The Theoretical and Historical Construction of Sexual Identity - Essay Example

The construction of sexual identity and sexual roles are constructed mainly around the relations of power and culture. The theories of sexual identity are focused on the social aspect of sex. Sexual identity and behaviors are dependent on the differences of the social world, race, culture, ethnicity and class. Two primary perspectives in sexual identity and roles have prepared the historical and theoretical construction of sexual identity. The essentialist view and the social constructionist view come into conflict with each other as it comes from differing stances. The essentialist view looks into the biological differences inherent within each individual (Schwartz & Rutter, p.23). The construction of sexual identity is dependent on the genetic program of each individual, whether one is male or female. And consequently, the sexual roles of each are dependent on these biological differences. On the other hand, the social constructionist perspective sees sexual identity as the result of the social processes that are dependent on social interactions and social institutions (Schwartz & Rutter, p.23). Sexual roles, then, are dependent on the sanctioned norms that define the differences between male and female behavior. Sexual identity can, therefore, be seen as a result of social expectations because that is who an individual is supposed to be, whether male or female. With this perspective, the biology and inherent sexual being is being matched to the sexual role. We are expected to behave as a male or as a female according to the biological roles that each one plays. The roles are learned through culture, however, it is expected to match the inherent biological sexual orientation that each one has. Sexual identity can also be a result of learned behavior. In this perspective, culture is a significant process in acquiring one’s sexual identity and role. An individual learns to behave in such a way that their social experiences dictate. One can behave like a male or a female, depending on how one is socially influenced. From these primary perspectives, other theories and perspectives come into play. With the movement and changes of the social world, the theories also move from defining primarily how one is expected to behave, to differences in power, social roles and expectations according to gender sensitivity and similar social constructs that affects the society’s course of thinking regarding sexual identity. The major sociological perspectives interpret sexual identity differently. Functionalist perspective interprets sexual norms in terms of stability of social institutions. The differing roles of males and females define the differences in the movements of the social institutions. This creates stability as it provides delineation between the roles of each gender within the social institutions. The differing sexual roles establish the demarcation between the differing roles each gender performs that reinforces the division of social expectations for each gender. Conflict perspective, on the other hand, focuses on how sexual identity is constructed through power and competition. Since conflict theory is affected by economic factors, this indicates that sexual identity and roles may be created through industrial and economic revolutions. Traditional roles of males and females focus on economic stability and household respectively. The division of work capability and roles between sexual genders has been traditionally seen to be feminine and masculine. But over the years this concept has adopted change within cultures and race, due to the efforts of a lot of people in the past, women are now able to do men’s work in relation to workload and labor and vice versa. Men can also now be seen doing household work which women is traditionally obligated to do. The political and industrial development and change has also made a great bearing for the change and development of how the society sees differences in sexuality in regards to gender. Thus, it can be seen how the movement of the social institutions affect the movement of the perspective in gender and sexuality (Andersen, Taylor p.395). In the midst of economic changes, these roles changed, with females transitioning into male roles of providing economic stability for the family. This indicates how power and competition affects the construction of sexual identity. Economic and industrial changes empowered women more and gave them a level of freedom and independence that wasn’t there before. This started gendered theories which focus on gender inequality. feminism and gender sensitivity. Eventually, this perspective paved way for the study of even more complicated sexual identity and roles, from homosexuality to bisexuality. Symbolic interaction theory, the third primary sociological perspective focuses on studying the sexual scripts that emphasizes the differences between sexual identity and roles (Andersen, Taylor, p.358). This emphasizes the theory of social constructionism, which focuses on the study of social processes and interactions that affect the behavior of individuals. Symbolic interaction paved way for studies in heterosexuality, homosexuality and bisexuality in a narrower social ground rather than the grand economic structure of the society as what conflict theory is based from. Symbolic interactionism looks into the social processes and social interactions that individuals experience in their everyday life and how it affects their social constructs, not only for sexual identity but also sexual roles (Peiss, et.al., p.76). This indicates that even if their society is involved in social and industrial revolution, what primarily affect an individual’s perspective of their own sexual identity is the direct social interactions that they experience. What influences their construct of sexual roles is what they see within their families, peer groups and community. Their preferences are based on the better experiences that they have or opposite of the damaging experiences that they have. This indicates a basis for the study of homosexuality and bisexuality. Queer theory is the newest perspective in studying sexual identity and it focuses on challenging the norms of the society (Andersen, Taylor, p.358). This shows that the assumption of sexual identities and roles are based on how an individual or a group wants to change the movement of the society towards the perception of sexuality and gender. This perpetuates emancipation for non conformists and other factions of gender and sexuality groups that want to assume a challenge that will eventually define or construct future direction of gender and sexuality perspectives. The factor that has the largest amount of bearing in the construction of sexual identity for an individual is race and culture. There are a lot of cultural differences, and these differences may vary from belief, cultural tradition and heritage is also one of the determining factors of how individuals establish their sexual identity. Sexual identity in regards to gender and work nature has been a tradition within different cultures, it has been seen in most cultures that women are the ones who takes care of her family’s household, and the men are the ones who do the hard work to provide for the family. This theory has been considered to be the universal applicability of concepts around sex and gender (Parker, Aggleton p.78). Another factor that is taken into consideration for individuals to construct their sexual identity is the mental and emotional capability of the individual. Having the fact that race and culture has a great bearing in the process of sexual identity, experiences and influences in the community is also considered to have a large percentage on how an individual would see himself, and how he wants to be seen in that community. this self realization happens when an individual is exposed to the detail of his culture and community, one good example of is concept of being a hero, the act of heroism has traditionally been seen as a masculine act which men do at war, but today with the help of industrial change and needs, acts of good deeds are considered to be heroic in today’s society. An individual that went through a hard childhood and have experience poverty and violence could have a negative and positive effect emotionally and mentally in the sexual identity of an individual. Some could give in to the system and be a part of the people of that community who has done bad deeds and are engaged in illegal business or that individual would want a change in his or her community and would have plans on how to make a change and development of their community. In this case the act of doing so regardless if the deed is heroic or not will reinforce the individual’s sexual identity. Sexual identity in terms of sexual preferences can also be greatly influenced by the individual’s race and culture, there are some cultures that have no issues with homosexuals but there are some cultures that are against it. The argument in the acceptance of individuals who has a different sexual preference has been a traditional in different cultures. The exposure of an individual to people who have a different sexual preference can also be influencing on an individual. Clinically the basis of sexual preference is more on the emotional and psychological state of an individual, but it has also been proven that the influence individuals get from their community and the tolerance of family, race and culture would also have a great effect on how the individual establish his or her own sexual preference that will later on reinforce his or her sexual identity (Seidman p.21). The historical and theoretical construction of sexual identity and roles are seen to be dependent on the changes within the society. The direction of studying sexual identity and roles is dependent upon the existing theories. Historical construction of sexual identity and roles also show that the existing theories came off from the primary theories and the major sociological perspectives. The challenges that exist within the society and the social changes pave way for more theories to come out and for more studies to look into different aspects of sexual identity and roles. When prior, society only explains it through the three major sociological perspectives, the impact of economic changes and social movements pushed for studying sexual identity and roles in other angles which were not evident before, like how the queer theory started. With that, it shows that the theories on the construction of sexual identity and roles are very dependent on culture and society. The theory may explain the construction of sexual identity in different angles, but the endpoint is that culture and society greatly affects how each individual sees their own sexual identity and role, based on the influences from their culture, and how they let culture and society affect them. References Andersen, M. & Taylor, H. Sociology: understanding a diverse society. MA:Cengage Learning, 2005. Parker, R. & Aggleton, P. Culture, society and sexuality: a reader. NY:Routledge, 1999. Peiss, K. et al. Passion and power: sexuality in history. NY: Temple University Press, 1989. Seidman, S. Queer Theory. NY:Wiley-Blackwell, 1996. Read More