Double Standard Of Sexuality

Improved Essays
For centuries there has been a struggle for equality amongst men and women. Men have been viewed as the superior race, forcing women to overcome many obstacles of being the lesser, of the two genders. One area which does not receive much attention is the sexual repercussions women have faced in relation to the number of sexual partners they have had; and sexual relationships prior to marriage. Women for centuries have faced sexual repercussions due to the “double standard”; a rule or principle that is unfairly applied in different ways to different people or groups; and to this day are fighting for the ultimate rights to act in manners which they please and not be scrutinized for their actions. (Google, 2014). Unit Four of the course material …show more content…
The changing of time has altered relationships in the direction of group gathering; and meeting potential partners at social events. Furthermore, Baker states that with the improvement in conception, people can become involved in sexual relationships without the worry an unwanted pregnancy. Furthermore, Baker in her text makes the argument; that, in current dating practices women have become more assertive and vocal. With these shifting social norms some researchers have argued that the double standard of sexuality has been slowly eroding, but has not entirely disappeared. (Baker, …show more content…
Author Baker in her text provides examples in which many young women can relate to and can emphasize for. Women due to social standards today, feel the need to dress up and take it upon themselves to look and act in a way impressive to men. The repercussions of such are cruel and can leave women with titles of being “easy” or “dirty” and a great many more. The number of sexual partners a women has follows can potentially impact her in ways of great negativity and continue to haunt her for many years. (Baker,

Related Documents

  • Superior Essays

    Cultural construction of sexuality can be defined as the view that perceptions and attitudes towards sexuality varies due to the diversification in values and practices amongst various cultures. In this essay, I will argue that sexuality is culturally constructed and explore the different ways in which it is perceived and understood, as well as analysing the reasons for these differences. Firstly, I will look at sexually restrictive cultures and discuss how religion and ethos cause some cultures to have strict morals and beliefs regarding sexuality. Secondly, I will go on to look at sexually permissive cultures and explore how some cultures have greater freedom and openness towards sexuality, exploring the alternative connotations of sexual…

    • 1491 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Rhetorical Analysis of Apes of Wrath Barbara Smuts is a reputable psychologist and anthropologist who teaches at the University of Michigan, she is a connoisseur in the social behavior of animals such as primates. In this essay called “Apes of Wrath” which was first published in 1995, Barbara Smuts makes detailed and relevant connections between her animal observations and that from human’s social relationships. When discussing genetics, humans and primates are almost exact, in addition, Smuts makes inferences about how impeccably analogous their social aspects are. Smuts observed how male primates would attack females and she became interested in knowing why this would occur. She soon realized this forcefulness was a way in which male primates would establish…

    • 1355 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    From a very young age we are taught the “sexual scripts” (pg. 313) that we are expected to follow and this largely dictates how we feel we should conduct our intimate relationships. Sexual scripts in many societies are largely “heteropatriarcical” meaning they are based on a system of heterosexual male dominance (pg. 354). Tight control over what is sexually acceptable can be harmful for the development of healthy intimate relationships especially for those who do not fall within the traditional heterosexual gender binary. A young American female receives mixed messages about her sexuality every day. In her article The Cult of Virginity author Jessica Valenti says that, “present-day American society- whether through pop culture, religion, or institutions –conflates sexuality and morality constantly” (pg. 336).…

    • 704 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Ruby-Fruit Jungle Thesis

    • 2158 Words
    • 9 Pages

    In the epilogue of Michael Bronksi’s A Queer History of the United States (2011), Bonski asserts that the recent battle for marriage equality may in fact undermine the LGBT movement’s original intention to “fight to eliminate or limit the state’s involvement in consensual relationships” by insisting that it forces queer people take on the classic American lie: we are “just like you” (pp. 240, 241). Implicit in this claim is the belief that most queer people are not interested in establishing families in long-term, monogamous relationships. Claiming a similar desire to heterosexuals for family and marriage is only a lie if most queer people are not interested in such a lifestyle. Because the LGBT rights movement choose to focus on marriage…

    • 2158 Words
    • 9 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sex is a very powerful subject in modern society; in some cases it can be a positive means for the creation of life, however, it can also create a very negative aspect because of the abuse of the practice by means of rape and other types of corruption. Sex can make or break careers, destroy relationships, or be the building blocks of life. Sexual misconduct is a broad term encompassing any unwelcome behavior of a sexual nature that is committed without consent or by force, intimidation, coercion, or manipulation. Sexual misconduct can be committed by a person of any gender, and it can occur between people of the same or different gender (“Operations”). In the book Desperation Passes, by Phil Hutcheon, the romantic relationships are very poor…

    • 922 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Sexual Identity In Canada

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages

    Therefore, the introduction of new sexualities and types of relationships can create strains on the social norms in place. In…

    • 869 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Goldman’s editorial exposed her radically unpopular vision against largely accepted ideals for a woman’s narrow role within both the public and private realm of society. Her harsh and repetitive tone served as a method to challenging women to explore past the conventional gendered roles in relationships. This implication suggested how widely this fundamental understanding of a woman’s legitimate role within the family infiltrated into all aspects of a woman’s life. In turn, Goldman stressed a choice-based method of sexual freedom that was based on self-respect and authentic relationships rather than uncritically following the confining “Moralities.” For Goldman, true equality meant less about economic status and more about the ability to express one’s emotions and desires in a mutual context.…

    • 1139 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    In the Shakespearean play “Hamlet”, the character Ophelia is viewed and treated in different ways by her lover, Hamlet, and the authoritative figures in her life, Polonius and Laertes. Society 's expectations of a young woman at the time and the treatment she receives from the male characters of the play are the factors that influence her submissive and obedient character. Ophelia is forced, because of an oppressive society and a "traditional" family structure, to repress her own opinions, be unconditionally obedient and behave as a woman in her society is expected to behave. Family structure is a crucial factor to observe, especially because of how women were viewed and treated inside a family environment. Dreher expands on this idea by examining…

    • 1362 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Gayle Rubin's Analysis

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Gayle Rubin connects the usage of sex with political agents such as racism, war, caste systems, and immigration that encourages repression, oppression, and produces assumed dominance in modern Western society. Rubin analyses today’s cultural stance on sexuality by exposing the hypocrisy that holds anyone of different sexual orientations or leanings as inferior. Rubin feels that it is time to address sexuality in a time where it is embellished and there is much debate over sexual evaluation as it relates to acts and religion. Her work can be best divided into the specific claims she argues for or against as they relate to feminism and western culture’s take on sexuality in the modern era. It is obvious that the title of the article should…

    • 1198 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    A) Gayle Rubin’s “sex hierarchy: the charmed circle vs. the outer limits” is a chart that displays society’s view on what is correct and incorrect sexual practice. The inner part of the circle is what is seen as “normal” sex while the outer circle is deemed “abnormal” or bad sex. The inner and outer circle categories are polar opposites of one another treating sexuality in black and white terms that states that there is only one proper way to have sex. This approved form of sex takes form as a heterosexual, monogamous, married couple of the same age who only have sex with only their own bodies in a private place to make children by means of vanilla sex, this practice is without any porn, toys or money for service transactions. Any sexual practice that differs from this ideology is considered to wrong, sinful, and unnatural.…

    • 1037 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Superior Essays

    Gender violence includes offenses such as domestic violence, sexual abuse, and sexual harassment, and anyone of any gender can become a victim. However, the stereotypical victim of gender violence is female because a large proportion of victims are women. Consequentially, as Jackson Katz discusses in his TED Talk “Violence against women – it’s a men’s issue”, many people believe that issues such as domestic violence and sexual harassment only affect women and, thus, are deemed “women’s issues”. One obvious consequence of this stereotype is that male victims are often overlooked or dismissed, but Katz sheds light upon other consequences of referring to gender violence as a “women’s issue” that contribute to its perpetuation.…

    • 1364 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Superior Essays
  • Improved Essays

    Women’s sexual rights and orientation are an important part of gender inequality. Women’s rights should include the right to live free from violence, discrimination, and slavery. They should be able to get an education, to own property, to vote and to earn an equal and fair wage. But almost everywhere around the world women are denied these rights because of their gender. A lot of solutions have been proposed to create gender equality between men and women in regards to sexual rights.…

    • 358 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Improved Essays
  • Decent Essays

    In lecture we talked about physical attraction and evolutionary perspectives (Lecture, 9/06/16). In this lecture one thing stood out to me. Social patterns have changed. In the past, individuals would go on dates, start dating, then have sex. Nowadays, first dates turn into sex.…

    • 85 Words
    • 1 Pages
    Decent Essays
  • Great Essays

    Carole S. Vance, who wrote the Please and Danger: Exploring Female Sexuality in 1984, provides a historical account of the issues surrounding societies perceptions, beliefs, and expectations of women sexuality. Vance explores several factors that bring light to the ways in which women’s sexual non-conformist behaviour remained invisible. Vance begins her paper stating, “the tension between sexual danger and sexual pleasure is a powerful one is women’s lives” (Vance, 1). This statement reinforces the duality that exists within society in context to women’s sexuality. Historically women have been situated within a male dominated society, dictated by the patriarchal structures that pervades all most all facets of society, including; the political,…

    • 1431 Words
    • 6 Pages
    Great Essays
  • Improved Essays

    For women, they felt that being female affected their sexuality. Specifically, many female’s explained that they felt that when girls sleep around they are branded with the words ‘sluts’ or ‘whores.’ (Maas et al., 2015, p.624). Compared to women, men did not have these titles, this is where the sexual double standard is relevant. Furthermore, negative beliefs about sex can be attributed to the sexual scripting theory.…

    • 844 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Improved Essays

Related Topics