Masculinity and femininity are terms used to refer to the gender classification of human beings as either male or female. In this classification of human beings using gender, a human being is either a man or a woman. Gender is a characteristic that is social rather than biological in nature and in its definition of sexuality in human beings in such a way that there a very clear relationship exists between the way people view their own bodies and how they see their society. Sexuality helps to identify a human being on both personal and social levels by classifying one as either male or female and differentiating if one is a child or an adult.
Even though there has been a tendency in some human beings to relate to different genders depending on which feels appropriate or comfortable for them, very distinct characteristics exist between masculinity and femininity. Masculinity has often been associated with such character traits as violent, intelligent, sexual, courageous and ambitious to name but a few, while femininity has been viewed as soft, emotional, dependant, subordinate, delicate, needy, sensitive and domestic among others. Different cultural settings have however offered different opinions regarding the two gender roles although there is a common belief that both masculinity and femininity originated from culture. In the history of humankind, sex has been used to determine gender and in a large extent to determine gender roles. Identify through gender and the roles attached to gender help to shape sexuality in such a way that if separated from sex, then gender lose meaning.
Both masculinity and femininity have had tremendous influence on society’s understanding of sexuality from both the cultural and historical perspectives. Historically, it is culture that has determined the place of a man or a woman in society and even the kind of duties that are assigned to each one. Even though most of the societies in the world are patriarchal in nature for example, reproduction has been predominantly a woman’s role and the role of the man in the process is just the sexual bit of the act. After the child is born, it is the duty of the female to take care of it while the male provides for both mother and child. Masculinity has been the dominant role in sexual relations whereby it is normally the male who decides if a sexual relationship is to take place and this factor is noticeable in many sexual relationships whether done in consent such as prostitution or through force or assault as in the case of incest or rape.
The act of prostitution has often been described as one of the world’s oldest professions. Unlike male prostitution which has operated against societal norms, female prostitution has always been tolerated in society, only being condemned as an immoral act but otherwise satisfying a social need. In ancient Babylon for example, patrons and workers offered sexual service to temple gods during fertility rituals as a result of which commercial prostitution flourished around these temples. With the coming of slave trade, slave masters were known to sexually exploit the women slaves that were under their authority in exchange for better working conditions or other favors. These slave masters would even take some of these slave women as their concubines in the name of granting them freedom, and slaves and concubines became a symbol of wealth in these societies. During historical wars and conquests, women who were taken as military captives would be sexually exploited by the males in charge of the camps in exchange for little favors or even as punishment. It is therefore quire clear that masculinity’s dominance over femininity is as old as history itself. Prostitution appears to be deeply rooted in society and has throughout history been tolerated as a social necessity but mainly to satisfy the sexual needs of the males. Even though women have been known to practice prostitution for commercial purposes, it is the men who are the ready clients and are willing to pay for the services.
In the history of humankind, heterosexual relationships have always been regarded as the normal type of relationships. This is the reason why any relationship between a man and woman has been tolerated by society regardless of whether such a relationship is approved by society or not. Though homosexuality has been in existence throughout human history, it has been regarded as a social evil and prostitution in such relationships has highly been stigmatized as compared to male-female prostitution. The nature of some men to adopt female characteristics has been viewed as a big threat to male super-ordination and solidarity because these men have an option to seek sexual satisfaction from the female prostitutes. Lesbianism has not received any acceptance by the males either because women who appear not to need men in their lives are seen as a big threat to male superiority. But it is interesting to note that sex-change operations have only aroused a lot of public interest and have rarely been condemned.
Historically any sanctions imposed on prostitution have been directed towards the females while their male counterparts are left free of any accusations. This is an indication that the term prostitute is culturally used to refer to the female person involved in the act rather than to both male and female counterparts. Many males who practice prostitution have continued to view themselves as socially upright while the women bear the blame from society. Because of the patriarchal nature of most societies prostitution between a male and female has only been viewed as immoral but otherwise not illegal.
Between the late 19th century and mid 20th century, male homosexuals’ activities were highly condemned and even though the practice was widespread, it operated in the underground (Weeks, J. 198-204). The attempt to make a distinction between male prostitutes and homosexuals affected the nature of prostitution among the homosexuals and the act became less public so as to avoid any instance of violence or blackmail. There was the tendency to classify the male prostitutes with the female prostitutes and this was seen as undermining masculinity. Male prostitutes had a professional disadvantage because in their attempt to avoid a lot of publicity they failed to get the public attention or concern that their female counterparts received and as such could not compete with their female counterparts in terms of the benefits they got from the trade. Because female prostitution was accepted, the females in the trade benefited from many favors unlike the males who were exposed to a lot of harassment (Chauncey 68-76).
Feminists have had varied views on sexuality depending on the type of relationship. In sexual relationships involving adults and children such as incest, assault or rape, feminists have offered different views. In a case where a father has sexual relations with his children whether male or female the view has been one of domestic tyranny and, male abuse of sexual power and authority. This is because children unlike adults have several limitations when it comes to exercising knowledge or power. While adults exercise power and knowledge in the sexual acts, children have none and most children are either persuaded into the sexual acts which they comply without any knowledge of what is going to take place or they are forced into it (Angelides, S. 147-149). In child-adult sexual encounters, the child is highly desexualized a factor that leads to both psychotherapeutic and psychological effects on the child.
According to feminists, sexual exploitation may also take place between adults in a case where one is taking advantage of another, for example a boss taking advantage of his position to get sexual favors from a subordinate staff. In such a case, the victim is torn between complying and or refusing and facing the consequences. Masculinity one again tends to be predominant in such a case. Sexual Exploitation may also take place through consent where one party is completely ignorant of the fact that they are being exploited and they agree to sex in exchange of very minor favors. This act may continue over a long time leading to exploitation. Assault or the use of force has also been used for sexual exploitation even in relationships that are socially recognized such as that of husband and wife (Angelides, S. 147-153., Scott, S. 351, 354). A woman will be forced into sex by the husband even when they are not willing simply because of the subordinate character attached to her role as a wife.
Conclusion
Masculinity and femininity have therefore affected the historical and cultural views on sexuality in that it is gender that has played the role of determining the sexual position of a person in society and whether what they are doing is right or wrong. However some social evils have been tolerated while others have not depending on society’s level of tolerance towards the evil. While prostitution between male and female has been acceptable for example, sex between an adult and a child has been highly condemned.
Works Cited
Angelides, S. Feminism, Child Sexual Abuse and Erasure of Child Sexuality. GLQ Journal of Lesbian and Gay Studies. Duke University Press. 2004.
Chauncey, George. Gender, Urban Culture and the Making of the Gay Male World. 1890-1940. Basic Books, New York, 1994. Pp 65-97.
Lloyd, Moya. Beyond Identity Politics: Feminism, Power & Politics.SAGE, 2005.
McIlvenny, Paul. Talking Gender and Sexuality. John Benjamins Publishing Company, 2002.
Parker, Richard & Aggleton, Peter. Culture, |Society and Sexuality: A Reader. Routledge, 1999.
Riger, Stephanie. Transforming Psychology: Gender in Theory and Practice. Oxford University Press, US, 2000.
Scott, S. Surviving Selves. Feminism and Contemporary Discourse on Child Sexual Abuse. Pp 350-359. Sage Publications. 2001.
Weeks, J. Hidden from History. Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past. Inverts, Perverts and Mary-Anne’s: Male Prostitution and the Regulation of Homo-Sexuality in England in the Nineteenth and early Twentieth Centuries. A Meridian Book. 1989. Pp 198-212.