Gender Difference in Sexuality - Research Paper Example

Gender and Sexuality Gender and sexuality is a that has attracted researches of scholars round the globe. Being a diverse subject, different perspectives have been brought forth increasing controversies in settling on a definite definition. The two, Gender and sexuality, are interdependent of each other hence inseparable. Sexuality is a principal aspect of being human throughout life. It entails sex, identities, sexual orientation, pleasure, intimacy, and reproduction. Individuals experience sexuality in thoughts, beliefs, attitudes, values, practices, desires, and relationships. Biological, psychological, social, ethical, legal, cultural, religious, and spiritual factors influence sexuality. Combination of sexuality and gender makes a huge difference in people’s life. These differences determine wellness or ill-being of a person. In addition, the disparities of people’s life stretch between life and death (Rahman and Jackison 52). Gender refers roles and behavior that a particular group of people prefers suitable for women and men. These differences can lead to inequalities between men and women in both health status and access to health care. Women have been on the receiving end for a long time and they continue to fight for their recognition. Patriarchy dominates many societies placing women in a lower class than their men. Some traditions dictate that women should be chaste and pure. A violation of this ideology can lead to restriction in women’s economic and political participations. Other ideologies invites for female genital mutilation and honor killings incase women goes contrary with such societal beliefs. These ideologies seek to ensure that man and woman stay in line with gender stenotypes (Rahman and Jackison 55). This paper addresses gender difference in sexuality. The paper endeavors to look gender differences in sexuality. According to an article entitled gender differences in sexuality, published in Psychological Bulletein journal, there is a difference in the subject of sex between men and women. In this research, Oliver surveys the incidences of gender differences among males and females. The report was looking at sexual attitudes using 21 different variables (Oliver and Hyde 29). Some of the factors that the article sought to understand were masturbation, casual sex, homosexuality, and sexual satisfaction between men and women. Oliver reveals that, the largest and common incidence among men was masturbation. The articles portray men to have biggest numbers of masturbation incidences as compared to the males. In addition, this article on this journal points out that there is a greater gender disparity in the feelings towards casual sex. Oliver et al depict that men are very lenient and engage in casual sex more often than women do. On matters of homosexuality and sexual satisfaction, the article reveals that there is no evidence or noticeable difference on these issues in both men and women. Each gender expressed a fulfillment in the matters of sexual satisfaction (Oliver and Hyde 46). This article explains the noticed sexual differences between men and women bear their explanation in neo-analytic theory. According to the authors, the observed genders difference in matters of sexuality emanate from early mother child interactions. The article alludes that mothers are the primary caretakers and develop a strong relationship with their children. This implies that young girls and boys have a close-knit relationship between their mothers. The article points out that boys and girls internalize such a tight connection with their mothers, which determines the gender roles when they grow up. The article suggests that difference in motivation to casual sex and masturbation are attributable to maturity. Women display a difference in sexual desire when they mature. This sis because women needs are for relational commitments and are not completely fulfilled even through marriage and cohesive friendship. The findings of the report of the low percentage to casual sex depict that women desire close relationships with their romantic partners. This implies that they value sex for its reproductive capacity rather than the sexual pleasure. This means that women go for long-term relationship with the motivation of bring forward children to satisfy their relational needs. According to the analysis of the article, men devalue women and do not have strong relationships with women. The high incidences of masturbation and casual sex in men observed in this article are for personal pleasures rather than procreation and relational commitments. This depicts that men preference for sex is for their gains (Oliver and Hyde 38). The article explains the differences in matters of sexuality are attributable to social learning theory that regards gender distinctiveness and roles as set of mannerisms that individuals learn from environment. The article points out that society plays a big role in shaping the way in which both men and women behave. According to this article, there are behaviors that the society views that they are gender appropriate. Women learn that there are things that they should not do because they are socially unacceptable. For instance, the society deters women from engaging in premarital sex. The society values chastity and pureness. This is stigmatization and isolation of women by the society. However, the society does not give a lot of emphasis on men. It does not restrict men from having multiple sex partners. The society rewards men for achieving admiration or popularity for identical behaviors of the women (Oliver and Hyde 40). The article notes that the differences apparent in the findings are attributable to social learning theory. Further, the article points out that the differences in sexual desires between male and female are attributable to sex drives. This research highlights that men and women have disparities in their sex drives (Oliver and Hyde 50). Women begin the adult relationship not for sex but for good personal interactions. However, sex is one of the main reasons why men enter into a relationship. For many men therefore, sex is the first aspect to consider before getting involved in any relationship. According to the article, the sex-scripts overwhelm men, which support the findings that men engage in casual sex. Low sex drive in women accounts for low incidences of masturbation and extramarital affairs. Another article by Baumeister Roy published in Psychological Bulletein Journal examines gender differences in erotic plasticity. The article asserts that female sex drive is socially elastic and responsive. The assertion of this article that female sex drive is more flexible than that of men has its basis on socio-cultural and situational factor. Roy hypothesized that individual women will show disparities across time than men in sexual behavior. The second hypothesis was that female sexuality would depict larger effects than male in reaction to most specific socio-cultural variables. The third hypothesis of this study was that the consistency of feelings towards sex would be lower in comparison with that of men (Baumeister 347). Roy’s in depth interviews and us questionnaire reveals that females have a high tendency to adapt sex drives than males. The finding supports the second hypothesis that predicated that female have is socially elastic than that of men. The article portrays that situational factors, cultural and social factors shape erotic elasticity. The low plasticity that the study observes in men allude that they are inflexible and independent of circumstances because of their strong biological processes. Roy highlights that there are many indication that women have higher elasticity, which reflects in the process of their growth. Women report substantial fluctuations in amount of sexual activity over a period when they are growing. Men tend to keep their sexual activities of sex relatively constant. In addition, women tend to change and adjust sexually over the course of matrimony more often than men do. Moreover, women are more likely to add new sexual activities later in their life. Roy notes that men tender to be either homosexual or heterosexual (Baumeister 359). These preferences remain the same for the rest of man’s life. However, women are more likely fluctuate. Roy highlights that heterosexual women begin to experiment with lesbian activities when they are at the ages of thirty and forty. Changes in social circumstances place women higher in the level of adjustment than the males. The females achieve adjustments with a lot of ease. Roy warns the erotic plasticity is dangerous because males can compel female to do things that are contrary to their long-term interests. This implies that it men can easily convince a woman in doing something sexual that is against her wishes. This is in contrast to the male case whereby they no one can compel them in something that is against their needs and needs. The article indicates that female the malleability of female sexual response a woman’s behavior cannot have a precise prediction (Baumeister 365). This paints a picture of female sexual response that depends on external factors rather than internal ones. The attitudes of females are less likely to determine her behavior. This is in contrary to the males who have a lot of control over their sexual responses. Roy explains the differences in erotic plasticity in different terms. To start with, men are physically stronger and more belligerent than women are. This implies that men tend to hold greater sociopolitical and economic power. The article points out that whenever there is a dispute between two partners; men have an upper hand than women. Therefore, it means that male political power shapes the sexual interactions between man and female. This action results in cultural repression of female sexuality. Cultural suppression leaves female with no option rather than to succumb to male power. Society plays a big role in erotic plasticity observed in females. According to the article, most societies limit female sexual activity by dictating that female should refuse sexual offers and advances male males (Baumeister 373). However, as the female grows they start accepting male offers. This implies that sex starts when a woman changes her earlier attitude towards men. For this change to be effective, it demands each woman to have a degree of flexibility. This becomes the basis of greater patterns of erotic plasticity. According to Personality and Social Psychology Review Journal, there is a difference in sex drive in men and women. The Journal indicates that men have recurrent and powerful sexual drives than the women. Men’s impulsive thoughts about sex, frequency, and variety of sexual visions, desire to have intercourse more frequently, and masturbation reflects their strong sex drive. The difference in sex drives between men and women creates an inequality in achieving sexual satisfaction. According to this journal, there is no happiness in the sex lives of many couples even those in committed relationships (Baumeister et al 243). This explains to the high incidences of infidelity and divorce. This is because there is a difference in the strength of sex drives between male and females. Through direct interviews and questionnaire, the article indicates that men tend to masturbate more often than women do. The article attaches the high frequency of masturbation to several factors. To start with, the research highlights that men have many thinking and sexual fantasies. The patriarchal society shapes men to rate themselves powerful in matters of sex drive. Second, men have more desires to have sex than the women do. Men like a variety of sexual activities and practices than women. This portrays that men have restrain or forgoing sexual activities. This is because men rate their sexual desires higher than that of men. Therefore, they will do all they can to be dominate sexual activities. The article warns that the disparities in sex drives do not imply that women do not enjoy sex. In addition, the article points out the portrayal of men’s dominance in sexuality do not mean women do not have sex desire. The research alludes that factors such as stress or lack of sleep can contribute to the low sex drive observed in women. This research asserts that biological hormones such as testosterone accounts for high sex drive in men (Baumeister et al 256). This important hormone creates a difference between men and women. Testosterone is in low percentage in women when compared to men. This biological explanation augmented by the social factors favors men more than they do in women. The report concludes that both cultural and biological factors play a significant role in difference in sex drives in men and women (Baumeister et al 269). The three articles depict that there is gender in matters of sexuality. In other words, gender influences sexuality. The first article reveals that females enter into relationships for other reasons rather than sexual ones. However, men regard sex as a principle thing to consider in a relationship. This explains the reason why there is greater incidence of men engaging in extramarital affairs than women do. In addition, the article points out men are likely to practice masturbation. The first article shares its arguments with the third article. According to the third article, the differences in sexual desires are attributable to sex drives. This article reveals that men have wild sex drive as compared to the women. The higher percentage of testosterone in men than in women accounts for such a high sex drive. Cultural factors discussed in second article discussed compounds the biological ones. The second article recognizes that the society plays a big role in inculcating the tendencies of submissiveness in women. The patriarchal society leaves women voiceless and therefore adaption is the last resort. In conclusion, it is evident from the three article the aspect of gender plays a big role in sexual lives of men and women. As it has been decades ago, men still continue to manifest themselves as domineering over the women. Policymakers have endeavored to bring to an end this phenomenon, but their efforts have been in vain. Communities socialize men to initiate and direct sexual activities with women. Men are therefore assertive to the concept of dominance in sexual matters. This societal norm puts women in level of submissiveness who displaying passivity in sexual activities. These societal norms create inequalities between men and women. Work Cited Baumeister, Roy, et al. Is There a Gender Difference in Strength of Sex Drive? Theoretical Views, Conceptual Distinctions, and a Review of Relevant Evidence. Web 12 May 2012 http://carlsonschool.umn.edu/Assets/71520.pdf. Baumeister, Roy. Gender differences in erotic plasticity: The female sex drive as socially flexible and responsive. Psychological Bulletin, 126(3). 347-74. Web 12 May 2012 http://psycnet.apa.org/psycinfo/2000-15386-001. Oliver, Mary and Hyde, Jane. Gender Differences in Sexuality: A meta-analysis, Psychological Bulletin, 114(1) 29-51. Web 12 May 2012 http://psycnet.apa.org/journals/bul/114/1/29/ Rahman, Momin and Jackison, Stevi. Gender and Sexuality: Sociological Approaches. Cambridge: Polity, 2011. Read More