Gender and Sexuality as Social Constructs: Historical and Cultural Perspectives

Introduction

Gender and sexuality are historically constructed concepts shaped by the social context. These terms have severe implications for people as they define many variables, such as gender inequality, stigmatization, and barriers to acceptance and equality. Some examples should be considered for a detailed look at how gender and secession have been historically and situationally shaped.

Gender and sexualization significantly influence modern society. The fact that specific rules and laws govern them always increases the discredit of one of the parties. Thus, it is essential to consider how the historical context has influenced people’s perceptions of gender and attitudes toward sexuality.

Gender as a Social Construct

Gender can be attributed to social and cultural roles that are associated with certain expectations from a person in connection with their belonging to the female or male sex. However, the voiced expectations and roles are not fixed and have changed throughout history across cultures and societies. In many pre-industrial societies, women’s roles were primarily predetermined in household chores, and they were not allowed to work (Fausto-Sterling, 2019). Men were responsible for earnings and other activities outside the home.

With the development of society in most modern Western societies, women have equal access to all social institutions, such as education and the opportunity to work anywhere. At the same time, gender roles have been modernized to become more balanced. This can be seen in the fact that men began to be required to do the same things as household chores, which they must distribute evenly within the family. Thus, gender is not just a biological characteristic but also a social construct that is created by certain norms and cultural factors.

The Social Construction of Sexuality

The concept of sexuality has significant differences that can be traced in the historical context. In many societies and cultures, sexuality may have been regulated and controlled by state agencies and institutions. This happened through the adoption of specific laws or legislative acts. For example, in many parts of the world, homosexuality has been criminalized, and those who engage in same-sex relationships have been subjected to severe social stigma and punishment.

However, attitudes towards homosexuality in many parts of the world have changed significantly over the past decades. Many countries have legalized same-sex marriages and decriminalized homosexuality, which indicates the development of the culture of society at the level of sexualization (Fausto-Sterling, 2019). According to the same principle, with the development of society, the attitude towards abortion and contraceptives has changed, which can be called a reflection of the perception of certain social trends by the population.

Power Dynamics and Sexual Norms

The historical and cultural construction of gender and sexuality has been the subject of much academic research. Sexuality is not a natural phenomenon, as in most cases, the concept is formed with the help of social and historical processes that are relevant at a certain point in time (Foucault, 1990). Thus, it can be assumed that the dynamics of power shaped attitudes toward sexuality in a particular country.

The government completely regulated social norms regarding sexuality, and the more totalitarian the country was, the more conservative the rules were applied to sexual behavior. This can be seen, for example, in the way in which female sexuality has been regulated and controlled by many religious and patriarchal countries. In many cultures, women’s sexual behavior is closely monitored and controlled, and women who deviate from social norms are legally or socially punished and stigmatized.

In addition, the regulation of sexuality could be a means of controlling and marginalizing certain social minorities. An example of such actions would be laws against intermarriage between people, which were used to enforce racial segregation and maintain white supremacy until the abolition of slavery. These laws were based on the belief that miscegenation was immoral and threatened the purity of white society (Fausto-Sterling, 2019).

At the same time, with the development of society, such concepts did not cease to exist entirely and were replaced by others. Some countries, for example, still have laws criminalizing homosexuality and prohibiting same-sex marriage. Such government action demonstrates how policymaking and legislation can change the way society perceives certain groups in the population.

Sexuality in the Victorian Era

The cultural construction of gender and sexuality can be seen in the Victorian era. Foucault (1990) argues in his work that sexuality at that time was not repressed, as is commonly believed by most scholars. On the contrary, this concept was created as a kind of force that needed to be managed and controlled to achieve specific goals.

Sexuality at that time became a central feature of modern society and was used as a means of regulating and controlling people. An example can be given that sexuality was used to create norms and standards of behavior. In this case, people who did not meet these standards were stigmatized and excluded.

This construction of sexuality has perpetuated gender inequality and discrimination in modern times. It seriously influenced the creation of a binary system of gender and sexual orientation, which excluded people who did not meet these standards. Thus, the Victorian era directly influenced the location of gender and sexuality in modern times.

Influence of Education and Media

The historical and cultural shaping of attitudes about sexual behavior and gender roles can, in many ways, shape people’s experiences. After examining many books on sex advice for teens, Adams (1997) argues that all writing on the subject is designed to discredit homosexual relationships and emphasize traditional gender roles. Thus, books aimed at educating young people to achieve the effect of marginalizing and discrediting the LGBTQ+ community by mentioning them only in a negative way and neglecting their features. In this way, Adams’ work demonstrates how society and historical context can warp the constructs of gender and sexuality while reinforcing discrimination and inequality.

The constructions of gender and sexualization have a significant influence on the marginalization and social perception not only of gender minorities but also of the people. For example, the formation of indigenous sexuality was strongly influenced by colonialism and the legacy of boarding schools in Canada (Cannon, 1998). Thus, the sexual behavior of the indigenous peoples began to be perceived as wrong and immoral, with a complete disregard for the cultural layer and traditions of those people.

The construction of the sexuality of indigenous peoples has been identified as deviant because they began to obey the laws and regulations that other peoples developed without their knowledge and consent. This construction perpetuates the marginalization and oppression of indigenous peoples who were forced to live with such norms of behavior that they did not need. Thus, it can be said that the constructions of gender and sexuality can be used as a tool of discredit and oppression.

The historical and cultural construction of gender and sexuality can significantly influence the experience of students in schools. For example, girls in many schools are subject to strict dress codes that govern their choice of clothing and discredit clear gender roles. In this way, the dress code turns girls’ bodies into sexual objects and perpetuates the notion that they should be responsible for male desires (Raby, 2009).

Such a division of gender roles and ideas about the male and female sexes imposes certain burdensome obligations on one of the parties. In the future, this can negatively affect the process of growing up, turning a person’s routine life into constant moral dilemmas about what needs to be done to comply with certain norms and rules. Thus, dress codes can negatively affect girls’ self-esteem and appearance and reinforce harmful gender stereotypes.

Conclusion

It is worth saying that certain factors condition the assertion that gender and sexuality are historically conditioned and culturally constructed. Historical conflicts with the roles of different minorities and social groups reinforce the fact that norms, beliefs, and power dynamics shape how people understand and express their gender and sexuality. In addition, the government can have a direct influence on the formation of certain stereotypes and discriminatory provisions.

This understanding has important implications for social justice and human rights. By recognizing the historical and cultural structure of gender and sexuality, people can eliminate the inequalities that exist in modern societies. The same rights and obligations must be provided to everyone, regardless of what social minority a person belongs to or what gender they are.

References

Adams, M. L. (1997). Why can’t I be normal?: Sex advice for teens. The Trouble With Normal: Postwar Youth and the Making of Heterosexuality, 7. University of Toronto Press. Web.

Cannon, M. (1998). The regulation of First Nations sexuality. Canadian Journal of Native Studies, 18(1), pp. 1-18. Web.

Fausto-Sterling, A. (2019). Gender/sex, sexual orientation, and identity are in the body: How did they get there? The Journal of Sex Research, 56(4-5), pp. 529-555. Web.

Foucault, M. (1990). The history of sexuality: An introduction. New York: Vintage.

Raby, R. (2009). “Tank tops are ok but I don’t want to see her thong” girls’ engagements with secondary school dress codes. Youth & Society, 41(3), pp. 333-356. Web.

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StudyCorgi. "Gender and Sexuality as Social Constructs: Historical and Cultural Perspectives." July 27, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/gender-and-sexuality-as-social-constructs-historical-and-cultural-perspectives/.

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StudyCorgi. 2025. "Gender and Sexuality as Social Constructs: Historical and Cultural Perspectives." July 27, 2025. https://studycorgi.com/gender-and-sexuality-as-social-constructs-historical-and-cultural-perspectives/.

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