Meaning of Sexuality

 Sexuality refers to sexual behaviour, and the thoughts and feelings the person has in relation to that behaviour. Every society controls the sexuality of its members, by embedding it in the institutions of family, religion and law. The core social arrangement within the institution of the family is the martial relationship. The right to engage in sexual activity is a defining characteristic of marriage in all cultures; at the same time, marriage limits sexuality, separating the couple from all other sexually active adults in the society (Potts and Short 1999).

     

 

Contemporary analyses of sexuality emphasize that sexuality is not merely a biological phenomenon whose character is the same across time and space; it is also a cultural construct. Who engages in sexual behaviour with whom and under what circumstances reflect cultural norms and values; even the behaviours in which partners engage reflect social and cultural influence. The meaning of sexuality in contemporary society is situated in a dense network of interrelated categories, including the body, maleness and femaleness, reproduction, sensuality, health, selfhood and so on"

Certain constructions are found in most or all societies. "Even in the face of great international diversity,.... rules for sexual behaviour often are found to be rigidly defined, strictly inforced, and ultimately used to upload heteronormative family relations." In other words, sexuality is hetero, marital, and oriented towards reproduction.

 Despite this normative framework, there is variation. Sexuality varies in its specifics by culture, by race/ethnicity, and by subgroups (e.g., religions ) within society. Within each group, there is a perspective on sexuality. Michael Foucault refers to a way of thinking and talking about sex as a discourse. The discourse gives meaning to sexual behaviour and relationships, and is the basis of norms that are policed by group members. The meaning of sexuality of particular persons reflects the discourses with which they have come in contact.

Human Sexuality and Culture

 "Human sexuality" refers to people's sexual interest in and; attraction to others; it is the capacity to have erotic or sexual feelings and experiences. Sexuality differs from biological sex, in that "sexuality" refers to the capacity for sexual feelings and attraction, while "biological sex" refers to how one's anatomy, physiology, hormones, and genetics are classified (typically as male female or intersex). Sexuality is also separate from gender identity, which is a person's sense of their own gender, or sociocultural classification (i.e., man and woman or another gender) based on biological sex (i.e., male or female). It is also distinct from-although it shapes-sexual orientation, or one's emotional and sexual attraction to a particular sex or gender.

 Sexuality may be experienced and expressed in a variety of ways, including thoughts, fantasies, desires, attitude, beliefs, values, behaviours, practices, roles and relationships. These manifest themselves not only in biological, physical, and emotional ways, but also in sexuality. Some researches believe that sexual behaviour is determined by genetics; however, others assert that it is a largely molded by the environment. Human sexuality impacts, and is impacted by, cultural, political, legal, and philosophical aspect of life, and can interact with issues of morality, ethics, theology ,spirituality, or religion.

 Sexuality Across Culture

 Throughout time and place, the vast majority of human beings have participated in sexual relationships. Each society, however, interpret sexuality and sexual activity in different ways. Human sexuality can be understood as part of the social life of humans, governed by implied rules of behaviours and the status quo. The sociocultural context of society-- which includes all social and cultural factors, from politics and religion to the mass media-- not only creates social norms but also places major importance on conformity to these norms. Norms dictate what is considered to be acceptable behaviour what is considered normal or acceptable in terms of sexual behaviour is based on the norms, mores, and values of the particular society.

 Different cultures vary in regard to norms, including how they understand and perceive sexuality, how they influence the artistic expression of sexual beauty, how they understand the relationship between Gender and sexuality, and how they interpret and judge particular sexual behaviours (such as premarital sex, the age of sexual consent, homosexuality, masturbation, etc). Societies that value monogamy, for example, are likely to oppose extramarital sex. Individuals are socialized to these mores and values-- starting at a very young age-- by their family, education system, peers, media and religion. 

Society's views on sexuality are influenced by everything from religon to philosophy, and they have changed throughout history and are continuously evolving. Historically, religion has been the greatest influence on sexual behaviour in the United States, however, in more recent years, peers and media have emerged as two of the strongest influences, particularly among American teens.

Gender Identity

Gender Identity

• Gender identity is the personal sense of one's own gender.
• Gender identity can correlate with sex at birth or can differ from it.
• Gender refers to how a particular culture differentiate masculine and feminine social roles. 
• Males and females, a gender Binary System and which include Expectations of masculinity and femininity.

During the common process of gender identity in the family, small children are often seen acting in roles which are in accordance with their sex roles, which help them to gradually distinguish between masculinity and femininity. At play, generally girls dress up in frocks or girls dresses, play the roles of mother; while boys get ready in suit and neckties ready to go to office just like their fathers. Sometimes, small boys can be seen doing those tasks which are considered worthy for feminism, as dressing like girls, using make-up articles and play role in bringing up children. In the same way, some girls play the role of 'Daddy' during their play.

Some girls tend to act like man disproportionately and then the community terms such girls as 'Tomboys'. In these different and sex- cross roles, children are assisted in their socialization. Gender identity is an individual identity which an individual feels as man or woman.  This information begins right from childhood and blooms right until adolescence. It is such an identity which cultivates during socialization of an individual and most aspects of manliness or womanliness are taught by the community and learnt by individuals. To a great extent, gender identity has to create self- identity and individuality. Under gender identity is included the state of being man or woman, or how an individual's sex and situations are governed or incorporated by the community.

Gender identity is the assumption of a person being man or woman. It is the self-concept of a man or woman. Gender identity is the basic and far-reaching identity which an individual learns. A mere 15- months old child is starts to know whether he/ she is a boy or girl.

Gender identity is generally that by which an individual accepts himself /herself as a man or woman; but this can also be seen in this way that gender identity is that by which other people come to know about you on the basis of your symbols or gender roles (as dress, hair style). It can also be called a set of symbols by which the gender identity of an individual is determined.

Therefore, the people who think themselves as girls or women feel feminine gender, and they will do such things which will tell others that they are girls or women. On the other hand, and individual who knows himself as masculine gender will do such things which will help him chalk out as a boy or man. Most communities ensure that individuals behave themselves as per the norms set for that Gender, and it is related with their gender identity. The process of gender identity is complex which is initiated at conception, and grows more complicated through worth and after-birth experiences. We can distinguish it on certain attributes, but each community classifies as each of its individual into man or woman on the basis of language and other customs.

Thus, gender identity is an exemption which threatens to an individual being a boy or girl general. Gender identity is invisible and cannot be established on the basis of extrinsic appearance. Generally, sex and gender identity are coincidental, because men behave themselves as masculinity is defined in the community,  and so is the case with women who behave as femininity is defined.

Factors Influencing Gender Identity

(i). BIOLOGICAL FACTORS:

• Several prenatal,  biological factors,  including genes and hormones,  may affect to gender identity.
• The biochemical theory of gender identity suggests that people acquire gender identities through such factors rather than socialization. 
• Hormonal influences are also Complex sex determining hormones are produced at an early stage of metal development.

(ii). SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL FACTORS:

Gender identity also had a strong relation with social and environmental factors: search factors would mostly include the attitude of the parents raising the child and their culture.

• Children learn from family and culture.

• The family is the most important social group in society. It's also the most important influences in a child's life. The family plays an essential role in child's education, physical and emotional needs, in protection and material support, in nurture, love and give emotional support.

Diverse Learning Theories and Gender Identity Formulation

Learning occupies an important place in formulating gender identity. There are several theories which tell how children attend their gender identity according to their biological sex.

(i). Social Learning Theory:- Children learn to be man or woman by reinforcement and modelling. Sex- related messages being to pour in soon after the Infant leaves hospital after birth. As a child grows, boy and girl is looked at differently as a boy or girl, and their stereotyped behaviors are also rewarded too.

(ii). Social Cognitive Theory:- According to this theory, children are active thinkers and they form schema of the gender in a like manner as they form schema of other incidents. Information and experiences are stores in the schema, which helps them take decision and understand the world around them.

(iii). Cultural Transmission Theory:- According to this theory the process of gender identification commence at infancy. The important people in the life of a child give shape to his behaviour, like guardians, siblings and teachers. For, this they reward a child for a behaviour in in consonance with the gender, and discourage anti- gender behaviour. Children too are motivated to behave like the people of their Gender and their imitation because they accept them as their role models children have rights in small age to establish their gender identity.

Gender: Introduction, Static Meaning, Definition and Core Concept | Sex

"Gender refers to the attitudes, and behaviours that a given culture and associates with the person's biological sex. Behaviour that is compatible with cultural expectations is referred to as gender normative; behaviours that are viewed as incompatible with these expectations constitutes gender non-conformity.

Introduction to Gender

The concept of gender came into existence during the early 1970's. It was used as an analytical category to draw a line of demarcation between biological sex differences and the way these are used to inform behaviours and complexes which are then assigned as masculine or feminine. The purpose of affirming a sex/gender distinction was to argue about the actual physical or mental effects of biological differences which was exaggerated to maintain a patriarchal system of power as well as to create a consciousness among the women that they were naturally better suited to domestic roles. The conception of gender varies according to different context and time period. A common core sediment of meaning that the gender concept carrier by ingaging with how different cultures work in, through an of gendered realities. Though gender has always been a part of societal realities everywhere, its emergency as a concept and a discursive tool is a recent and modern phenomenon.

Static Meaning

A static meaning of gender concept has aligned itself with the range of Idea cluster from time to time, making it impossible to explain it by tracking its etymological roots alone. By such alignments on the one hand extend originally or grammatically and on the other hand, they make for re- routing of meanings that stretch the very matrix on which the gender concept is based.

The concept of gender is addressed in various specialised disciplines for instance in literary studies, history, anthropology, etc. each of which retrieves and re-figures the concept differently. Centrally speaking the gender has been the issue of sexual difference and its manifestation and their consequences. The debate usually is found amongst man and woman and even women themselves, which implies the combination of biological and socio-historical factors in the definitions.

Definitions and Core Concepts

Gender is defined as a set of characteristics or traits that are associated with a certain biological sex (male/ female). These characteristics are generally referred to as "masculine" or "feminine".

Gender has been defined as: "The commonly shared Expectations and norms with the society about appropriate male and female behaviour,  characteristics and roles. Gender can be considered as social and cultural construct that differentiate females from male and thus defines the ways in which females and males interact with each other. These roles and expectations are learned and they can change over time as well as vary within and between cultures".

Clarification of Definition

* Gender is a culture- specific construct– there are significant differences in which women and men can or cannot do in one culture as compared to another. But what is fairly consistent across cultures is that there is always a distinct difference between women's and men's roles, access to productive resources, and decision-making authority. Typically, men are seen as being responsible for the productive activities outside the home while women.

* Sexuality is distinct from gender yet intimately linked to it. It is the social construction of a biological drive. An individuals Sexuality is defined by whom one has sex with, in what ways, why, under what circumstances and with what outcomes. It is more than sexual behaviour, it is multi dimensional and dynamic concept..."

Gender is used to describe the characteristics of women and men that are socially constructed, while sex refers to those that are biologically determined. People are born female or male, but learn to be girls and boys who grow into women and men. This learnt behaviour and makes a gender identity and determines gender roles.

Gender is also a social construct. As the World health organisation (WHO) explains:

"Gender refers to the socially constructed characteristics of women and men, such as norms rules and relationships of and between groups of women and men. It varies from society to society ".

The United Nations (1995,2000,2001) has defined gender as follows: "The term gender refers to culturally based expectations of the roles and behaviours of the males and females. The term distinguishes of the socially constructed from the biologically determined aspects of being male and female. Unlike the biology of sex, gender roles and behaviours can change historically, sometimes it relatively quickly, even if aspects of these roles originated in the biological differences between the sexes. Because the religious or cultural traditions that define and justify the distinct roles and expected behaviours of males and females are strongly cherished and socially enforced change in gender systems often in contested. In some countries, there are groups, which seeks can impose more stringent divisions between males and females than currently exist, while feminist movements seek to reduce or eradicate these divisions."

Gerda Learner, in her book The Creation of Patriarchy, says: "Gender is a costume, a mask, a strait jacket in which men and women dance their unequal dance."

Alan Wolfe found that in all types of groups, in which people have done wrong to the others, the most profoundly the men have subjugated women. Lerner says that man's subjugation is most primary among all types of slavery, and sexism is the most prominent among all types of 'isms' like casteism, classism etc., and which should be prohibited.

In explaining sex and gender, a factor must be known clearly,  and that is biological determinism.

• Gender refers to those characteristics and roles of women and men that are socially constructed.
• What is gender about?
• Social roles and relations between men and women in the society.
• It affects all parts of our lives (social economic and political).
• It changes over time.
• It is what we expect men and women to do behave.
• It is about how power is used and shared.

Sex

Sex in a very broad way," sex" refers to the biological and physiological differences between male and female sex. The term sex is a physical differentiation between the biological male and the biological female. Thus, when an infant is born, the infant comes to be labelled "boy" or "girl" depending on their sex. The genital difference between male and female is the basis of such characterization. There is a biological difference between the sexes and most people are born as one sex or another. However, it has been argued that having been born into one sex and another, individuals are then socialized according to specific gender expectations and roles. Biological males learn to take on masculine roles. They are socialize to think and act in masculine ways. Biological females learn to take on feminine roles.

We can also say that sex is the permanent and immutable biological characteristics common to individuals in all societies and cultures, while gender defines traits forced throughout the history of social relation. Gender, although is originates in objective biological divergences goes far beyond the physiological and biological specific of the two sexes in terms of the roles each is expected to play. Gender differences are social constructs, inculcate on the basis of a specific society's particular perceptions of the physical differences and the assume to tastes, tendencies, and capabilities of men and women. Gender differences, unlike the immutable characteristics of sex, are universally conceded in historical and comparative social analyses to be variants that are transformed over time and from one culture to the next, as societies change and evolve.

Definition

 "Sex refers to a person's biological status and is typically categorized as male, female, or intersex ( I.e., a typical combinations of features that uses distinguish male from female). There are a number of indicators of biological sex chromosomes, gonadotropin, internal reproductive organs,  and external genitalia. "

Gender vs Sex sex identify as biological differences between men and women. E.g. a woman can give birth and man provides sperm. Sex is universal (every nation, throughout history) gender identifies social relations between men and women Gender is socially constructed but gender roles are dynamic and changed over time.

The Difference Between Sex and Gender

S.No.	Sex	Gender
1.	Biologically determined	Socially constructed
2.	Determined by organs of birth based on gender	Determined by social roles
3.	Anatomy of reproductive system	Personal identification of one'se own gender
4.	Will have secondary sexual characters	Will be based on internal awareness
5.	Denotes physical differences between male and female	Denotes behavioral and cultural practices
6.	Difference in organs of birth	Difference in attitude and behaviour
7.	Concept of sex is same all the world	Results from socialization process
8.	It has expectations in appearance	It has social Expectations physical
9.	Differ from male to female	It relates to both the sex
10.	Can't we change by time	Changes over time
11.	No difference	Gender roles are different at different history
12.	Only two aspects	Has variety of aspects