Sexuality and Gender a Glimpse of the Past

Sociology provides us with a unique perspective of the past and present, while revealing what future social patterns and tendencies could hold. Sexuality and gender has been a topic of interest among many, and with rapid growth and change over the years it can prove overwhelming to one experiencing such fast pace changes. My grandmother, born in 1934 is a product of this rapid growth with a personal testimony of how society has transformed to what one experiences today. Although it is said biology determines sex, social structure and culture are largely the main influence on gender, or the expression of culturally appropriate masculine and feminine roles (Brym & Lie 2012, p.165). Through interviewing my grandmother I gained access to comparing these perspectives over different eras, giving me comprehensive knowledge on this particular aspect of social life. By examining the social learning of gender, gender socialization, and the mass media and body image from past to present, one can begin to break down how these transpired in society to allow the opportunity of stepping back and widening one’s visual field.
The social learning of gender is a long and debated course of discussion. My grandmother growing up was often surround by thick and tedious gender guidelines. It was expected to adherer to gender typical roles, such as the women being in the traditional caretaker role, which involved being at beckoning call to her husbands and children’s needs. This sense of one’s gender often starts approximately around the age of one, increasing to a full-blown sense of gender between the ages of two and three (Brym & Lie 2012, p.167). Due to the extreme influences this has on one-self, it is often hard to change our learned gender role...

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...ol the media has that it can change society’s views. Pressure itself has also drastically increased since my grandmother’s time, with more social media a constant reinforcement of gender roles is held at all times between the media and society, contributing once again to the maintenance of holding the ideology of one’s sexuality and gender.
There are many factors that go into understanding the complexity and vast past of how gender and sexuality has come to what one perceives it as today. Transformations take place every day throughout society, and our perspective is constantly evolving. Our views on the social learning of gender, gender socialization, and the mass media and body image from past to present are just a small example of a part of our social life that has undergone this change.

Works Cited

Brym, Robert and Lie, John (2012), SOC+, Toronto, Nelson.