The same could be said surrounding the effects that compulsory heterosexuality has on women, in particular lesbians. Compulsory heterosexuality as a social structure reproduces heteronormative views in society. It enforces the subjugation of women and produces the illusion of innate heterosexuality by denying the legitimacy of lesbianism in multiple ways. This includes the heteronormative nature of Western society, which is connected to the reinforcement of homophobia through hegemonic masculinity making lesbian relationships taboo (Rich, 1980, p.181). This is matched with the economic dependence women have on men (Rich, 1980, p.181). This leads to all women, but lesbians especially, unable to separate their compulsory attraction to men as
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This can be seen in Arlie Russell Hochschild’s notion of the second shift. This term is used to describe how women are the main contributors of domestic work, and thusly complete a second shift of unpaid labour at home after the have performed their paid labour in the workforce (Hochschild, 1989). Women tend to perform domestic tasks that have to be completed every day, such cooking, dish washing, and cleaning, while men tend to take on household maintenance, such as mowing the lawn. These are tasks which do not need to be performed as often (McMullin & Curtis, 2017, p. 166). Male power has also been used to withhold knowledge, which can that lead to women having less chances at well-paying careers, as they often require a higher education (Rich, 1980, p.184). Women are not only discouraged from well paying jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers, but make up sixty percent of the world's illiterate population (Rich, 1980, …show more content…
Essentialism is a key concept to understanding how sexuality is seen in Western societies. It allows the removal of implications surrounding gender roles as social constructs, as it instead reduces people down to their biology. This is used as a justification of why homosexuals are unnatural, as with it, one can say that there is something medically wrong with them. This in turn reproduces homophobia, and the omitting of homosexuality from conversations, while at the same time, sustaining heterosexuality as both natural, and at the top of the hierarchy. Hegemonic masculinity only furthermore reinforces homophobia in society, as it teaches men to be homophobic as an act of conformity, and to reinsure their own masculinity. Compulsory heterosexuality, as a social structure, removes the choice of attraction from women, subconsciously forcing women towards men, as they are taught that being in a heterosexual relationship is how to have a happy life, but also helps them to survive in the economic climate. Part of coercing women, involves making lesbianism seen as illegitimate. Due to the heteronormative society that the Western world takes apart in, and reinforces, as it continually tries to remove the
This can be seen in Arlie Russell Hochschild’s notion of the second shift. This term is used to describe how women are the main contributors of domestic work, and thusly complete a second shift of unpaid labour at home after the have performed their paid labour in the workforce (Hochschild, 1989). Women tend to perform domestic tasks that have to be completed every day, such cooking, dish washing, and cleaning, while men tend to take on household maintenance, such as mowing the lawn. These are tasks which do not need to be performed as often (McMullin & Curtis, 2017, p. 166). Male power has also been used to withhold knowledge, which can that lead to women having less chances at well-paying careers, as they often require a higher education (Rich, 1980, p.184). Women are not only discouraged from well paying jobs in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) careers, but make up sixty percent of the world's illiterate population (Rich, 1980, …show more content…
Essentialism is a key concept to understanding how sexuality is seen in Western societies. It allows the removal of implications surrounding gender roles as social constructs, as it instead reduces people down to their biology. This is used as a justification of why homosexuals are unnatural, as with it, one can say that there is something medically wrong with them. This in turn reproduces homophobia, and the omitting of homosexuality from conversations, while at the same time, sustaining heterosexuality as both natural, and at the top of the hierarchy. Hegemonic masculinity only furthermore reinforces homophobia in society, as it teaches men to be homophobic as an act of conformity, and to reinsure their own masculinity. Compulsory heterosexuality, as a social structure, removes the choice of attraction from women, subconsciously forcing women towards men, as they are taught that being in a heterosexual relationship is how to have a happy life, but also helps them to survive in the economic climate. Part of coercing women, involves making lesbianism seen as illegitimate. Due to the heteronormative society that the Western world takes apart in, and reinforces, as it continually tries to remove the