Sociology of Gender - Sexuality

Sexuality

Sexuality is related to a variety of factors, including an individual’s Sex, Gender identity and expression, and Sexual orientation. Sexuality encompasses both sexual behavior and sexual desire. However, Heteronormativity structures social life so that Heterosexuality is always assumed, expected, ordinary and privileged. Its pervasiveness makes it difficult for people to imagine other ways of life. Mass media works to glorify heterosexuality, which in turn lends to its pervasiveness and to its power. Both ordinary and exceptional constructions of heterosexuality work to normalize heterosexuality; thus, it becomes difficult to imagine anything other than this form of social relationship or anyone outside of these bonds. There is a common perception of heterosexuality as the “natural” emotional and sensual inclination for Human sexuality. Furthermore, marital heterosexuality occupies the largely invisible core of normative and desirable sexuality, while all other sexualities are marginalized and considered perverse and unnatural. Alfred Kinsey created a Heterosexual-Homosexual Rating Scale called the Kinsey Scale, which challenges the common perception of Human sexuality as strictly binary and directly linked to Gender. Drag queens are an example of “troubling” gender, complicating the understanding of sexuality in our society by causing people to think outside the binary of male/female.

According to Friedrich Engels he argued that in hunter gatherer societies the activities of men and women, although different, had the same importance. As technological advances let to productive surplus, social equality and communal sharing gave way to private property and ultimately class hierarchy. With the rise of agriculture, men gained significant power over women. With surplus wealth to pass on to their heirs, upper class men wanted to be sure who their sons were, this led them to control the sexuality of women. The desire to control property brought about monogamous marriage and family. Women were taught to remain virgins until marriage and reman faithful to their husbands thereafter, and to build their lives around bearing and raising one man's children.