Introduction
For a long time, society has been subjected to universally standard natural settings, which tent to follow a certain path. The society naturally construes gender to be either male or female and any other type of gender is viewed as an abnormality, especially in conservative societies.
At the same time, sexuality and sexual practices tend to take the same path, which is presumably a natural path that dictates sexual attraction to be between two opposite genders. Society has played a major role in demarcating the gender and sexual spheres by attaching moral issues and ethics to the two elements, thus making rules that seem to flow naturally from one generation to the other.
Within its religions touching, this trend has been a trigger to society having teachings on the supposed gender and sexuality paths that people are meant to follow, as long as members of the society subscribe to the given religion. At the same time, society plays a big role in defining gendered bodies by creating unwritten rules that instruct or create expectations regarding persons of different genders and how they should carry themselves.
How Societies Construct Gender Identities
Society is a powerful tool of influence that makes and shapes the thoughts and practices of its people. Naturally, two main genders define society and these gender lines the society has set its foundations on. Society’s definition of gender naturally hinges on genitalia, especially where the genitals are normal.
From the moment a child is born, the child’s gender is a subject to the genitals that the child carries, which can be either male or female. From the first day, a baby born of a certain gender will be identified by it and the baby will be named accordingly (Eugenides, 2003). The naming of persons in society points to the sex of the individual with the names for men being distinct from those for women.
Initially, gender identities were constructed through the dress code with a clear distinction of each gender’s dressings (Marienberg, 2013). Allocation of tasks and duties in society formed part of this construct as the society allocated duties justifiably according to gender. The Jewish society was very strict in following this order and it would be viewed as prejudicial when a member of the opposite sex were found doing what is considered to be a role for the opposite sex.
Though gender should naturally be either male or female, other genders do not fall within this description, and thus it is difficult for society to accept them.
There is always confusion when a mixed gender orientation arises in a single person whereby such a person either has both genitals, like hermaphrodites or has opposite genitalia for their body. To society, what is contrary to general expectations is usually referred to as a disorder, an abnormality, and a sort of lameness. Society views such cases in a prejudiced manner as they are beneath the society’s norms.
To this extent, members of a family are known to try to straighten the gender identity of one of their own through procedures like surgeries. The influence of society on gender constructs cannot be ignored as other than adjusting an individual to its correct gender, the society can cause confusion by influencing individuals to take on a gender identity that is not theirs. This move underscores the aspect of gender identity disorder.
How Societies Construct Sexual Practices
Different societies have different influences on the constructs of sexual practices, which vary from how liberal the society is to how conservative it may be. Liberal societies have liberal sexual practices that permit individuals to indulge in sexual activities and practices as they please. On the other hand, conservative societies are cautious about handling sexual practices in society and they tend to follow a strict order.
In most cases, these societies have a revered purpose for sexual activities and practices and thus they have set aside important intended purposes for sexual practices. The contemporary society is divided into urban and rural communities, which have a disparity in the different practices that they engage in. In the urban society, people tend to be more liberal and open with their sexual practices than in the rural settings.
This aspect can be attributed to the view that the urban population is usually cosmopolitan in nature, thus not bound to observe traditional sexual practices. On the other hand, Christian communities and Jewish communities approach the matter of sexual practices in a strict manner. These two communities advocate for chastity and they paint sex as a tool for procreation than a tool for pleasure (Marienberg, 2013).
The question that arises and what is still a matter of debate is, “what counts as sex.” Different people have different sexual orientations, which are mostly a deviation from the traditionally accepted norms about sexual practices. This perception is informed by the society that people live in, and the ethical values attached to sexual practices (Phyllis, 2013).
The members of the gay and lesbian communities have perpetuated sexual practices like homosexuality and they have come out strongly to create awareness and justify why it is normal to be a gay or a lesbian. They have also gone into an overdrive to recruit new members and fight for their rights. The media too has been influential in setting the pace for sexual practices by putting forward new trends in society by breaking sexual practices barriers and further liberalizing what were once conservative sexual practices.
How Society Constructs Gendered Bodies
Gender defines the body that a certain gender is expected to have. Men are expected to have strong bodies full of muscles. The expectations of society from specific gender lead to the development of gendered bodies. In Muslim societies, girls are supposed to cover all parts of their bodies as per the teachings of the Quran.
This aspect shapes the women to walk in a certain manner that makes them take a certain posture that can be described as gendered. Society shapes gendered bodies by creating expectations that each gender is supposed to follow. Men in an Africa are supposed to walk with a certain gait that showed the embodiment of bravery in the man (Brettell & Sargent, 2012).
Men in society are supposed to exude confidence and be strong in all areas of life and this stereotype, as an expectation from society, drives them to behave in a certain way in all that they do. The definition of beauty in society sets the steps that lead to a construction of gendered bodies. This definition as displayed on catwalks influences women to ape the new trends by walking the way the women on the catwalks walk because that is what is considered as beautiful.
Individual careers too shape gendered bodies because depending on the work that an individual does, people tend to take certain body shapes and movements. Military personnel have been trained to walk with a certain gait and they are supposed to keep their bodies in a certain shape as a requirement. Women in society are expected to sit with their legs closed and in most cases with their hands held together (Brettell & Sargent, 2012).
Society describes this aspect as decent sitting for a woman and it leads the woman to occupy little space. Men, on the other hand, are allowed to sit more freely as compared to women. A man is not supposed to walk like a woman because it is not manly while a woman is not supposed to walk like a man because it is not womanly. These are some of the societal constructs on gendered bodies.
Conclusion
Society as a whole has a tremendous influence on gender identities, sexual practices, and gendered bodies. The society that one lives in underscores the environment that shapes the comprehensive constructs that draw members of the society towards certain ways of doing things. The societal influence is significant to the extent that it creates a uniform-like structure that silently dictates how people should approach certain issues in society.
Reference List
Brettell, C., & Sargent, C. (2012). Gender in Cross-Cultural Perspective (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice Hall.
Eugenides, J. (2003). Middlesex: A Novel. New York, NY: Picador
Marienberg, E. (2013). Traditional Jewish Sexual Practices and their Possible Impact
on Jewish Fertility and Demography. Harvard Theological Review, 106(3), 243-287.
Phyllis, G. (2013). Safe sex Talk: Negotiating Safe Sex Practices in Heterosexual Relations. Mediterranean Journal of Social Sciences, 42(2), 309-318.