Feminist theory examines sexuality through a lens that is very critical of male-dominated power structures that perpetuate the subordination of women. Many feminist scholars argue that the institution of heterosexuality itself is a construct, or “a beachhead of male dominance” (p. 633), according to Adrienne Rich in her essay “Compulsory Heterosexuality and Lesbian Existence” (1980). From a feminist theoretical standpoint, humans develop sexuality as their gender identities develop: “our sexual desires, feelings, and preferences are deeply imprinted by our gender status” (Seidman, 2003, p. 18). This relates to Rich’s notion of compulsory heterosexuality - a facet of feminist theory that claims women are forced into heterosexual roles by a male-dominated …show more content…
Rich claims that the reason so many women fall prey to the “lie of compulsory female heterosexuality” (Rich, 1980, p. 657) is because they are conditioned from an early age to believe in it. She writes, “the ideology of heterosexual romance, beamed at her from childhood out of fairy tales, television, films, advertising, popular songs, wedding pageantry, is a tool ready to the procurer 's hand and one which he does not hesitate to use…” (Rich, 1980, p. 645). In the film, Christian appeals to Ana’s belief in traditional, heterosexual romance in order to manipulate her into doing what he wants. On their first (and only) real date, he asks Ana if she is a romantic, to which she answers, “Well, I study English Lit, so I kind of have to be.” Rich would argue that since Ana has been fed this idealized version of heterosexual romance through her study of literature, she is more willing to submit to Christian’s will and go against her own better judgment in hopes that her romantic fantasy just might be fulfilled. Christian is aware of this. When they are negotiating the contract he devised for their arrangement, he mentions to Ana that he’ll “throw in a sweetener” to make the situation more appealing to her. He says, “How about, once a week, on a night of your choosing, we go on a date. Just like a regular couple. Dinner, movie, ice-skating. …show more content…
Steven Seidman writes in The Social Construction of Heterosexuality (2003), “...[Adrienne Rich and Catherine MacKinnon] claim that the very essence of what is called sexuality - desires, fantasies, pleasures, acts - reveals the male wish for control and dominance… The point is not to liberate sexuality from social control… but for women to claim the power to define their own sexual desires and fashion their own sexual-intimate lives” (p. 22). Ana is not able to do this in the film. Christian constantly tells her what to do, and as she is completely sexually inexperienced (which is often a fantasy for predatory men) she does not know what she wants. When trying to get her to sign the contract, Christian tells her that he also felt intimidated when entering his first BDSM relationship. Ana asks what changed his mind, and he replies: “By giving up control, I felt free - from responsibility, from making decisions. I felt safe. You will too, you’ll see. I never took anyone in the helicopter. Never had sex in my own bed. Never slept with anyone. Ever. Only you.” Christian employs many tactics in this quote to coerce Ana into signing his contract. Firstly, he
In Vicki L. Eaklor’s Queer America, the experiences of lesbians, gay men, bisexuals, and transgender people in the years since the 1970s gay liberation movement are described as a time of transformation and growth. The antigay movement, threatened, now more than ever, created numerous challenges and obstacles that are still prevalent today. Many of the important changes made associated with the movement were introduced through queer and queer allied individuals and groups involved in politics. Small victories such as the revision of the anti discrimination statement to include “sexual orientation”, new propositions regarding the Equal Rights Amendment and legalized abortion, were met in turn with growing animosity and resistance from individuals and groups opposed to liberal and
“‘Abortion rights and reproductive justice is not a women’s issue,’ wrote Emmett Stoffer, one of many self-described transgender persons to blog on the topic. It is ‘a uterus owner’s issue.’ Mr. Stoffer was referring to the possibility that a woman who is taking hormones or undergoing surgery to become a man, or who does not identify as a woman, can still have a uterus, become pregnant and need an abortion.” (Elinor Burkett, “What Makes a Woman?”)
Aaron Devor’s essay “Becoming Members of Society: Learning the Social Meanings of Gender” describes how despite popular belief, gender and sex are not directly related and how social norms affect individual’s choice of gender. Devor‘s main argument is that gender is not determined by genitalia, but instead by the individual's own choices. Michael Kimmel’s essay “Masculinity as Homophobia” claims that gender equality is a positive thing for males and that social norms force men to act a certain way. Kimmel’s main argument is that men are always having to protect their masculinity in order to prevent themselves from appearing weak. Both authors present compelling arguments for both gender equality and for how social norms influence individuals’ gender choice. However, the two authors approach the same topic in different ways. Kimmel takes a more laid-back approach to the topic by using simple words and a conversational tone that relates to the casual gender sociologist. Devor writes a more sophisticated essay using complex terms and a more formal tone that relates to the serious sociologist that research gender studies.
"That is why God gave them up to disgraceful sexual appetites, for both their females changed the natural use of themselves into one contrary nature and likewise even the males left the natural use of the female and became violently inflamed in their lust toward one another, males with males, working what is obscene and receiving in themselves the full recompense, which was due for their error." (Romans 1:26-27)
In Roxane Gay’s book Bad Feminist (2014), she writes an essay, “What We Hunger For”, about the difference between strength and surviving, and the importance of strong female characters. She argues that surviving something doesn’t mean you are strong; life throws unendurable circumstances as people all of the time, and people manage to overcome them and survive, but that doesn’t make them strong. Gay uses Katniss in The Hunger Games trilogy as an example of a relatable, strong female character. Gay describes her as a “heroine with issues” (p. 146). Also in the essay, Gay refers to Meghan Cox Gurdon’s article in the Wall Street Journal about how Young Adult fiction is too dark for its intended audience. Gay argues against it, stating that
The culture Connie lives in and the people guiding her in life have failed to teach her the evils of society that lead to temptation and seduction. In the Bible, Eve was seduced by Evil to eat a forbidden fruit, and as a result, they were banished from paradise. When Connie was seduced by Arnold Friend in the story, it led to her
Halperin, David. "Is There a History of Sexuality?." The Lesbian and Gay Studies Reader. Ed. Henry
The most difficult part of any modern theological debate is choosing the authority. With the variety of Christian denominations, individual thinkers, and outside influences, and it is often difficult to reach a general agreement. In her essay, “Homosexuality: A Case Study in Moral Argument,” Catholic theologian Lisa Cahill examines four major authorities and different ways to determine how they work together to produce a cohesive Christian ethic. Though she fails to give a definitive, quantifiable method of describing the interactions between the authorities, her final judgment, approval of some aspects of homosexuality, indicates that she values modern cultural context and general biblical themes over church tradition and specific biblical texts.
Milstein, Susan A. Taking Sides Clashing Views in Human Sexuality. Ed. William J. Taverner and Ryan W. McKee. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. Print.
Tyler Perry’s Temptation highlights the struggles presented to a young African American woman whose strong Christian beliefs counteract a sin stricken society. The main character, Judith, attempts to overcome the difficult obstacles that were placed in her path by fighting the sexual urges that she craves. Judith came to realize that her urges began to transform from wants and desires to real actions; Judith’s deepest desires were becoming reality. The encounters Judith faced on a daily basis began as an emotional and mental attraction that led to a more physical relationship. These continuous urges began to take over Judith’s well-being as she began to fall more and more into the depths of sinful behavior. The idea of sexual freedom consumed Judith’s mind and spirit which turned her against her own religious beliefs, and eventually lead her down a path that she would regret for the rest of her life.
The famous bishop of Hippo, St. Augustine, is claimed as a cornerstone of Christian theology by both Catholics and Protestants. Many of his views are regarded by Christians as authoritative interpretations of the Bible because they have withstood heated debate throughout the centuries. Christians ought to ask, however, whether such allegiance is justifiable in all cases. Augustine's idea of sex after matrimony, for example, is very narrow, restricting actions and emotions married Christians today consider part of the beauty of intercourse. A logical assertion then, is that Augustine's view of sexuality, as delineated in many writings, is a response to his life of sensuality prior to salvation; therefore, his idea about the intent for sex within marriage stems more from his former sin than from Biblical perspective.
This is particularly palpable in the phenomenon of gender roles. “Oversimplified conceptions pertaining to our behavior as females or males,” gender roles boil down our gender and anatomical performance into categories of “boy” or “girl” (Basow 3). Patriarchy then builds systemic inequality off this simplistic binary foundation, attaching “male” to spheres of power and “female” to spheres of powerlessness. Gender roles are one of many patriarchal infrastructures that thrive off a concrete definition of gender and/or sex, and so modern feminism has found power in dismantling both constructions.
It is important to note that I am viewing and analyzing this text from the positionally of a Caucasian, lower-class, female. Not only do I identify as female, but I also consider myself to be a feminist, which is one of my reasons for choosing the feminist framework. I also feel that it is critical to state that I identify as heterosexual, but consider myself an ally to the LGBTIQ community. Therefore, my views on gender may extend to my views on sexuality, since they often go hand-in-hand.
As Tamsin Wilton explains in her piece, “Which One’s the Man? The Heterosexualisation of Lesbian Sex,” society has fronted that heterosexuality, or desire for the opposite sex, is the norm. However, the reason behind why this is the case is left out. Rather, Wilton claims that “heterosexual desire is [an] eroticised power difference [because] heterosexual desire originates in the power relationship between men and women” (161). This social struggle for power forces the majority of individuals into male-female based relationships because most women are unable to overcome the oppressive cycle society has led them into. Whereas heterosexual relationships are made up of the male (the oppressor) and the female (the victim who is unable to fight against the oppressor), homosexual relationships involve two or more individuals that have been freed from their oppressor-oppressed roles.
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 regardless of which sexuality they fall under. The males are superior over the females and gays superior over the lesbians, however it different depending on the place and circumstances. This paper will look at the gender roles and stereotypes, social policy, and homosexuality from a modern and a traditional society perspective. The three different areas will be compared by the two different societies to understand how much changes has occurred and whether or not anything has really changed. In general a traditional society is more conservative where as a modern society is fundamentally liberal. This is to say that a traditional society lists certain roles depending on the gender and there are stereotypes that are connected with the genders. One must obey the one that is dominant and make decisions. On the other hand, a modern society is lenient, It accepts the individual’s identity and sexuality. There is no inequality and everyone in the society is to be seen as individuals not a part of a family unit...