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Gender and Sexuality

Gender and Sexuality. Week 5 Gender and Society. Recap. Considered social construction of gender Considered the role of the media and schools in the construction of gender Looked at how gender impacts on all areas of work. Outline. What is heterosexuality? Compulsory heterosexuality

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Gender and Sexuality

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  1. Gender and Sexuality Week 5 Gender and Society

  2. Recap • Considered social construction of gender • Considered the role of the media and schools in the construction of gender • Looked at how gender impacts on all areas of work

  3. Outline • What is heterosexuality? • Compulsory heterosexuality • Gendered heterosexuality • Look at narratives of love and romance

  4. What is heterosexuality? • Heterosexuality has often been a confusing category in sociological writing • Term can relate to: • Sexual practice • Sexual identity • Social structure • The perception of heterosexuality as ‘natural’ or ‘normal’ overlooks the way it is constructed

  5. Compulsory heterosexuality • Rich argued that the organisation of society is based around heterosexual couple • Not a ‘natural’ choice for women but compelled though • Economic sanctions • Cultural sanctions • Political sanctions • Heterosexuality is not just about sexual inclinations – but a social institution

  6. Gay marriage • The protests against gay marriage is one way of seeing how society tries to enforce heterosexuality

  7. Compulsory heterosexuality • To what extend to you agree with Rich’s theory about compulsory heterosexuality? • Can you think of any problems with thinking about heterosexuality in this way?

  8. Compulsory heterosexuality • This way of thinking about heterosexuality draws attention to the way society promotes heterosexuality • But doesn’t really discuss sexual desire

  9. Changing intimacy? • It is often claimed that there has been a sexual revolution since 1960s which has liberalised heterosexuality • The contraceptive pill is said to have helped to uncouple sex and the reproductive marriage • Growth of ‘pure relationships’

  10. Social change • Contraception and abortion have made a difference to heterosexuality • Sexual activity for unmarried women has lost some of its stigma • Evidence remains that heterosexuality often remains phallocentric

  11. Social Change • Do you think there has been a radical shift in thinking about heterosexuality since the 1960s?

  12. Heterosexual practices • Ideas that circulate in society that define how we come to understand things are called discourses • Studies of young men and women consistently show heterosexuality is constructed differently • Heterosexual discourses often have • Dominant males/passive females • ‘Deviant’ women can be also seen as sexual predators • Men can understood as being controlling but not in control

  13. Gender and sexuality • Double standards persist and young women are disempowered within heterosexuality • Recent surveys reveals that 1/3 people in Britain feel that women who flirt are partly responsible if they are raped

  14. Young women • ‘Reputation’ is a key element in judging young women’s behaviour • Need to ensure respectability • ‘He’s the one’ often used to justify sex • Young women have a ‘male in the head’ • They continually judge their behaviour from a male point of view

  15. Young women • Often unable to exercise control and greater chance of having sex on male terms • Male needs, bodies and desires take precedent • Empowerment can be negotiated, but it is not automatically transferable

  16. Young men • Manhood achieved through sexual activity • Sexual ‘conquests’ linked to ideas about masculinity • ‘Performance’ rather than pleasure often important

  17. Young men mainly positive ‘At the time I was thinking, if only my mates could see me now, and stuff like that…’ ‘My ego just went WHOOMPH…’ ‘you have to perform quite well…’ Young women mainly negative ‘I didn’t really want it, I just wanted someone to love…’ ‘I suppose I just wanted to get it over with’ ‘It wasn’t very nice’ From Holland et al (1998) In the same boat First sexual encounters

  18. First sexual encounters • Do these descriptions of first sexual encounters surprise you? How are they linked to the ideas about gendered sexualities?

  19. Sociology of Love? • Our ideas about love and romance are also products of society • Historically and culturally specific • Given meaning by ‘scripts’ which are widely circulated • Couples ‘taught’ how to recognise a desire to be together

  20. Romantic scripts • Ideas about romance

  21. Girl meets Boy? • To what extent do you think agree that ideas about romance follow culturally specific texts?

  22. Summary • Dominant discourses of heterosexuality position men and women very differently • Compulsory heterosexuality helps to stigmatise other sexualities, and undermines women’s equality • Emotions such as love are also to some extent socially constructed

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