Short Article discussion about Sex, Gender and Society - Essay Example

Society establishes many norms, it would seem, as it pertains to gender and sexuality and, in some instances, it would seem that the average person does not consider where these values and norms actually came from. In American society, as described by the article, men often see women’s physical attributes as being objects for manipulation. This is clearly a social construction as described by the article. It is not astonishing, actually, considering that psychology and the domain of sociology reinforces the social belonging is one of the most fundamental and universal needs for improving one’s self-esteem and ensuring healthy social development.

Perhaps in today’s society, with such strong norms and expectations about what is acceptable for men versus women, that going along with these social norms and complying with their dominant expectations actually underpins the desire to be accepted at the social level. For instance, when men socialize, they often make either derogatory comments about women’s anatomy or express, as a group, how beautiful and sexy they find these attributes. To not go along with this banter could mean social humiliation or ostracizing.

It would seem, based on the reading, that fitting in might underpin conceptions of gender today and only when social belonging becomes less prevalent as a human need will gender roles and expectations evolve as well. Social norms in a society are clearly potent and powerful concepts. It is interesting to consider how stereotypes and biases also fit into what constructs norms and whether they are widely accepted or individual in society. In the domain of social sciences, there is a plethora of literature about cultural differences and how individuals in domestic versus foreign societies see gender roles, group roles, and cultural values in general.

For instance, in China, losing face in front of others is a very strong emotional component of behavior and when reputation is lost, people feel