Sexuality and identity Flashcards
(13 cards)
how are sexual identities changing?
homosexuality is no longer classified as a mental illness and has been removed from DSM (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders)
* the Equality Act 2010 - makes it illegal to discriminate anyone on the grounds of sexuality
* gay people today are now open about their sexuality, with 45 openly gay MP’s who have been elected in 2018
* celebrities such as Ellen DeGeneres and Tom Daley have been open about their sexuality
* previously celebrities such as George Michael have hidden their sexuality but today not issue
how are sexual identities changing? - what would post modernists argue?
would argue that people’s identities are more focused on image and style and the traditional aspects of identity, such as sexuality, age, and disability are less important.
what did McCormack study? links to how sexual identities are changing
studied attitudes towards sexuality in sixth form college + found that homophobia is not tolerated + seen as immature. Boys were much more accepting of homosexuality, which gave less pressure to prove their masculinity.
what is sexuality?
is defined as to who someone is sexually attracted to, this can bring inequality and discrimination
how is sexuality apart of someone’s identity?
sexuality is more likely to be part of someone’s identity if they identify as homosexual or bisexual rather than heterosexual
- homosexual identity has been referred to as ‘coming out’
what did Kinsey find?
Kinsey reports found that in the US homosexual encounters are much more common that people would imagine.
- 37% of men experienced a homosexual experience to the point of orgasm but less than 4% identify as homosexual
what does Weeks argue?
Weeks argues that sexual identification is a strange thing + more complex than any other aspects of identity. He points out there are people who participate in same sex activities but don’t identify as gay.
Eg. Reiss found that ‘rent-boys’ say themselves as heterosexual and despised the men they had relation with in order to neutralise their behaviour
what does McIntosh find? What does Plummer think?
Mcintosh finds that in westernised cultures homosexual males have certain expectations + characteristics
eg. having feminine mannerisms, a higher voice, and more attention to appearance. He argues that, that when someone accepts the label ‘gay’ they will fulfil these roles.
- Plummer supports these ideas, arguing when a man accepts homosexuality, he will join a stereotypical gay culture
what is the link between sexuality and media what do feminists think and was concept does Mulvey use?
sexuality is an area where the media seems to be obsessed with hyper-sexual images everywhere you look.
feminists - have been concerned in the way that women are portrayed through their sexuality
Mulvey - uses the concept ‘male gaze’ to describe men sexually exploiting women in the media, for their own benefit
what does Rich argue? (compulsory heterosexuality, lesbian identity)
rich argues that women’s sexuality is oppressed by the patriarchy, through marriage, objectification and domestic violence. He uses the term ‘compulsory hetero-sexuality’ to describe how women are socialised into a heterosexual role, ensuring their availability to men
- She also argues that lesbian identities are a threat to male dominance over their power over women
- Rich also believes most women aren’t inherently heterosexual, but it’s forced upon them
- argues that lesbian experiences are different to gay experiences, with more focus on power and joy
- lesbian identities have been constructed as abnormal since it’s a threat to male dominance and power over women.
what has been argued about heterosexuality? (beauty standard)
argued that heterosexuality is a social construct, rather than biology. can be illustrated looking at how sexual attraction has changed over recent years
* beauty trends in the 18th cent saw pale, thin women as beauty standard
* today’s society darker, thicker women are now the beauty standard
- could be argued that the patriarchy uses the media to profit off of women, which could be the reason why these standards are CONSTANTLY changing
what did Lees find?
found that women are subjected negatively the term ‘slag’ if they attribute the same sexual activities as men
how is sexuality a significant aspect of identity?
it defines who we are and how we’re treated
