The Interplay between Gender and Sexuality in Identity - Paper Example

Introduction

The concept of identity remains an extensively researched concept relating to human relations and interactions. In work "Who needs an Identity" Stuart delves into the concept and argues that continued critique and research into the discipline shows the aim of people to stretch existing notions of identity from the essentially ethnic, racial, and nationals conceptions of cultural identity to other emerging notions. The author goes on to show the role of identity as an exclusionist as well as inclusiveness tenet that allows a group to have a feeling of "togetherness" while keeping those of different characteristics out. For instance, the role of gender and sexuality in identity are recent and increasingly researched conceptions of identity in the society, and which feminists have focused on in finding their role in the exclusion of females and well as males based on their "otherness." Stuart links such growing interest on the subject to feminism and post-modernism disciplines that are keen on exploring new notions of identity. Indeed, the interplay between gender and sexuality presents two areas that play a critical role in influencing each other in the identity formation and interaction between people's biological or assumed sexuality and gender.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Gender and Sexuality Defined

The term "Gender" connotes the roles that individuals perform that imply their femininity or masculinity. Gender, while traditionally linked to the sex of individuals, also indicates culturally assigned roles or gender identity that strives to differentiate roles that are feminine from masculine. On the other hand, sexuality refers to the way an individual chooses to express his or her sexual behavior. The concept is closely linked to sex, which defines people based on their biologically intrinsic characteristics as either male or female or intersex among other classifications as determines by one's genitalia. In conservative individuals or groups, the sex and sexuality of an individual are straightforward where a female is expected to express her romantic desires towards males and vice versa. However, in modern societies, sexuality is fluid as evident from the presence of homosexuality where people of the same sex may express their sexuality towards each other. Similarly in gender, unlike in the past where the concept was viewed as inseparable from sex, it is now more fluid and males may act feminine while females may act feminine or in between the two roles.

Gender, Sexuality, and Identity

For a long time, social scientists have viewed gender and sexuality as intrinsically connected to one's biological make-up or sex of either male or female, and which are considered as normal. Further, it is conceptualized as the representation of the "self" that is evident to the social world, and which adheres to a pre-established structural alignment where sexuality and gender are inseparable. In such a definition where there is an intrinsic link between sex, gender, and desire, identity discussion favors the modes where a particular gender is set to express the dichotomous behavior of masculinity or femininity that is connected to being male or female respectively. In this understanding of sexuality and gender, individuals can understand their desires for the opposite sex, and thus form an identity where gender, sex, and sexuality are inseparable. Those who deviate from the established and socially sanctioned concepts of "normal" gender, sex, and sexuality are considered abnormal, and no longer enjoy the benefits of heterosexuality.

In the 20th and 21st centuries, the debate of "otherness" as implied by gender and sexuality has led to more acceptability of variant forms of sexual identity or queerness, where gender and sex are not dichotomous. However, despite the increasing acceptability of gayism, lesbianism, and other sexual orientations, for a long time, the concepts have been viewed from the perspective of deviance, as they are not "normal" from the traditional perspective. Further, the identity of such individuals has been defined solely on their expression of sexual desires, which leaves them disadvantaged in a society that prefers and supports heterosexuality. Efforts to assimilate "otherness" regarding sexuality have, in many times, hit a wall, since such assimilation implies the "muting" of differences that exist in the society. Such variances create the platform that leads to the interplay between gender and sexuality, which plays out in different aspects as will be discussed below.

The Influence of Culture on Gender and Sexuality

Gender and sexuality are primarily a function of social and cultural influences. In this case, while gender is socially and culturally defined, sexuality is hindered or facilitated by the culture or society. For example, in some communities, gender roles and identity are strictly linked to the sex and sexuality of individuals. In this case, if an individual is female, then she is expected to perform feminine roles and be attracted to males. On the other hand, the men are supposed to undertake masculine tasks and be sexually attracted to females. In such society with strict expectations for gender roles and sexuality, other forms of gender identity are frowned upon and considered abnormal or deviant. Religion is one the key factors of identity that in many instances seeks to define various characteristics and behaviors that determine a person's role and position in the society. For example, the story of the pilgrims presents an excellent analogy of how identity is formed and its essence. The author notes, "pilgrimage is what one does of necessity, to avoid being lost in the desert." In this case, the identity of an individual in a given social setting can be viewed as doing what is necessary, to remain recognizable and acceptable to the other members of the group. In the context of gender and sexuality, going against the socially and culturally defined tenets of gender roles and sexuality can be equated to the pilgrims wandering in a desert without direction, and without the ability to be recognized by other individuals. Further, the actions of individuals, whether evidently linked to culture or not, are always a reflection of the underlying beliefs, norms, and practices that consciously or subconsciously manifest themselves. Such a conception of identity is captured well by Roland, where the writer, in analyzing the writing of another person, notes that it does not exist in a vacuum, but is instead a reflection of the historical practices, teachings, beliefs, and so on, that develop in an individual as a member of a given group. Similarly to how culture controls even the most subtle behaviors of people such as writing, it also has a strong influence on gender identity and sexuality of individuals, whether they acknowledge it.

Despite the role of culture and society in the formation of gender identity, or limiting the boundaries of sexuality, it is dynamic and evolving. Based on this, the identity and the tenets that define it are fluid and change over time. Just like the pilgrims find the difficulty of building and preserving a house on the desert's quicksands, so are the challenges of maintaining culture concepts that define a specific identity. In this case, the ideas of gender and sexuality are fluid and ever changing from influences within or outside a given culture. For instance, forces such as mainstream media, interactions between several cultures, and other factors have all played an essential role in the acceptability of differing gender roles and sexualities in societies that previously, could not deviate from the tradition-dictated boundaries.

In modern societies, the link between gender and sexuality is continually becoming blurred, with no definitive boundaries between one's femininity and masculinity. In this case, it is now more common to have a man attracted to a man or even for a male to behave in a feminine manner. In other circumstances, it is difficult to define an individual's behavior as either feminine or masculine as it does not fall, expressly, on either of the categories. Based on this, people are now, more than ever, willing and accepting of other identities, which imply the cultural changes that are sweeping many societies. Just like the analogy of the pilgrims who have to adapt to the challenges of the desert, the community is continuously evolving, with new gender and sexuality definition overlaps that were previously unimaginable.

Gender, Sexuality, and Power Politics

While previously, gender and sexuality, were construed to be dichotomous, the emerging and increasingly diversified sexualities that have emerged have come to show the power dynamics that identity plays in the society. In this case, the focus on the identity of the other and their interactions manifests itself as efforts for one group to imply its superiority over the other as well as the desire to gain something from such an identity. Another power dynamic is evident from the efforts of one group to stigmatize or victimize itself or others, for the sake of advancing a shared sense of "us" against "them." Indeed, the notion is captured well by Rajchman, who is appalled by the tendency of groups to focus on identity based on its victims. For example, the authors point to how race is used to justify the hosting of a conference about black people, while for gender, such a meeting would invite women. Such outcomes show how identity is used to advance agenda that is not inclusive but which aim at benefiting a group over the other. For instance, what is the essence of hosting a conference about racism where only blacks are invited while ignoring the white racists, who would offer an opportunity to understand their motivation? Such actions only aggravate the matter by continually increasing the rifts between groups of different identities.

Each identity comes with some privileges and disadvantages, which accrue from one situation to the other. In other words, an identity may be beneficial in one instance but not in the other. The concept is especially evident in gender and sexuality dynamics, where for some; it is double jeopardy, for example, being female and gay, while for others, for example, male and heterosexual, it has its advantages. The power politics of sexuality and gender are majorly evident through the feminist movement, which rides on the notion of the victimization of the female gender by the males, and in recent times, other sexualities by heterosexuals. In explaining the role of sexuality as a central tenet of the power struggles between gender, sexuality, and identity, Hall notes complexities of sexual limits, the subject (a person), the body, and identity. Further, the power politics of identity are evident through the focus on heterosexuality, whose normalization, that is, its perceived notion as the normal sexuality, plays a significant role in disavowing other sexualities. In such a situation, heterosexuals are viewed as at an advantage, and this is evident in their higher access of more social benefits such as acceptability by others as well as access to resources such as jobs, opposed to non-heterosexuals, who have to persevere discrimination and poor acceptability by other groups, which fuels the feelings of exclusion.

The power dynamics of sexuality, gender, and identity are on the higher part, meant to exclude one group from certain privileges that are viewed as only accessible to those who have specific characteristics. For the feminists, the concepts are used to eliminate other genders, especially males, who are seen as the perpetrators of the vices that disadvantage women. However, even though feminism can be construed as focusi...