Paper Example on Gender & Sexuality: Cultural & Biological Differences

Introduction

In sociology, gender is defined as the various cultural distinctions that are associated with being male or female. On the other hand, sexuality is defined as the physical and psychological variations between females and males that include both primary and secondary characteristics. The biological differences between males and females are distinct and straightforward, but the societal and cultural aspects are complicated and viewed differently (Nynäs, 2016). From the 1950s, various psychologists in the United States and Europe began to distinguish between sex and gender while working with intersex persons. During a Supreme Court briefing in 1994 in the United States, it was announced that the word gender acquired a new meaning. According to the presentation, gender is more of a person’s attitudinal and cultural characteristics than their physical features (Nynäs, 2016).

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The Most Interesting Chapter

The most exciting chapter is the ninth one that is about gender and sexuality since it relates to my life on a personal level. Sexual orientation is a term that describes a person’s emotional and sexual attraction to another person, male or female (Nynäs, 2016). There are four distinct categories of sexual orientation that include bisexuality, homosexuality, asexuality, and heterosexuality. Heterosexuality is the sexual attraction to the opposite sex, whereas homosexuals are attracted to the same sex. Bisexual individuals are attracted to either of the sexes, and asexual people are not attracted to either males or females. Currently, scientific understanding explains that people are aware of their sexual orientation as early as when they are six to twelve years of age, and no sexual activity is required for them to know their emotional and physical attractions towards other people.

There is no scientific explanation that describes why a person can hold a heterosexual, homosexual, or bisexual orientation. However, research has been conducted to determine possible factors like cultural, hormonal, or genetics that may be associated with the various sexual orientations (Nynäs, 2016). Still, no evidence links sexual orientation to a single element.

What resonated with me is that homosexual males and females and bisexual people have extremely varying experiences of discovering and accepting their sexual orientation. At some point during adolescence, some homosexual and bisexual individuals find it easy to make their sexual orientation known. In contrast, others take a longer time to come out. In my case, I took to a long time to come out as a lesbian due to my culture and fear of how people would view me. Currently, I am comfortable with my sexual orientation, and consequently, I support the LGBTQ community. I also resonate with the fact that homosexuals are treated differently in schools and in the workplace. I faced such harassment like cyberbullying and intimidation, thus making me feel unsafe and not ready to come out.

The most interesting concept in the ninth chapter regarding gender and sexuality is the conflict theory. According to the conflict theory, there is a struggle for dominance between men and women in society as they compete for scarce resources. According to sociologists, men are viewed and regarded as the dominant group in society, while women are the subordinates (Nynäs, 2016). According to the theory, chaos and conflicts happen in societies where the subordinates are oppressed and exploited by the dominant groups. There is an ongoing debate about the challenges women face while trying to rise above men since the dominant groups develop rules and conditions for success and various opportunities in society. According to a German sociologist named Friedrich Engels, there is a similarity between the owner-worker relationship depicted in the workplace and what is practices in the household (Stepnisky, 2018). According to Engels, women in homes assume the roles of proletariats, while some are entirely dependent on men for financial and economic support (Stepnisky, 2018). Contemporary conflict theorists argue that when women become wage earners and stop depending on their husbands for financial support, more democratic arrangements are developed, and they can gain more power in their families. However, such women may still have to carry most of the financial burden in their households since society perceives it to be women’s roles.

The conflict theory’s primary appeal as it relates to gender and sexuality is that men are constantly trying to gain and maintain power over women. In most cultures in the world, men hold the most resources (Stepnisky, 2018). Until recently, women were restricted from specific activities like voting or owning property, thus giving men more power and entirely depending on them for economic support. Thus, in most societal groups, men dominate in wealth and fight to be dominant and have total control over resources like political and financial strengths. Thus, conflicts in societies emerge when dominant groups mistreat the subordinates (Stepnisky, 2018). However, currently, many women revolutions have been established whereby women advocate for equal roles and power to abolish the dominant and subordinate perceptions.

Current Academic Article

According to Laskey (2019), feminist theories are critical in matters relating to gender, sexuality, and intimate partner violence (IVP). The author explains that feminist theories are a collection of ideologies that help people understand how power and violence operate in intimate relationships. Women have the right not to be assaulted when in heterosexual marriages. The main argument in the article is that according to the traditional perception of intimate partner violence, the victims are mostly females, while the perpetrators are males. Thus, the studies that sociologists conduct regarding victimization experiences are conducted with females as the victims. IVP victims experience a wide range of abuse that lead to adverse physical and mental health outcomes. Abuse is less prevalent in the male gender as well as in the LGBTQ community.

My reaction to the argument is that I agree that IVP is one of the most common forms of violence among women, and the abuse can be physical, sexual, or emotional, whereby a person is controlled. IVP is a severe and widespread problem across the globe that needs to be addressed to come up with a solution.

The article connects with the topics discussed throughout the semester since it directly involves gender and sexuality issues. Women are perceived to be the lesser gender and are treated as subordinates. On the other hand, men are dominant in society; thus, they become controlling in multiple aspects, and sometimes, violence occurs. The article also relates to the issues of gender inequality were females are perceived.

The article affirms and illustrates the theories and concepts that are presented in the syllabus. For instance, feminist and conflict theories are well illustrated and discussed.

Role in my Career

Currently employed as an assistant in a dermatology office. My future profession(hopefully) is in the medical field, and I am majoring in Diagnostic Medical Sonography or simply Ultrasound Technician. The course will assist me in my future profession as a lady in the minority group to identify my potential and advance in my career, just like the male gender. Studying this course will assist me in my career to understand the sociology of health, healing, and illness.

Conclusion

Introduction to sociology covers a variety of topics like gender and sexuality, race and ethnicity, social movements, class inequalities and conflicts, mass media, and youth cultures, among others. However, the ninth chapter was the most interesting since it covers gender and sexuality, which I relate with. The course will assist me in my future profession as a lady in the minority group to identify my potential and advance in my career, just like the male gender.

References

Laskey, P., Bates, E. A., & Taylor, J. C. (2019). A systematic literature review of intimate partner violence victimisation: An inclusive review across gender and sexuality. Aggression and violent behavior, 47, 1-11.

Nynäs, P. (2016). Religion, gender and sexuality in everyday life. Routledge.

Stepnisky, J. (2018). Types of Sociological Theory. Core Concepts in Sociology, 295.