Sexuality In Our Society

5 Pages 1280 Words

Sexuality is a topic that has been debated in our society extensively, through research as well as in informal settings. Many wonder what it means to be masculine or feminine and if we can really assign a definition to such subjective terms. After all, shouldn’t one’s own perception be the determinant of what constitutes masculinity or femininity? This self-construction would be the ideal in our society, but unfortunately, it represents a false belief. Masculinity has certain characteristics assigned to it by our culture. In this paper I will explore the many facets of masculinity and demonstrate how certain beliefs pertaining to it are perpetuated in our society. I will also uncover many of the contradictions between society’s view of masculine and feminine roles.
Men are primarily and secondarily socialized into believing certain characteristics are definitive in determining their manliness and masculinity (Nilsen). These characteristics range from not crying when they get hurt to being and playing violently. The socialization of masculinity in our society begins as early as the first stages of infancy. A child’s increasing sense of self – concept is a result of the multitude of ideas, attitudes, behaviors, and beliefs, which he is exposed (August 245). Later in this paper the question of whether there are genetic?, will be discussed. However, to further my argument at this point, I will discuss masculinity, as it is socially defined through the essays I have previously read. From the outset of a boy’s life he is socialized into the belief that he should be ‘tough’. Often when boys get hurt, ‘scrape their knee’, or come whimpering to their mother or father, the fated words, “Little boys don’t cry”, issue forth. Children internalize paternal messages regarding gender at an early age, with awareness of adult sex role differences being found in two-year-old children. One study found ...