StudentShare
Contact Us
Sign In / Sign Up for FREE
Search
Go to advanced search...
Free

The meaning of Human Sexuality - Essay Example

Cite this document
Summary
Human sexuality is a term that refers to all the sexual elements that characterize human existence. Sexuality is an integral part of life as we know it. …
Download full paper File format: .doc, available for editing
GRAB THE BEST PAPER94.4% of users find it useful
The meaning of Human Sexuality
Read Text Preview

Extract of sample "The meaning of Human Sexuality"

27 November 2006 Human Sexuality Introduction Human sexuality is a term that refers to all the sexual elements that characterize human existence. Sexuality is an integral part of life as we know it. It is manifested at the physical as well as psychological level and plays an important role in shaping behavior, beliefs and attitudes. Sexuality permeates every layer of society and consequently over the ages different cultures have sought to give it free expression or repress it firmly. From ancient India's Kamasutra, Freud's psychoanalysis in the Victorian age to the works of Margaret Mead, Alfred Kinsey, William Masters and Virginia Johnson in the 20th century, studies on sexuality have come a long way and have served to provide an understanding of human sexuality. The purpose of this essay is to explain how the concepts of "Belief versus Knowledge" and "Multiple Truths" are central to the understanding of cross gender communication. The differences between what is perceived as masculine and feminine styles of communication and the obstacles that exist and hinder proper communication processes between the sexes are discussed. In so doing the author proposes to highlight particular aspects of sexuality pertaining to gender and communication. "Belief versus Knowledge" and "Multiple Truths" Slater and Muir state that "A belief is a mental representation of a proposition about the world" (231). In simpler terms it can be said that a belief, as a result of underlying emotions or spiritual convictions is held to be true. Knowledge meanwhile refers to explicit information gleaned from study or experience that has its basis in hard fact. Believing is not the same as knowing but often beliefs are treated as facts. Beliefs are determined by a number of factors like religion, societal norms etc. In this particular context beliefs and knowledge or beliefs parading as knowledge are crucial factors in cross gender communication. In today's society, sexuality remains a largely taboo subject and the term continues to have negative connotations. Individual actions are governed by guilt induced by religion or society. For the religiously inclined sex and lust are usually portrayed as the epitome of evil. Sexual intercourse must be tolerated for the purpose of procreation and is not to be enjoyed or desired. Further societal or peer pressure dampens sexual enthusiasm. For instance, it is believed that a big penis is a prerequisite for studs and an hourglass figure is essential for a woman to be desirable, therefore men worry about the size of their penises while women obsess about their bodies and this detracts from sexual enjoyment and healthy sexual expression. According to Dreyfus, "fears of rejection, failure, criticism, feelings of embarrassment or awkwardness, body image concerns, performance anxiety, anger towards a partner or women in general, or lack of attraction towards a partner, all play a part in reducing or eliminating the sexual response" (175). Therefore these extraneous variables stemming from belief constitute the complex amalgam that is sexuality and inhibit communication between the sexes. Men are usually loathe to discuss these issues and avoid them completely, while women stew in bewilderment and hurt while wrestling with their own conflicting beliefs about sexuality. Therefore a thorough understanding of the beliefs that color attitudes and influence behavior is necessary for effective communication. Carugati states that "The multiple truths are found via an approach that continuously attacks currently held beliefs from multiple points of view" (154). There are few questions in the world to which completely satisfactory answers have been found. Conflicting evidence and contradictory viewpoints usually exist. Therefore in the words of Lattal and Laipple, "Because competing explanations may each lead to successful working, there may be multiple 'truths'" (48). With regard to sexuality, the concept of "Multiple truths" may be used to explain gender differences in communication as opposed to a narrow - minded one dimensional viewpoint. Biological variations are believed by many to be the innate causal factor that accounts for differences between the sexes. At the psychological level, men and women receive reinforcement or punishment for their manner of communication and this determines future communication patterns. For examples males are reinforced if their speech is assertive and powerful, whereas females are lauded for being soft-spoken. Societal norms and expectations may also be responsible for gender differences in communication. Political correctness notwithstanding, society has clearly delineated masculine and feminine traits and the consequences are usually unpleasant for those who fail to conform to these norms. This factor also influences communication between and among the sexes. In this light, it appears that opposing viewpoints may coexist and a combination of factors may lead to the ultimate truth. Differences in Masculine and Feminine Styles of Communication Edwards says that "Conversation between women and men are often more difficult than same - sex conversations" (qtd. in Carroll & Wolpe 156). This difficulty is believed to arise due to differences in communication styles. According to Wood, "feminine speech tends to foster connections, support, closeness and understanding" (119). In feminine style of communication, attempts are made to show empathy and understanding. Therefore women usually draw on experience to express oneness. Feminine speech is interactive and expresses interest in the other person and attempts to draw the other person into the conversation. This is not the case in masculine style where individuals seek to control the conversation. Feminine speech is designed to be supportive and sympathetic to the troubles of others. The female conversational style is usually personal in tone and responsive. Feminine patterns of communication thrive on shared confidences and exchanged intimacies. Opening up is believed to be essential in order to forge satisfying bonds and to experience a feeling of closeness and warmth. Beck found that "Conversations between feminine people tend to be characterized by many questions that probe for greater understanding of feelings and perceptions surrounding the subject of talk" (qtd. in Wood 119 - 20). Tentativeness is believed to be another characteristic of the feminine style of communication as opposed to the assertiveness that characterizes masculinity. This manner of speaking is adopted so as not to intimidate others and to encourage them to open up. According to Wood, "Masculine speech communities tend to regard talk as a way to exert control, preserve independence, entertain, and enhance status" (121). In this conversational style, the utmost importance is given to control. The tone is authoritative and challenging and the brashness is often disguised as humor. Masculine speech is dense in verbiage but personal disclosure is kept to a minimum or is non-existent. In common parlance individuals exhibiting this particular characteristic would be said to have "intimacy issues". In the masculine style of conversation, individuals aim to exude strength and keep signs of vulnerability or weakness carefully hidden. Therefore it is not surprising that research has shown that men are more likely to interrupt conversations in their bid to establish dominance and manipulate the conversation. Speech patterns are direct, straightforward and concise. Men are likely to speak in the abstract so as not to divulge anything incriminatory about them. Nonverbal communication patterns also vary in men and women. Body language is often used as a substitute for direct speech. In keeping with societal norms, women focus on their appearance, exude softness and warmth and adopt a non-threatening stance. Unlike women the nonverbal communication patterns in males lack subtlety. Further women are more adept in correctly interpreting nonverbal communication. Difficulties in the Process of Males and Females Understanding Each Other Carroll and Wolpe reveal that "gender differences in communication can lead to miscommunication in relationships" (157). Incompatible beliefs pertaining to human sexuality may also lead to communication problems. All these problems are the result of faulty understanding or misinterpretation of each other's speech. Sometimes women like their partners to draw out the information they are dying to share and are offended when men fail to do so. Of course men do not intend to be insensitive; in keeping with their communication rules they assume that if the woman wants to share something she will do so when she is ready. Such trivialities are responsible for the seemingly huge and insurmountable barrier that exists between the sexes. At this juncture it must be mentioned that the difficulties mentioned above may be easily resolved. Men and women are capable of using the masculine and feminine communication styles interchangeably. Awareness and an understanding of the gender differences in communication will diminish such problems considerably. Patience, devotion, commitment and compatibility often serve to render the obstacles that stand in the way of effective communication insignificant. Works Cited Carroll, Janell, and Paul Wolpe. Sexuality Now: Embracing Diversity. Belmont: Thomas Wadsworth, 2005. Carugati, Andrea. "Information Systems Development as Inquiring Systems: Theoretical Discussion." Rescuing the Enlightenment from Itself: Critical and Systemic Implications for Democracy. Ed. Janet McIntyre - Mills. New York: Springer Publishing, 2005. 150 - 64. Dreyfus, Edward. Keeping your Sanity. Philadelphia: Xlibris Corporation, 2000. Lattal, Kennon and Joseph Laipple. "Pragmatism and Behavior Analysis." Behavior Theory and Philosophy. Eds. Kennon Lattal and Philip Chase. New York: Springer Publishing, 2004. 41 - 62. Slater, Alan, and Darwin Muir. The Blackwell Reader in Developmental Psychology. Malden: Blackwell Publishing, 1999. Wood, Julia. Gendered Lives: Communication, Gender and Culture. New York: Thomas Wadsworth, 2005. Read More
Tags
Cite this document
  • APA
  • MLA
  • CHICAGO
(“The meaning of Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words”, n.d.)
The meaning of Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words. Retrieved from https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1529726-the-meaning-of-human-sexuality
(The Meaning of Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words)
The Meaning of Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1529726-the-meaning-of-human-sexuality.
“The Meaning of Human Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 Words”, n.d. https://studentshare.org/miscellaneous/1529726-the-meaning-of-human-sexuality.
  • Cited: 0 times

CHECK THESE SAMPLES OF The meaning of Human Sexuality

The History Boys by Cusack and Hytner

Sex and sexuality are taboo in schools as if students are gender-less beings.... Their sexuality produces inner conflicts that intersect with outer conflicts with social norms, norms that the basic institutions of society, specifically schools and religion, define and control.... Both Irwin and Dakin are unraveling the sexual identities that they have repressed, and it is their education about sexuality that releases them from the bondage of heteronormative gender norms....
6 Pages (1500 words) Movie Review

Explore how sexuality has changed over the past 100 years

Sexuality has shown more changes in the last 100 years than have occurred throughout most of human history.... This area of research was somewhat based on the developments by Charles Darwin about the idea of selection as a method for putting the best traits together in order to support increases in the ‘quality' of human beings being born.... Explore how sexuality has changed over the past 100 years sexuality and the ways in which sex creates both pleasure and results in procreation has been revolutionized in the last one hundred years....
3 Pages (750 words) Essay

The Social Basis of Sexuality

How these young women are informed by their respective societies and media will shape their concept on sexuality and pregnancy.... The peers make their influence much and this affects much on a person's concept on sexuality.... SOCIAL INSTITUTIONSReligion, education, and the family are some of the social institutions that influence much or shape the sexuality of the young, even until adulthood.... human sexual attitudes and behavior vary in different cultural contexts....
4 Pages (1000 words) Essay

Ageism and Sexuality

In this paper different theories related with this topic will be discussed in detail in order to grasp the understanding the correlation of sexuality with the increase in age.... nbsp;There has been a predominant increase in the research of sexuality of the older persons.... nbsp;… According to the report the changing pattern of sexuality in accordance with age is a growing field of discussion in the recent times.... nbsp;sexuality is a significant component steering the quality of life throughout the course of life....
8 Pages (2000 words) Research Paper

Reading Response Questions to Chapter 10 and Human Sexuality article

What do you see as the long-term impact on persons living out such a view of human sexuality?... When you have completed the assigned reading by Dan Boone on "human sexuality," (see online link) write four good discussion questions based on the issues presented by Dan Boone.... However, after the reading human sexuality by Dr.... What are some of the avenues that Christians can use to teach human sexuality to the society?... What do you see as the long-term impact on persons living out such a view of human… Sex has been freed and separated from faith and the moorings of a serious relationship in the society today....
2 Pages (500 words) Essay

The Thinking of Human Beings on Matters Pertaining to Sexuality

The paper "The Thinking of human Beings on Matters Pertaining to Sexuality" states that invert simply means the change of the sexual life.... hellip; The deployment of sexuality strives to find the reason as to why most of the individuals from the west strive to find the truth about sex.... The priests in the churches expected the confession of the people on matters pertaining to sexual behavior and during that period, sexuality formed the main topic on which statistical analysis was done....
8 Pages (2000 words) Essay

The Human Sexuality: Defining and Understanding an Important Segment of Human Life

The goal of the research "The Human Sexuality: Defining and Understanding an Important Segment of Human Life" is to define and discuss the term of human sexuality.... The writer of the following paper seeks to emphasize that human sexuality is not simply an act of procreation.... human sexuality therefore, is not simply an act of procreation.... human sexuality therefore, should be considered through different contexts in order to understand its true complexity....
10 Pages (2500 words) Research Paper

Human Sexuality as the Capability of Individuals to Experience Erotic

The paper "human sexuality as the Capability of Individuals to Experience Erotic" states that the reason why people lose their virginity at a younger age before they are married is that modern society no longer values virginity and tends to belittle individuals who are still virgins.... Studying sexuality is very important since human sexuality majorly contributes to social and also personal problems.... Our sexuality plays a fundamental role in all our lives regardless of age, sex, or race....
11 Pages (2750 words) Assignment
sponsored ads
We use cookies to create the best experience for you. Keep on browsing if you are OK with that, or find out how to manage cookies.
Contact Us