Influences of Society on Gender Roles and Sexual Behavior

Society influences how we think about and act on our sexuality by teaching us what is considered acceptable behavior for men and women.

Ann Oakley, in her book "Sex, Gender and Society" (1972), defines sex as the biological categorization of being male or female, while gender refers to the social division into being feminine or masculine. Sex can be seen as the biological aspect of differences between men and women, whereas gender is the socially constructed knowledge and practices linked to these differences through socialization.

Gender encompasses individual identity, personality, and cultural ideals and stereotypes of masculinity and femininity.

Gender roles are societal expectations associated with being male and female. Individuals are taught these behaviors through gender role socialization, often starting in the home, known as the 'gender factory' by some sociologists. Parents reinforce society's traditional gender roles by describing newborns with adjectives that align with these roles. For example, newborn girls are described as "tiny, soft, delicate, and fine-featured," while newborn boys are described as "strong, alert, and well-coordinated" (Appelbaum and Chambliss, 223).

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This gender divide even extends to breast-feeding, as males are treated roughly and given more milk, while females are treated delicately and given less.

The Sussex experiment revealed that gender stereotypes begin early in life, as individuals easily link clothing color to gender. Babies wearing blue were automatically perceived as boys, whereas those in pink were seen as girls. Gender stereotypes are simplified and exaggerated depictions of men and women that manifest in various aspects of daily existence.

In the past and in certain societies today, traditional gender roles have dictated that women remain at home while men provide for the family.

However, there is no universal definition of acceptable male and female behavior as these standards vary across cultures. Margaret Mead's study in Sex and Temperament in Three Primitive Societies (1935) showed that in some tribal communities, women held higher status than men, taking on roles usually designated for males.

Over time, gender roles have evolved significantly. In ancient Greek and Roman societies, women were expected to be submissive and primarily fulfill the roles of mothers and housewives. In contrast, contemporary society often sees women taking on more assertive and dominant roles compared to men in specific circumstances.

In the Victorian era, women were required to demonstrate their elegance and attractiveness by maintaining a slim waistline. This led to the popular use of corsets as a means of achieving this desired look.

Sexuality encompasses sexual emotions, desires, and behaviors that are prevalent within a culture. Sociologists have established four primary perspectives - psychobiological, psychoanalytic, learning, and sociological - to discuss whether sexuality is inherent or acquired.

Sociobiology studies human behaviors that are considered innate and affected by biological factors, rather than learned. It suggests that specific sexual behaviors have developed over time as beneficial characteristics for human survival. Therefore, whether expressing femininity or masculinity, sexual behaviors are predetermined by genetics.

Critics argue that Sociobiology's view on sexuality overlooks other factors such as the individual's surroundings, societal norms and expectations, and cultural influences that can also impact sexual behavior.

According to the psychoanalytic approach, human sexual behaviors are impacted by both biological and cultural factors. Sigmund Freud, who is credited with originating this perspective, suggested that human sexual behavior is influenced by three components: the id, the ego, and the superego.

The id, ego, and superego are crucial in molding a person's character. The id impacts behavior prior to engaging with the external world, while the ego is shaped by outside influences to display either feminine or masculine traits. The superego is formed through understanding societal norms and values, enabling the formation of a moral compass to distinguish between right and wrong.

Freud believed that a person's adult sexual behavior and personality are influenced by early sexual experiences. For example, a girl raised among boys may develop more masculine traits. These experiences can shape her behavior and personality in adulthood, even if they evolve over time.

Freud has faced criticism for placing too much emphasis on biological factors in shaping sexual behavior. While he acknowledged that socialization could also influence behavior, Freud ultimately believed that biology had a stronger impact on behavior than culture.

Criticized for primarily using mentally disturbed patients in his experiments, he has been accused of basing his views on therapies with this particular demographic.

He has faced criticism for his biased work and for implicitly assuming that women are biologically inferior.

The learning approaches have varying perspectives on the development of sexuality. Advocates of these approaches believe that a significant portion of sexuality is influenced by cultural factors rather than biological factors. These approaches also examine the concepts of self-identification and imitation. They depict individuals as reactants to society, overlooking the idea that individuals can also be agents who actively make choices to influence society.

These methods have received negative feedback for controlling individuals like marionettes. People are not given the opportunity to make choices as everything is predetermined by society. They are required to act according to societal norms or face consequences.

The Symbolic Interactionism theory differs from previous approaches by emphasizing that individuals, as social actors, have the autonomy to make their own decisions and choose their own paths.

According to symbolic interactionism, sexual behavior is shaped by individuals engaging in constant interaction and communication with others. Observing others' reactions and attaching meanings to behaviors help us define sexual roles and scripts. Through interactions, we learn specific roles and scripts, such as the script for a woman and a doctor during a gynecological exam. These roles do not imply sexual meanings or assault, as they are simply part of the interaction between two social actors.

Symbolic interactionism has been criticized for its inability to effectively explain both impromptu sexual behavior and sexual behavior that takes place in uncertain situations.

Moreover, the lack of clarity on how individuals with different scripts interact has also added to the problem of date rape. Date rape often happens due to differences in sexual scripts, where one person sees an action as sexual while the other does not.

Functionalism stressed the significance of controlling sexuality to avoid societal collapse and guarantee social stability, asserting that norms, values, laws, and beliefs are essential for overseeing sexual conduct and upholding societal harmony.

Functionalism has faced criticism for focusing excessively on cultural influences in shaping social behavior and neglecting the potential existence of innate sexual drives.

Ann Oakley discusses how socialization in modern societies influences the behavior of boys and girls from a young age, based on Ruth Hartley's research. She outlines four main ways in which socialization impacts gender roles: manipulation by parents, canalization through specific toys, verbal appellation shaping sexual identity, and assigning different activities to conform to societal expectations.

Ann Oakley's focus on socialization in shaping gender roles has faced criticism. The question arises about boys with high levels of estrogen - will they behave like girls despite societal norms? Similarly, will girls with high levels of androgen exhibit male behavior or conform to typical female norms due to socialization?

According to Ethnomethodology, gender roles are socially constructed. Suzanne J. Kessler and Wendy Mckenna suggest that individuals classify the world based on their own viewpoint, leading to the socially produced determination of whether a person is male or female.

Gender-role socialization starts in early childhood and spans a lifetime. Society still categorizes individuals based on gender-role traits, but there is evidence of a shift towards more egalitarian and liberal attitudes since the 1970s.

Despite the different theories on sexual behavior, whether innate or learned, I believe that both factors contribute to gender-role identity development. Biological aspects are crucial in shaping infants early on in life, but as they grow older, family and society have a significant role in defining appropriate gender roles. Gender role socialization is a lifelong process, with cultural influences playing a greater role in shaping sexual behavior than biological factors throughout an individual's life.