The History of Sexuality

In the contemporary approach to literature and culture there is an opening of a new way of thinking about old concept by rethinking of sex, gender and sexuality. It assumes that sexual identity is fluid not fixed and critiques gender and sexuality. Sex and gender do not mean the same. Sex is the biological or anatomical construction that defines between the male and the female. Gender is often regarded to be the natural or innate expression of biological sex. A female is gendered feminine and a…

are always involved, Nead (1992) talks about the balance between art and pornography. A relationship that is unavoidable with the sexuality surrounding the nude and leading directly to the idea of sex and perversion. Avoided concepts in society. Because of this delicate line, it is said that sexual impulses can not be avoid when criticising nude art (Nead, 1992). Sexuality, ones capacity for sexual feelings, in art is considered highly controversial. Society has a problems with displays of…

restrains that can make it difficult for people to be who they are. Throughout this paper will give a brief overview on the history of sexuality in Canada as well as how sports culture and education can influence today’s realities. There is no doubt that we have always lived and continue to live in a heterosexual dominant society. Therefore, the introduction of new sexualities and types of relationships can create strains on the social norms in place. In…

This volume makes a splendid contribution to the field of gender and religious history, correctly marking the renewal of interest in religion within British social and cultural history that has been gradually evolving over the past decade. In a well-written and rightly focused introductory chapter, the editors supply a helpful examination of the developments which have brought historians “to think in more nuanced and judicious ways about the influence of religion in the formation of women’s…

perceptions and on the way that these came up with their judgments. On one side, essentialism “entails the belief that sexuality is purely a natural phenomenon, outside of culture and society, made up of fixed and inherent drives, and that nature and these drives dictate our sexual identities” (qtd. in Harding, 7). Therefore, it is within this tendency where “the perception that sexuality is a ‘biological’ phenomenon” (6) fix better. Hence, from this observation we could say that…

The concept of gender is central the construction of the body and sexuality in contemporary cultural studies. Gender is a complex matter, as modern representations of what it means to be a gendered and sexed body is internalized and acted upon differently depending on one’s culture and upbringing. Across cultures, gender and identity are intimately tied as something that should be viewed as an expression of ones individuality. However, this is rarely the case. Through the use of sociological…

and sexuality is one of those views. Each individual in the culture, who makes up the population, has his or her own attitude and views toward sexuality. Within these cultural and personal views, perception of what is considered healthy sexuality and unhealthy sexuality is developed. Each society establishes norms and deems what they consider “unhealthy” as a deviation from this norm. Gender differences also play a large role in the various cultures, especially in relation to human sexuality and…

Today being unique is abnormal to others and this is caused by oppression being the root of many conflicts in the world today. Oppression has been defined as allowing certain groups to assume a dominant power over other groups. Rules of oppression are built around what are understood to be “norms” in today’s society. A norm proclaims what is normal, acceptable, and desirable. The norm is something that is respected and supported in a society. William Shakespeare the author of Othello shares a…

offensive. David Halperin, author of “Is there a History of Sexuality” argues throughout his text that indeed there are moments in history, such as movements, both political and social, that have shaped the way in which people identify themselves sexually. He talks about different societies, such as the Mediterranean societies, and how they viewed sexuality as autonomous D’Emilio author of, “Born Gay”, as well presents a similar idea in which history plays a role on the development of what is…

Questioning a woman’s right to sexuality, Britney Spears asks “why can’t [society] just let [her] live?” While Spears answers her own question with simply stating, “people can take everything away from you but they can never take away your truth,” not every woman has the ability to reference their sexuality so casually. Balancing virginity and sexuality proves difficult to many women, and as a result many women are ostracized because of their choices. In Thomas Hardy’s Tess of the…