History of Female Sexuality and Gender Roles

Essay on History of Sexuality
Married Love was an unprecedented book, which inadvertently redefined female sexuality. Often
regarded as the precursor of sex–manuals, Married Love launched Stopes' enormously successful
career as a writer. Published in 1918, Married Love reviewed the intertwining relationship of
marriage, sex and contraception, which in Stopes' view were the fundamental components of a
fulfilling and rewarding marriage. Like all discourse, Married Love is heavily embedded within a
distinct historical and cultural context. Darwinian theory and the development of eugenics had a
phenomenal impact on Stopes. Recognising the equal sexual desire of women would make Married
Love greatly influential in the shaping of modern perceptions into female sexuality....show more
content...
Known as the Two Sex theory, devised by historian Thomas Laqueur, female sexuality would be
characterized purely by a woman's reproductive potential, where the concept of an innate maternal
instinct would become the new prioritized ideal. The female orgasm was renounced by a new
essence of masculine superiority. This notion can be asserted with the Phallocentric inclination of
the late 18th century, examined by historian Tim Hitchcock, as period characterized by penetration
and precedence of the phallus. This "both encouraged and made possible the denigration of female
sexuality and perceived passivity." Consequently this caused the de–emphasis of female sexual
pleasure and desire. However, female sexual identity would reemerge with potency, attributed to
social flux, the emerging field of sexology and disposition of the interwar years. Stopes actively
sought to reprimand the misconstrued assumptions of female sexuality as she considered female
desire "profound as hunger of food" . She elaborated on this in chapter IV, titled the Fundamental
Pulse. Within this chapter Stopes discusses research regarding female acceptability towards sex
during the different stages of hormonal and menstrual cycles. This would become what Stopes
termed as the 'Law of Periodicity of Recurrence of
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Essay on Sex and Gender
In order to answer the question above this essay will discuss in depth what exactly sex is and
what gender is and the differences between the two terms. The research carried out will display
that we live in a patriarchal society without a doubt as we look at how gender links to inequality in
society. A patriarchal society can be clearly seen from thegender inequality in the labour force
which is paid labour and also in unpaid labour which occurs in the household. Another area the
answer will reflect on is how gender inequality links to education which overall links to society.
Finally the answer below will show how the media also portrays gender inequality and how it affects
the people in society.
Sex and gender are terms that are...show more content...
You are born with sexual attributes but gender qualities are developed after birth (Tovey and
Share, 2003). The variations between the two sexes are an outcome of culture and society
(Giddens, 2001). The best way to prove the difference between the terms 'sex' and 'gender' is the
situation of transsexuals. These people fit biologically into one sex but feel they belong to the
other. Through surgery and hormone treatment they try to change their biological sex and by doing
this they also have to learn how to act like the sex they have changed to. They also have to take on
new masculine/feminine roles (Browne, 2005). One in every two thousand babies is born intersex
which is a baby with mixed female and male characteristics.
The two themes that need to be discussed in order to explain gender differences are difference and
inequality. Difference is how men and women are differentiated. It is the way social relationships,
processes and institutions distinguish between men and women that sociologists are interested in.
also how them processes "create meanings about femininity and masculinity" (Marsh and Keating,
2003 p.265). Inequality refers to the way gender distinctions and inequalities are linked together, as
well as power relations and hierarchy. Sociologists are trying to determine whether inequalities
between men and women are due to social distinctions (Marsh and Keating, 2003). Feminist
sociologists argue that women experience a drawback

Essay about Human Sexuality
We are born, we are named. We die, we are named. Be it the name of a new child or the title given
to a hero who gives their life for the sake of many, a name is a sacred thing within our world. A
name is a mark that follows us, identifies us, and lets us state our place in the world. Humans name
everything we come in contact with – corporal or incorporeal. Every substance, action, or emotion
has a name. Every state of being is labeled and defined. For centuries this powerful ability to give
a name has been used in a variety of ways, some almost sacrilegious to the nearly spiritual act of
defining yourself. We have branded, ostracized, and dehumanized using labels as a tool to
discriminate against those who do not fall within our own neat...show more content...
In 1948, Kinsey's study identified 1.5% of the male population in America as asexual ( category X),
and in 2004 Anthony Bogaert's "Asexuality: Prevalence and Associated Factors in National
Probability Sample," suggests that 1% of the British population that participated in his study
self–identified asexual (Bogaert 279). This data suggests that ––with Earth's current population being
somewhere within the seven billions–– there are roughly 70,000,000–105,000,000 asexuals around
the world ("Population Clock"). Within this astonishingly large population there is also significant
diversity.
Despite feeling no sexual attraction, asexuals often label themselves as either "romantic" or
"a–romantic". These terms come into play when dealing with romantic orientation – the counterpart
of sexual orientation. Current research suggests that the parts of the brain that control sexual
attraction and romantic affection, or lust and love, are controlled by two parts of the brain that are
separate, despite the overlap in systems that they affect (Cacioppo et al. 2012). This belief has come
to be widely accepted, and based on this data some have concluded that romantic and sexual
attraction do not have to be coincide with each other (Bogeart 2012). Many activists and some
research scientists now suggest that each

Gender and Sexuality Essay
Males and females are classed differently from the moment they are pronounced boy or girl. Gender
determines the differences in power and control in which men and women have over the
socioeconomic determinants of their health, lives and status in their community. Our society moulds
how men and women should and should not behave and can be observed in all parts of our society.
As a result of these Gender stereotypes men and women have issues which affect their health which
are unique to each gender. Males for example are perceived to be greater risk takers as a whole in
our society than that of females. We represent risk taking behavior with masculinity and violence,
high speed driving and contact sport with the male gender. (Doyle 2005)...show more content...
Women in the last thirty years or so have fought for equality among the sexes in all forms. The
Women?s movement have fought hard to change this socially constructed view of our society.
Due to this double burden placed on working mothers there is a far greater demand on their bodies
and an increasingly likelihood of illness in many forms as well as psychological trauma such as
depression and anxiety due to the constant workload. Females in the past were argued as having a
less likelihood of illness because they were not as abundant in the workforce thus giving them more
relaxation time.
When males retire around the age group of 55 to 65 many of them pass away early due to the
dramatic change in lifestyle. They go from five days a week working nine or ten hour days to
completely nothing and because they have become so adapted to the working week they change
their habits, their lifestyle differs and they develop sickness and health problems.
As health is seen as a holistic concept we also have to focus on the psychological side of health.
Mental illnesses affect around one in every three people and an individual?s gender is a critical
determinant of mental health and mental illness. Women are much more likely to develop mental
health problems then males do. The most predominant of these disorders are depression, anxiety and
somatic complaints.

Female Sexuality Essay examples
| Activism Project| Female Sexuality| | Leisa Thornton| 5/2/2011|
The pleasures and rights of a woman's sexual freedom, and doing it safely was my activism project
main objective. I endeavored to educate woman concerning these issue in a fun and comfortable
atmosphere. This topic can be simultaneously controversial and exciting. What is female sexuality?
Female sexuality encompasses a broad range of topics, including female sexual identity and sexual
behavior, the physiological, psychological, social, cultural, political, and spiritual aspects of sex. This
is not a subject that has recently been viewed as a topic of interest. This subject has been under
scrutiny for many centuries. To discuss sexuality is...show more content...
The clinical name for the condition was known as "hysterical paroxysm." The first vibrator was
invented be a British physician in the 1880s was a direct response to doctors who wanted help
performing this procedure to reduce the time factor. (Jennifer Berman, 2005)
Everyone in that era did not consider masturbation a medical treatment. They believe that
masturbation led to a series of disasters such as: insomnia, exhaustion, neurasthenia, epilepsy,
moral insanity, convulsions, melancholia, and paralysis to eventual coma and death. Dr. Lawson
Tait stated in 1889 that the evils of masturbation had been greatly exaggerated. His colleague did
not share his same ideas, Dr. Isaac Baker was a surgeon who treated women for masturbation by
clitoridectomy this procedure was also said to cure nymphomania, epilepsy, catalepsy, painful
periods and numerous other female disorders. (Studd, 2006) Sex is not a dirty word as some may
define it, but a pleasurable experience. Women must learn to embrace their sexuality and enjoy it.
They should embark on a journey by touching themselves to find out what is pleasurable, and then
teach their partners how they want to be touched. A person's religion or spirituality plays an
important part on how they view sex. Abstinence before marriage is the religion world view on
sex. Sex outside of marriage is labeled as sin, and called fornication according

Essay on Gender and Sexuality
What does it take to be a man or a woman? Our sense organs alone do not determine whether we
are men or women. Our gender includes a multifaceted combination of beliefs, behaviors, and
characteristics. How do we act, behave, and talk like a man or a woman? Each one of us has a
sex, a gender, and a gender identity that are all aspects of our sexuality. These aspects describe who
we are, in different personalities and attributes but related. Society's categories for what is masculine
and feminine may not capture how we truly feel, how we behave, or how we define ourselves.
In today's society, the imagery of men and women are portrayed in their different personalities. The
ideal male is always characterized as being competent, stable, tough,...show more content...
A study on the implicit and explicit occupational gender types, Sex Roles, "Occupational gender
stereotypes are activated when men and women are considered to be more suited for certain
occupations based on stereotyped characteristics and temperaments" (White and White 2006).
Matheus represented the following examples, "a stereotypically feminine job would be associated
with attributes such as nurturing, caring, and being sensitive to the needs of others and a
stereotypically masculine job would be associated with attributes such as decisiveness, coldness and
toughness" (Matheus 2010). Nowadays, women are usually seen in the workforce as secretaries and
nurses. Meanwhile, most doctors and construction laborers are men. In addition, Anker points out
that "Occupational segregation by gender is prevalent in most if not all countries" (Anker 1998).
"Women and men work in different fields and within fields at different levels" (Anker 1998).
Diekman and Wilde explained that "men's concentration in leadership and other high power roles led
to the assumption that men have "agentic characteristics" such self–assertion and dominance and
women's concentration in subordinate and caretaking roles lead to the assumption that they have
"communal characteristics" such as being kind and supportive (Diekman and Wilde 2005).
Physical appearance is one of the major if not the most obvious distinguishing feature that separates
men and

Essay on Women's Sexuality
Women of society from the earliest of times to the present day have faced a multitude of struggles.
The issue of sexuality is especially critical to the lives of women. If one's personality is the set of
characteristics about them, including attitude, interests, emotionality and behavioral patterns, than
sexuality is a part of that identity. As people we take pride in who we are, and are taught that
self–esteem is important to our mental health. In our society however, women are programmed to
shame their sexualities, and in turn, themselves. This is a great contradiction. Women should be
encouraged to embrace their sexualities safely and positively and seek the empowerment and
self–discovery that can come from it. The repression of...show more content...
I was [laughs] a kind of a tomboy.
I didn't really agree with that...playing house [when we were younger], the wife was the one doing
the entire household and everything, and afterwards the husband arrived ...
In our games, we also began to follow these models. In these games, there was obviously also a part
of sexuality ... We pretended to be a couple, but there were no kisses ... [it was] something like
dating ... We started to understand better how things worked, how relationships [work], how we
should behave." –Marta, 21 years, heterosexual, Braga (Costa. Nogueira, Lopez 7) "From a very
early age, I felt that something was not really good about it...[it was] related to guilt" says a woman
speaking about her early feelings of sexuality (Costa, Nogueira, Lopez 5). As we see from the
above testimonies, in times of youth repression of sexual identity can be most damaging.
Adolescent confusion seeks answers wherever they can be found, but for girls, discovery via her
own body is off limits, is shameful. The pornographic conceptualization of sexuality and eroticism
(as defined by Audre Lorde) is what has tainted sex and it's kin, yet it is the dominant example that
can be found everywhere: on television, the internet, billboards, in magazines even in our homes.
Dominant discourses of femininity represent women as an inferior group which has little power
over their own bodies. In this discourse women are the object of

Reflection On Sexuality
Sexuality is defined in many ways like, the capacity for sexual feelings or sexual activity. And,
most people usually develop a sense of their sexuality as a child. I believe several factors, whether
it be internal or external, help us to decide our sexuality. Growing up, I've always understood
sexuality as one's personal preference or orientation, like heterosexual or homosexual. My personal
sexuality is formed from my family values, societal norms, religious beliefs, and my peers.
The first thing that has shaped my views on sexuality are the many values that I was raised by. As a
child, respect was one of the most important values I learned. As that relates to sexuality, although I
don't agree with homosexuality. I must respect one's decision when it come to their sexuality and
choices. Also, I would never treat someone different because of their sexuality in which they
choose to identify with. In addition, you can't judge someone decisions that they choose for their
life. Another value I was taught as a child was kindness. I always treated people like I would want
them to treat me. For example, in today's world sexuality is such a controversial topic, that many
people have strong opinions about. I feel people can easy turn their opinions into hatred. For this
reason, l feel that's why kindness is important. I also think having a good set of values are
important in everyday life. We all face challenges at some point in our lives. And, have a good set
of values to rely on can help you make the right decision moving forward.
Another thing, I would say has shaped my views on my sexuality is the societal norms of what
relationships should be. As a child, I was raised in a heterosexual family. And, I was never exposed
to homosexual relationships or behaviors. Therefore, I never could identify or relate to homosexual
relationships, because I had a lack of knowledge about them. Growing up, I've always seen many
heterosexual marriages and relationships, like my grandparents and parents. Personally, that's what I
consider the norm for relationships. In fact, my grandparent's relationship was what I though all
relationships model; such as, the husband and wife. Therefore, I always dreamed of having a family,
with a

All About Sex Essay
Have you ever had sex? How old is acceptable to start having sex? How does your society accept or
resent sex? What is sex? What do you call sex? What is a man's perception on sex, compared to a
woman's? I think of sex way different than say my grandparents do. These are just some of the
questions that I think of when I think of the real meaning of sex. How did sex come about in history?
"Then God blessed them, and God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply..." (The New King
James Version Bible, Genesis. 1:28). Sex is dated back before Christ in the Bible. Sex was used
simply to multiply creation and make more of man, not used as fun but still accepted. "The
aversion to sex by early Christian leaders extended to marriage being viewed as a...show more
content...
There is sex with toys, where vibrators, dildos, beads, nipple stimulators, anal plugs, anal probes,
cock rings, chains, eggs, lubes, massagers, oils, creams, lotions, exc. are used. There is sense sex,
where nothing is actually entered into the body, instead your senses are turned on to their fullest.
I think sex can be any type of intimacy that gets two people aroused and can cause an orgasm. I
love the fact that sex has broadened so much, and so openly, over the years. I like it all. Why can't
people just say the word sex? The word sex sounds so dirty and unacceptable to most people, that
they would rather call sex by these other crazy words! It doesn't make any since to me. I have
heard it described in many different ways. Many ways I found in another dictionary such as
"banging, boinking, boning, bumbing, bump nasties, bump uglies, shag, fuck, hump, screw, boot
knockin', do, get it on, get laid, get some booty, hit it, lay pipe, make babies, make woopie, make
love, poke, poon, put out, tapping ass, the old in–out, twerk something," (Words, 1–2). and more. I
just like to keep it simple, sex, unless I'm in the mood and then I want to "rape" my lover, in a good
and sexy way of course. When do people first have sex now–a–days? I was 14 years old. I do
strongly wish that I had waited longer and had sex with someone different , but I find it very
"normal" for our area these days. I went to school with girls that

Essay on Sexuality and Sexual Identity
Sexuality and Sexual Identity
Alfred C. Kinsey argued in 1948 that "It would encourage clearer thinking on these matters [of
labeling homosexuals] if persons were not characterized as heterosexual or homosexual, but as
individuals who have had certain amounts of heterosexual experience and homosexual experience.
Instead of using these terms as substantives (real and apparent entities) which stand for persons,
…they may be better used to describe the nature of overt sexual relations, or of the stimuli to
which an individual erotically responds." Here I shall look at this statement regarding sexuality and
gender from a sociological perspective on deviance. In this discussion I will...show more content...
The reinforcement of gender roles and boundaries through societal constructs is shown in
Woodhouse's discussion of transvestites or cross–dressers. Cross–dressing heterosexual men
(dressing in women's clothing) pose a threat to traditional society that presents male and female
gender categories as immutable categories that have no room for malleability. "On a social and
cultural level the two groups (male and female) are mutually exclusive…" (Woodhouse, p.
117). This is maintained and strictly enforced in our male–dominant society through approval of
masculinity and disapproval of femininity. "Outside of the closely demarcated boundaries of the drag
act or the fancy–dress party, men cannot appear in any item of women's clothing without
immediate loss of the superior status attached to the male and the full imposition of ridicule and
censure" (Woodhouse, p. 119). We see examples of this ridicule from very early childhood and
adolescence with boys being scorned and called a "sissy" for playing with dolls or expressing
feminine traits which are reserved for the secondary, inferior female role and "should be eradicated"
(Woodhouse, p. 119). There is a vice–grip on the primacy of masculinity which refuses to let go of
pointing out that which is not masculine, and giving it a value. "Any man who is effeminate cannot
be heterosexual, there must be something wrong with him"

Sexuality in the Elderly Essays
Sexuality in the Elderly: Sexual Dysfunction and Ways of Coping Over the last century, the life
expectancy of the elderly has increased. This means that the largest growing population right
now, in the United States, is persons over the age of 65 (Sex Tips for Older Adults, 2000). With
this in mind, it would be helpful to talk about the personal aspects or as I like to call it, "sex
lives" of the elderly. When people in our society think of the elderly, they almost never think
of this population having sex or good sex for that matter. But they do! Unfortunately, the elderly
encounter problems with sex as they become older and that is what I will be discussing along with
way of coping with sexual dysfunction....show more content...
There are physical changes in women as well that will affect their sexual abilities. The most common
attribute is menopause. The natural processes leading up to menopause begin very early in a
woman's life. The pituitary gland, a small gland at the base of the brain, signals the production of
several hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. These hormones cause the lining of the
uterus to thicken and shed throughout the course of a menstrual cycle. During childhood, estrogen
and progesterone levels gradually increase to a point that allows the onset of a young woman's first
menstrual cycle (Medcohealth, 2002). For reasons still unknown, estrogen levels begin to drop
during the mid–30's. During the mid–40's, a woman enters a transitional stage called perimenopause,
which usually lasts about four years. During this time, hormone levels begin to rise and fall,
leading to irregular menstrual cycles. Monthly periods may be longer, shorter, lighter, heavier, or
may not occur at all. Eventually, the amount of estrogen drops so low that it may no longer cause
the lining of the uterus to thicken. This is when menopause occurs. The average age for a
woman's final period is 51, but it can occur as early as age 40 and as late as age 60 (2002). In older
women, the rate and amount of vaginal secretions and lubrications are decreased and there is general
atrophy of the

Gender And Sexuality Essay
Gender and sexuality can be comprehended through social science. Social science is "the study of
human society and of individual relationships in and to society" (free dictionary, 2009). The study
of social science deals with different aspects of society such as politics, economics, and the social
aspects of society. Gender identity is closely interlinked with social science as it is based on an
identity of an individual in the society. Sexuality is "the condition of being characterized and
distinguished by sex" (free dictionary, 2009). There are different gender identities such as male,
female, gay, lesbian, transgender, and bisexual that exists all around the world. There is inequality in
gender identities and dominance of a male...show more content...
8). The traditional views of gender roles are indeed quite different from the modern views. The men
in society are the bread–winners where as the women take care of the children and home. There are
basic and common work roles, however in terms of behaviour and involvement there are gender role
distinctions. The sex roles generally play out in modern society as well, some sex roles and
stereotypes for girls are that they are "nonaggressive, nonathletic, emotionally expressive, tender,
domestic, and nurturing. Boys on the other hand are "aggressive, value achievement, attain goals
through conflict, and work towards monetary success" (Whicker and Kronenfeld, 1986; pp. 8). The
males in the society are "emotionally anesthetised, aggressive, physically tough and daring,
unwilling or unable to give nurturance to a child" (Lewis and Sussman, 1986; pp. 1). These traits
are carried out by this particular gender mostly outside the society to demonstrate their strength.
Those individuals who ignore to carry out these personality traits are seen as weak and unmanly.
The women on the other hand are given the responsibility of looking after the family and are
supposed to have the opposite personality traits. For instance a woman can show emotions but not
outside of the family because of the shame that would bring to the

History of Female Sexuality and Gender Roles

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History of Female Sexuality and Gender Roles