Foucauldian Notion and Sexuality

In the name of a biological and historical ur­gency, it justified the racisms of the state, which at the time were on the horizon. It grounded them in “truth." (Foucault, 1990, p. 54) Sexuality gained a connection to the truth. This results into the idea that sexuality is a part of identity and a key aspect in understating who we are individual. And all of this is only possible due to the discourse of sexuality, which is determined by social culture and time.

As a social construction, rape is created in the context of eroticization male dominance and female subordination. It also bases itself on the assumption that gender is a predetermined that distinguishes people into two distinct categories. Although rape is real, it is rather enabled by misconceptions. In order to envision a society without rape or less rape, it is radical for people to recognize that social construction has had enormous impact on how it is practiced and perceived.

Kinsman makes the key argument that class, economy and sexuality are not mutually exclusive concepts, but are actually interconnected. The idea of historical materialism dominates Kinsman’s approach to regulation of sexuality. Historical materialism is parallel to the Marxist’s concept of dialectical materialism: the history of struggle for control over material. Thus, when historical materialism is applied to “queers,” it demonstrates a vast amount of historical conflict oppression under the ‘natural’ appearance of heterosexuality. Thus, sexuality is historically and socially made, and there is a struggle maintain the status quo.

Sex is essential to the human race in terms of procreating and also in terms of pe... ... middle of paper ... ...are both represented largely in sexuality. In a world where women are secondary to men, these two female characters have managed to assert their sexual identities. Gerty’s and Molly’s identities are largely defined by sexuality, but are not simply ruled by men’s or their own. They are in control of their strong and unique sexual identities and they take advantage of their sexual powers. This source is useful when writing about how Joyce doesn’t often follow the ways of society.

Homosexuals were viewed as suffering from gender disorders; they were not criminals, but abnormal and in need of a cure (Mottier, 39). What do all of these developments have to do with sexual behaviors becoming known as sexual identities? These changes of thought through time referenced in Mottier’s book serve as evidence towards her thesis that an understanding of sexuality develops from moral, biological, and social models of sexuality that can all be interpreted culturally (Mottier, 47). Mottier believes that understanding contemporary sexuality depends on understanding historical developments, and that from this understanding, we can precipitate change (Duncan, 2017). In short, ways in which sexual behaviors become known as sexual identities depend upon cultural and historical

While lesbian culture is meant to be a challenge to these heterosexual norms, and yet its definition of butch-fem roles performs its own marginalization that ultimately reinforces traditional male-female roles. Interestingly, it also uses this power structure to establish the racial exclusions of non-white women that can be traced through the history of European colonization. In relation to how sexual minorities like lesbians are marginalized by the power elite in society, Judith Butler explains the politicization of sexuality through the performance of sexual identity by constantly rearticulating and re-establishing heterosexuality as the norm. Ironically, the term “heterosexual” cannot claim authority as ... ... middle of paper ... ...lizing oppositions. Yet, why are these clear defined boundaries of sexuality placed with such importance?

Through the Eyes of a Travesti The dominant conceptualization in contemporary U.S society is that people place certain behavioral expectations based on a person’s sex. People identify themselves in various forms. If I were a Travesti I would argue that my identity is actually formed by my sexuality not by the physical features I was born with. Being a Travesti I would adopt all forms of feminine qualities and even styles but would not identify as a women or wish to change my genitalia. Taking that all into consideration I would view the sexual subjectivity of Latina girls, people whose identities don’t match their behavior: ex-lesbians and straight white males and the varied sexual identities of transgender and transsexual people in society as cases that I can relate to in some respect but differ when it comes to actual identity in each.

Ideologies of objectification and forced repression of sexuality conglomerate and monopolize women’s lives. Healthy sexual self- discovery is replaced by the adaptation of widely accessible representations(such as media portrayals) of women(Costa, Nogueira, Lopez 6). A woman, instead of being able to find her own sexuality and grow into her own womanly identity, may contrarily be forced to accept gender normativity and play into stereotypes because “according to society” these are women’s identities. Here is an account of one woma... ... middle of paper ... ...f our various life endeavors bring us closest to that fullness”( 54,55). The erotic is very much rooted in a strong understanding of self, fundamental to the self-worth that women of society, of every culture, so desperately need.

Prostitution is also referred to as a form of human trafficking, which permits the market demand for sex to the consumers’ satisfaction. It also promotes inequality of gender and racial discrimination. Finally, there will be an explanation why prostitution is considered as a form of violence that is willfully blind to the source of its supply. SHOULD PROSTITUTION BE LEGALIZED OR NOT Introduction According to Post (2011), legalized prostitution cannot exist in conjunction with the real notion of equality for women. The notion that women is to made accessible in order to satisfy the sexual needs of men only supports structural inequality of gender, class, and race.

However, there is no truth to it, but rather it is merely a vehicle for social control. Foucault distinguishes the discourses of sexuality from the science of sexuality, while also discussing how enforcement of the discourse on sex was made possible by various strategies of social control, such as the medicalization and scientification of sex. Further, he asserts that sex and sexuality became social issues in an effort to manage and direct the life of individuals, and this change contributed to providing society with more power over individual bodies through the “true” discourse of sex as this discourse internalized over time. According to Foucault, “truth is a thing of this world: it is produced only by virtue of multiple forms of constraint as it induces regular effects of power” (1980:131). Therefore, he suggests that the production of “truth” is not entirely separable from power, and knowledge is power, as it constitutes new objects of inquiry that can be manipulated and controlled (1994:97).