The Hierarchy Of Sex Foucault Analysis

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When researching a specific topic, a process is usually taken in order to get a complete understanding. Sometimes the route in achieving that understand can be nice and easy, or long and difficult. In researching the topic of sexuality, it requires a much more complex process of receiving an understanding. Michael Foucault is one of the many researchers to dive into research for an understanding of sexuality. Foucault got critical when he discovered different layers of sexuality, specifically of the scientific and psychiatric understanding aspect of the topic. Foucault’s quotation in “The End of the Monarchy of Sex” is a driving force that sexuality is in the power of oneself, and not through the opinions and guidance of sexologists and psychiatrics – people control their own sexual destiny and identity. Foucault is critical of sexology, psychiatry, and scientific understandings of sexual desire because of the control and power that these sources have had on individual’s identification of themselves. This specific influence created the impression that there was only one path to follow when it came to sexuality, and that if one did not follow the path then they would not qualify for a fair life. When that specific control and power became an unbalanced influence, that is when the creation of revolt and liberation came into effect. Foucault explained specifically the significance of sexual liberation, “I believe the so-called ‘sexual liberation’ movements must be understood as movements of affirmation ‘beginning with’ sexuality. Which means two things: these are movements which take off from sexuality, from the apparatus of sexuality within which we’re trapped, which make it function to the limit; but at the same time, these movements are displaced in relation to sexuality, disengaging themselves from it and going beyond it” (217, CP) Foucault believes that sexual liberations are an individual’s power to explore and understand their own sexuality. These specific liberation movements create a window of opportunity for each individual to explore themselves and find feelings that can potentially lead to sexual identities. Foucault drives that critical mindset because the power should not be in control of the education, but rather in the hands of the individual. With Foucault’s criticalness also comes the aspect of natural development – people are still learning and creating new things to this day. Movements and trends are always shifting, therefore it is hard to have critical textbook answers from sexologists and psychiatrists, “A movement is taking shape today which seems to me to be reversing the trend of ‘always move sex,’ of ‘always more truth in sex,’ a trend which has doomed us for centuries: it’s a matter, I don’t say of rediscovering, but rather of fabricating other forms of pleasure, of relationships, coexistences, attachments, loves, intensities. …show more content…
For example, in the film I Love You, Man it showcases the line between male bonding and homosexual acts. The main characters, Peter and Sydney, are both straight males that develop a strong friendship between each other. Throughout the film, they are shown hugging, telling each other that they love one another, and creating a natural bond. Even though they demonstrate homosexual actions, they are again straight males that have found a passion for each other’s lives. Through their encounters, they also demonstrate strong masculine qualities such as attending rock concerts, screaming in order to show dominance, and discussing women in ways that would not be discussed in front of them. The film shows that straight males can encounter in acts that can be classified as homosexual with other straight males, as the divided line between the two can be blurry. But, the line is made clear once it is crossed when these actions have been “too gay” between the two characters. One example of this is when Peter went out to dinner with a guy named Doug. As the dinner concluded, Doug kissed Peter, which Peter clearly showed the line was crossed. Moments prior in the scene, Doug and Peter exchanged in a conversation where they were discussing the looks of the waitress, which is a masculine action to do. When Doug went in for the kiss, the line was crossed between keeping that male power and masculinity of a straight male. This line between the two areas is how significant a social constructivist approach encourages social change, because it provides that influence to explore and expand acceptance

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