sexuality and gender
Question One
The concepts and ideas of gender and sexuality have often been seen as interrelated within sociology. This is because sociologists perceive both terms as having seamless and blurred boundaries hence making them inextricable. For one to understand and appreciate this close inter-link between the two concepts, then they must get to understand and appreciate their underlying definitive meanings. It is also critical to note and understand that both gender and sexuality lack any absolute definitions, as evidenced by the controversy among sociologists concerning its purpose.
The term gender has often received different definitions from scholars and researchers who view it from different approaches or angles. However, there is some ubiquity that the broad definition of the term gender denotes the societal classification of people into either masculine or feminine classes. This means members of the society can either be male or female based on the framework of gender definition (Carrillo & Hoffman, 2018). After getting to understand the definition of gender, it is also vital that one gets to appreciate that the different classes in society are socialized differently in adapting to their different roles. This means, in essence, that gender is not merely a biological aspect, but instead, it is a social one and which metamorphoses based on changing dynamics in society.
In defining what gender encompasses, sociologists are also quick to note that culture plays critical roles when assigning the different genders their roles in society. Therefore, it follows that gender expectations within any society are based on the cultural undertones that underlie every gender. Based on whether a person is a male or a female, members of society develop certain behavioural and attitudinal expectations towards members of both genders. This assertion means that a particular person, whether a boy or girl, behaves in the society is solely determined by their biological sexes but by the expectations that the society had developed over time (Dean, 2014). Now is people get to grow up and develop, they start identifying themselves as either males or females and begin acquiring the societal characteristics imposed on them.
The concept of sexuality is a broad one that encompasses how a person feels of themselves and others emotionally and sexually. This means the attractions and feelings that people start developing towards others gradually. Therefore, sexually primarily implies a person t develop emotional and sexual feelings to other people in their ecosystem. Since people are always different and have divergent characteristics, it means that sexuality is also the divergent and personal orientation of the particular person. How people experience and undergo the process of expressing themselves sexually defines their sexualities. In many instances, sexuality is determined by subjective feelings, coupled with social expectations in society. Therefore, it means that both sexuality and gender are social tenets or constructs that are shaped by the trends in society.
The most common similarity between gender and sexuality is that they are both products of social constructs. This realization means that both concepts are determined and driven by societal expectations and attitudes. For instance, from a gender perspective as a man, society has certain expectations on your roles, way of thinking, among other salient aspects (Schilt & Westbrook, 2009). Likewise, from a sexuality perspective, as a man, society has set certain expectations on how you should get to interact with women-people of opposite sexes. The most common divergent characteristic between these two concepts is that sexuality is primarily based on biological orientation, while gender is base on self-perception. No person chooses whether to be a man or woman during their times of birth. This means that sexuality is a pre-determined aspect of a person’s life. Contrary, a person of a particular gender gets to develop their emotions and perceptions based on personal introspection.
Question Two
The racialization of sexuality has become a common phenomenon in modern days. Due to the increasing instances in which sexuality has become linked with racialization in society, sociologists of diverse backgrounds have sought to determine how the two concepts relate to one another. From a broad and general sense, racialized sexuality typically means the holistic and comprehensive analysis of how sexuality and racialization intersect with one another. This conceptual approach calls for a proper analysis of the relationship between sexuality and issues such as race, gender, class, among others (Green, 2008). This is because there is a feeling that such concepts cannot be treated as merely mutually exclusive to each other hence they are all social constructs. To better understand this concept, it is good first to analyze the concept from a historical perspective. That will help lay proper grounds for an appropriate understanding of the subject.
Historically, the norm was that people were being conditioned to believe that they remained in a category of “other races” if they were not white-skinned and from Europe. This idea of radical segregation of people based on their skin colour was the most pungent form of racialization that was witnessed at those historical periods (Collins, 2004). This meant that the Whites were the benchmark upon which all other races or sexualities could be categorized from. It is the existence of such beliefs that make it possible to have sexualized racism, which easily gets to permeate across all levels of society. The primary and effective source of racialized sexuality can be traced back to colonialism and the Western ambitions to conquer new land and people on other continents.
Subjugating other empires or foreign societies meant that the Whites were to be seen as the most powerful and influential compared to other races. Therefore, it can be deduced that there are certain key goals that are intended to be achieved by sexual racialization. The overarching goal of this concept is to ensure that the supremacist white patriarchal system is sustained and promoted (Garcia, 2012). Some of the key notions of such a system that need to be promoted are the feelings of sexual purity and the ability to protect the Whites’ culture while also radically demonizing those of other races. Many sociologists believe that the concept of racialized sexuality, on many occasions, ends up leading to intersectionality.
Question Three
That science is a contentious subject in the modern-day scholarly world is a fact that needs no over-emphasis. This means that there is no ubiquity on many scientific topics and hence the primary source of controversy. Despite the much controversy surrounding it, it is also vital to appreciate that science permeates almost all segments or sectors of any society. This means that there is an increasing need for people to try their best to integrate scientific findings into their personal lives. The importance of such integration is even more paramount in instances where people are supposed to make critical decisions regarding their experiences.
Many contentious instances in science arise from the fact that there are always many conflicting positions on virtually every subject. Controversy in science can be brought about by the many divergent beliefs and value systems in our societies today (Davis, 2015). I think this had continued to be a significant source of challenge for science. Values and beliefs range from political, social, personal, and economic ones, all of which ultimately shape a person’s decision-making process. In such cases, it is incumbent upon science to inform the public about the consequences of implementing individual decisions while leaving others.
In the realm of sexuality, science plays an extremely vital role in ensuring that it informs the public about the debate’s underlying concepts. However, it is essential to appreciate that the science of human sexuality is critically complex, not linear owing to its many components. Science of sexuality contends that human beings are not merely sexual elements, but instead, they are a product of complex biological processes. For instance, science informs the public that the issue of preferences in human beings is not a relative and simple one, but instead, it’s hard-wired in their bodies. Science also informs us that human beings always have a spectrum of broad sexual experiences that they undergo daily (Bullough, 2019). Furthermore, human sexuality is complex and diverse, encompassing various components such as the ones on self-identity and personal development. All these components show that science plays a critical role in shaping the debate on human sexuality.
References
Bullough, Vern L. 2019. “Alfred Kinsey and The Kinsey Report.” In Sex Matters: The Sexuality Reader edited by Mindy Stombler, et al
Carrillo, H., & Hoffman, A. (2018). ‘Straight with a pinch of bi’: The construction of heterosexuality as an elastic category among adult US men. Sexualities, 21(1-2), 90-108.
Collins, P. H. (2004). Black sexual politics: African Americans, gender, and the new racism. Routledge.
Davis, G. (2015). Contesting intersex: The dubious diagnosis (Vol. 10). NYU Press.
Dean, J. J. (2014). Straights: Heterosexuality in post-closeted culture. NYU Press.
Garcia, L. (2012). Respect yourself, protect yourself: Latina girls and sexual identity (Vol. 14). NYU Press.
Green, A. I. (2008). The social organization of desire: The sexual fields approach. Sociological Theory, 26(1), 25-50.
Schilt, K., & Westbrook, L. (2009). Doing Gender, Doing Heteronormativity: “Gender Normals,” Transgender People, and the Social Maintenance of Heterosexuality. Gender & society, 23(4), 440-464.