Sexuality, Gender, Masculinity And Status - 1334 Words

In ancient Rome there was no notion of sexuality because sexuality is a modern concept, so there was no term for labeling one’s sexual preference. Instead, in ancient Rome, there was only sexual desire and inclination. Only specific sexual acts could be categorized and assessed because there was no term for a person’s sexual orientation as either homosexual or heterosexual. Humans inherently differ in sexual preferences in many ways. One of which is liking a specific sex of partners, yet this not necessarily the most significant difference in sexual preferences.1 In ancient Rome a male citizen could perform sex acts, under certain circumstances, with the gender he preferred, without fear of ridicule. Society was less concerned with the gender or age of a man’s sexual partners than with the perception of the masculinity of all male partners involved. Other things were more important than gender when it came to sex, such as penetration, masculinity and status. To exemplify that society was less concerned with the gender of a man’s sexual partners than the perception of masculinity, I will evaluate masculinity in ancient Rome, the social hierarchy of being the receptive versus penetrative partner, laws, cinaedus, effeminacy and pathics, pederasty, slavery and prostitution. The perception of men’s masculinity was such an integral part of Roman society that it was insulting to be considered not masculine if you were a freeborn man. The reason for Roman society’s obsession withShow MoreRelatedSexuality Is Defined By Sexual Orientation1538 Words   |  7 PagesSexuality is defined by â€Å"sexual orientation or preference† as well as the ability to understand the capacity of sexual desires. Same sex sexuality refers to sexual orientation also, but one’s preference towards someone of their same gender and the â€Å"erotic thoughts, feelings and behaviours† they assign to those of the same sex. Cultural ly, same sex sexuality is not always based on sexual ideals, acts that could be defined as being homosexual and appealing to those with same sex sexuality, oftenRead MoreWestern Culture s Ideal Beauty Type963 Words   |  4 Pagesthe product advertised, the commercial also reinforces traditional views of masculinity, sexuality and beauty. Through the depiction of the man as the womanizing, adventurer and the woman as a passive, sexual being the Axe Campaign uses conventional portrayals of gender roles in order to sell their product. In this paper, the commercial will be analyzed as it supports traditional views on beauty, sexuality and masculinity. This advertisement reinforces the western culture s ideal beauty type. TheRead MoreEssay Gender and Sexuality1240 Words   |  5 Pages Gender has been around throughout history; however, within recent years, gender has separated itself from the traditional view of sex, e.i., male or female, and has become centered on ones masculinity or femininity. Of course gender is more than just ones masculinity or femininity, gender has become a way for one to describe, he or she, in a way in which they are different from everyone else. Gender has turned into a sense of identity, a way for one to feel different and fulfilledRead MoreGeek Masculinity And Its Effects On Society836 Words   |  4 Pagesclass boys to gain status by exalting their masculinity where they can have access to power, status, and prestige. As a result, subcultures glorify traits associated with males such as toughness, delinquency and bravery all the while demeaning traits associated with femininity. 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We live in a society where one should be free to choose what religion they would like to practice or not and most of all, one should be free to express one’s sexuality without facing tragedies and feelings of oppression due to society’s rules, guidelines, regulations, definition of masculinity, and normality. In this paper, I will be analyzing both Kelly Oliver and JamesRead MoreThe, You re A Fag : Masculinity And Sexuality1399 Words   |  6 PagesWhat is masculinity? Answers m ay vary depending on who you may ask, C.J. Pascoe’s ethnography titled Dude, You’re A Fag: Masculinity and Sexuality in High School targets high school as being the important location where the term masculinity is asserted, defended and defined by the students who roam the halls of River High. High school is a difficult time for anyone, especially when we bring up the ideals of sexuality and gender identity, all topics which are explored in this ethnography. PascoeRead MoreHigh School : Gender And Gender Identity1681 Words   |  7 Pagesa challenging thing to deal with especially if sexuality and gender identity are in the process. Students who are male or female are exploring in a smart and insightful ways. During C.J. Pascoe’s eighteen months of observation in a racially assorted high school, â€Å"Dude, You re a Fag† shows new light on masculinity both as a field of meaning and as a set of social practices. C. J. Pascoe s unusual approach questions masculinity as not only a gender process but also a sexual one. She proves how theRead MoreExamining Sub-Cultures: The Goth Culture1665 Words   |  7 Pagesthat have been instilled in humanity, with the consideration that this varies across cultures. The paradigm between collective action and individual desire results in the formation of what is deemed socially acceptable, such as gender roles, sexual orientation, gender performance etc. â€Å"It is social norms that provide the constraints by which the interaction between the basic dyad of self and other is governed†¦social norms also provide the source of identity between the individual action, the completeRead MoreThe Feminization Of Love, By Francesca M. Cancian Essay1691 Words   |  7 Pagesthan men and puts pressure on men to maintain a standard of masculinity, just like in the 19th century. Below we will not only explore the â€Å"feminization of love† as discussed in class, but also expand on how it has made an impact on sexual expectations of men and women and how this relates to the sexual stigmatization of casual sex. In â€Å"The Feminization of Love† (1986), Francesca M. Cancian explains how the social construction of gender has manipulated the heterosexual, American perspective of love