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Sexuality, sexual identity and sexual orientation
Sexuality, sexual identity and sexual orientation
Sexuality, sexual identity and sexual orientation
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Introduction
This refection paper focus on my own experiences related to gender, race, and sexual orientation development during my college years. My reflection will be grounded on three theories: Josselson’s theory of women id development, Ferdman and Gallegos Latino/Latina identity development, and Worthington et al.’s model of heterosexual identity development.
These theories offered me a unique opportunity to reflect and develop my own understanding of my gender identity, race identity, and my sexual orientation identity.
Gender Identity Development
Professor MaryBeth’s PowerPoint introduced me to couple gender identity developments, but one in particular caught my attention, Josselson’s Identity Theory. The readings about gender
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Individuals in this orientation understand racial constructs and they are aware of subgroup background and culture and its relation to other Latinos subgroups. Wijeyesingh and Jackson describe that their Latino identity is fully integrated with other social identities (2001). A Latino-integrated individual feels comfortable with all types of Latinos. Latino identified is the second orientation and these individuals maintain a less rigid view of other groups. Their idea of race is uniquely Latino, which means that they do not accept the U.S. racial constructs. (Wijeyesingh & Jackson, 2001). The next orientation is the subgroup identified orientation. Here, Latinos see themselves in terms of their own national-origin subgroup, which constitute the focus of their racial identity (Wijeyesingh & Jackson, 2001). These individuals have strong identification with specific subgroup within the Latino races. The orientation Latino as “Others” individuals are not mindful of their Latino background, history, and culture; however, because of the mixed heritage they identify themselves as generic Latino (Wijeyesingh & Jackson). Undifferentiated orientation, Latinos prefer to identify themselves as “just people” (Wijeyesingh & Jackson, 2001). They usually claimed to be color-blind and that color is not important. They accept the dominant culture norms of our society without question. They prefer to view individuals as distinct from racial or ethnic identity. (Wijeyesingh & Jackson, 2001). Last but not least, White-identified Latinos is the orientation that considers their race White and reject the Latino identification. They assimilate themselves to a White culture and there are quite disconnected from other Latinos. Whiteness is the essential and primary element of their identity (Wijeyesingh & Jackson, 2001). I can see myself in this group because I have adopted a white racial identity and assumed the lifestyle as non-Latina. I
The creation of an identity involves the child's understanding of the public disposition of the gender normalities, and the certain gender categories that
Identity is not created based on perfection; it created based one’s qualities and unique choices. If a young woman follows and tries to create an identical identity for themselves to make an ideal identity themselves, it take away their chance of creating their own unique identity. Sometimes the desire of an ideal identity comes from the lack of good and stable family background. Alicia, a twenty-eight-year-old Hispanic woman interviewed by Bell, whose desire to have an ideal family stopped her from expressing her sexual desire. Bell discusses the reason of Alicia 's choices of an ideal identity, which is “the stability, structure, and love of a traditional family seems to afford all of the experience Alicia herself lacked in her upbringing. A traditional family became the solution to the problem of instability in Alicia’s mind. And being a good girl was the strategy Alicia adopted to enable her to have a traditional family” (39). Alicia despite her not so good family background wanted to have a traditional family life. She adopted the idea of being a good girl in order to achieve her goal of family life. She wasn’t anymore making choices; it was her will of having that future identity was making all her decision. The idea of a perfect identity and future eventually takes away the freedom of choices, which results in the creation of a fake identity. Bell writes that “Nor did being a good girl ensure that Alicia had satisfying and committed relationships. Alicia was frustrated that she’d ostensibly done the right thing but still ended up with two STDs and without a lasting relationship” (37). Trying to make an ideal identity creates the pressures of how people around see them. It also creates humongous pressure of taking a wrong step and thought of losing their ideal identity. This kind of
Andrew Sullivan, author of, What is a Homosexual, portrays his experience growing up; trapped in his own identity. He paints a detailed portrait of the hardships caused by being homosexual. He explains the struggle of self-concealment, and how doing so is vital for social acceptation. The ability to hide one’s true feelings make it easier to be “invisible” as Sullivan puts it. “The experience of growing up profoundly different in emotional and psychological makeup inevitably alters a person’s self-perception.”(Sullivan)This statement marks one of the many reasons for this concealment. The main idea of this passage is to reflect on those hardships, and too understand true self-conscious difference. Being different can cause identity problems, especially in adolescents.
For example, “sociological and popular understanding of gay and lesbian relationships has been greatly distorted by the false presumption that only heterosexual relationships are normal ways of expressing sexual intimacy and love” (Andersen 1997, 95). This explains how society helps in influencing and identifying people sexual identities throughout their lifetime. Andersen admits that “heterosexual identity includes the belief that men have an overpowering sex drive and that women are considered more loving, soft and are link to sex [… and] contemporary sexual attitudes are shaped by phallocentric thinking-that which sees men as powerful and women as weak” (Andersen 1997, 94, 96). Although, society is lead to believe that men should be the dominant figure of the family. The reality is that, in gay and lesbian relationships, no one individual displays the behavior of an authoritative
Such an encounter becomes a source of discomfort and momentarily a crisis of racial meaning. Without a racial identity, one is in danger of having no identity" (Michael Omi, Howard Winant, 12). It is obvious when we look at someone we try to get a sense of who they are. We categorize people within our society and place them by gender, ethnicity, race, religion, and even social class. Because one of the first things we utilize is race and gender it is questioned that without racial identity one is in danger of having no identity. Personally, I believe that this is true, for instance, within our society gender roles are very apparent. We utilize gender as a form of identity, because many people now are coming forward with wanting to change their identity there has been ann uproar to try to fight against equality for citizens that identify with a different gender. What is to be considered is the same uproar that is occurring with people who identify with a gender is also occurring with citizens that are identified solely on race. Within our different generations there has been an uprising in mixed races, a person can be
It is crucial to the success of America’s schools to understand that a mixture of cultures creates a mixture of identities.... ... middle of paper ... ... Sex Roles, 36, 747-770.
1. Using intersectionality theory, discuss Kricket Nimmons’ and Harriet’s identities. Contrast their experiences with those of more privileged trans women and gay
Rankin, S., & Beemyn, G. (2012). Beyond a Binary: The Lives of Gender- non conforming youth. About Campus, 17(4), 2-10.
The idea of the development of a social identity is a new one to me. For the majority of my life, including the present-day, I had always considered my social identity to be complete. I am Latino. Perhaps it was due to the fact that in my past experiences, I have little experience with the adverse effects of racism. However, it is indeed obvious to me that this is not nearly the case for everyone else. I am well aware of the marginalization, both conscious and unconscious, of the Latin people in the U.S. Nevertheless, I can’t look back and find bitterness in my heart due to racism. Still, while social identity development may be new to me, it’s still an intriguing concept. What exactly is a social identity? In brief, it is one’s self-awareness as to what social category they feel they should belong in, as well as how that awareness affects day to day life. Social ...
Fresh from the womb we enter the world as tiny, blank slates with an eagerness to learn and blossom. Oblivious to the dark influences of culture, pre-adult life is filled with a misconception about freedom of choice. The most primitive and predominant concept that suppresses this idea of free choice involve sex and gender; specifically, the correlation between internal and external sex anatomy with gender identity. Meaning, those with male organs possess masculine identities, which involve personality traits, behavior, etcetera, and the opposite for females. Manipulating individuals to adopt and conform to gender identities, and those respective roles, has a damaging, life-long, effect on their development and reflection of self through prolonged suppression. This essay will attempt to exploit the problems associated with forced gender conformity through an exploration of personal experiences.
The debate over homosexuality as nature or nurture dominates most topics about homosexuality. People often confuse the nature/nurture issue with the development of gay identity. In fact, the nature/nurture argument plays a small, insignificant role concerning gay youths (Walling 11). Homosexual identity is the view of the self as homosexual in association with romantic and sexual situations (Troiden 46) Many researchers have either discussed or created several models or theories concerning the development of homosexual identity. However, the most prominent is Troiden’s sociological four-stage model of homosexual identity formation. Dr. Richard R. Troiden desc...
Identity Foreclosure – the adolescent accepts the identity and values that were given in childhood by their family. The adolescent in this state is committed to an identity but not as a result of their own searching or crisis.
Sexual attraction is an everyday part of life that has different effects on each person. In the following paper I am going to discuss the different types of sexual attraction for adolescences ages 12-20, early adulthood ages 20-30, mature adulthood 30-65, and older adults age 65 and older. Sexual attraction: which sex are you attracted to, or are you attracted to both men and women? Then we have sexual behavior: what sex are your partners? And finally, we have sexual identity: how do you think of yourself are you gay, straight, or bisexual? Some of us develop feelings of attraction to a one type of sex before we self-label
Vrangalova, Z., & Savin-Williams, R. C. (2012). Mostly heterosexual and mostly gay/lesbian: Evidence for new sexual orientation identities. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 41, 85-101. doi: 10.1007/s10505- 012-9921-y.
The sexual orientation of a person has been a critical debate over the past several centuries. For several...