorber 117). We do not picture males and females based on their genitalia, but rather the way that people express their gender identity. No matter someoneâ€℠¢s personal identification, the greater society will â€Å"do gender† and categorize them anyway. TheRead MoreGender And Gender Identity1648 Words   |  7 PagesIn light of performativity, political transformation via hegemonic cultural practices continues to advocate for gender parody. Overall, the recent exploration of alterity ethics complements performativity politics by exploiting the subversive potential of gender identity as well as female identity. For the oppressed individuals, power should be subverted via political strategy guided by the consequences and punishment with the objective of maximizing the good in the society. In other words, performativityRead MoreMargaret Atwood s The Handmaid s Tale931 Words   |  4 Pagesculture and society. With the recent exploration of sexuality a new concept of sexual and gender identity has emerged and is being analyzed in various fields of study. The ideology behind what defines gender and how society explains sex beyond biology has changed at a rapid pace. In response various attempts to create specific and catch all definit ions of growing gender and sexual minorities has been on going. This has resulted in the concept of gender becoming a multi- layered shifting hypothesis toRead MoreAnalysis Of Allen Ginsberg s Howl And 1661 Words   |  7 PagesAllen Ginsberg was one of the greatest admired Beat Generation poets, who particularly used free flowing, aggressive and occasionally a discourteous style of language to show that the rule and social structure over heterosexuality can be filled with opposition, so he decided to release queerness. Ginsberg strongly disputed capitalism and conformity that notably consisted of sexual repression, so he incorporated in the development of counterculture and challenged the heteronormative, procreation-drivenRead MoreModern Culture : The Japanese Manga A Sub Culture Based Around Graphic Novels1606 Words   |  7 PagesIn Japanese modern culture, patriarchal constructs rule everyday ideology of what it is to be feminine, how the female body should look, and appro priate female sexual behaviour. Representations (and expectations) of the female form and sexuality are well depicted in the Japanese manga: graphic novel artwork that is read ubiquitously throughout Japan. Exploration of this art-form and the culture that grows around it provides a unique insight into current cultural attitudes in Japan. Shojo manga -Read MoreGender, Gender And Sexuality Essay1748 Words   |  7 Pagesin the class lectures that Women and Gender Studies challenge the idea of whose knowledge is privileged or valued. The article â€Å"Doing Gender, Doing Class† serves as a great example to ask that question in regards to the expression of gender and sexuality, and how those two are heavily influenced by the social class construct. Trautner argues that â€Å"gender in organizations interacts with other major features of stratification - such as class and race - to construct unique organizational cultures thatRead MoreThe Child Is A Child Essay1433 Words   |à ‚  6 Pagestoys. This is not the first time, Marcus has done this, the action of playing with his sisters toys and his shy demeanor, has made his family question Marcus sexuality labeling him possibly gay before he’s had the chance to make this conclusion for himself. Therefore, because Marcus choice in toys and non-rambunctious demeanor, his sexuality was chosen for him because it was outside of the model of what it means to be a male child. Though, this is hypothetical scenario, it is a common one. Within