SOCA 207 Chapter5 Sexuality Paper
Discuss how social institutions influence sexuality and sexual behavior. Choose one of the following social institutions; media – and identify how sexual norms and values are reinforced and maintained through individual interactions within the institution.
You will write an APA style essay for the assignment and submit the document in a MS Word document. Submissions should be two pages in length.SOCA 207 Chapter5 Sexuality Paper
Social scientists must be able to distinguish between sexuality and sexual behavior. Sexual behavior refers to the process that humans express sexuality. In contrast, sexuality refers to an individual’s sexual attraction and interest in other people and the capacity to have sexual or erotic experiences and feelings. It differs from gender identity, which is a person’s sense of socio-cultural classification and own gender based on biological sex. Sexual behaviors and sexuality can be expressed in the form of beliefs, fantasies, thoughts, values, and attitudes. They are impacted by philosophical, social, cultural, legal, and political aspects of life, and directly interact with issues related to religion, morality, spirituality, theology, and ethics. This paper describes how social institutions influence sexual behavior and sexuality. It also discusses how sexual norms and values are maintained and reinforced in individual interactions in media.
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How Social Institutions Influence Sexuality and Sexual Behavior
The findings of the study by Amoah & Gyasi (2016) reveal that cultural and religious institutions are used as yardsticks to do away with the freedoms and rights of individuals with non-normative sexuality. Therefore, same-sex behaviors are unthinkable in religious and cultural institutions and heterosexuality is the only preferred sexual orientation. This, however, does not imply that same-sex behaviors do not exist in the aforementioned institutions. To disregard same-sex behaviors and sexuality, Amoah & Gyasi (2016) highlight that government, cultural, and religious institutions rely on cultural values as a reference point for common knowledge to safeguard and deny sexual minorities their rights and universal access to essential resources and employment opportunities.SOCA 207 Chapter5 Sexuality Paper
In mainstream religion, non-heterosexual behaviors and relations are labeled either as dissident, ungodly, and unnatural. Therefore, more religious people become more intolerant to same-sex relations such as lesbianism and homosexuality. Religion also negatively associates women with premarital sex whereby, both Muslim and Christian women believers who engage in early premarital sexual behaviors attract negative attitudes of stigmatization and exclusion Amoah & Gyasi (2016). Similarly, in Sub-Saharan Africa, cultural institutions associate same-sex sexuality with spirituality whereby, same-sex behaviors and sexuality are thought to bring curses as a form of divine punishment to individuals.
How Sexual Norms and Values Are Reinforced and Maintained In Individual Interactions in Media
The use of media has a significant effect on people’s sexual behaviors and sexuality especially in the 21st century when the media landscape is gradually evolving at a startling pace with diverse content, new platforms, and new types of media. De Ridder (2017) highlights that the public vigorously uses information broadcasted in media and this can significantly impact sexual attitudes, sexuality, and sexual behaviors. Sexual discussions in mainstream and print media provide important information for both young and adult people on sexuality and sexual behaviors, which is vital for making informed sexual-related decisions. The same media portrays sexually explicit content or sexual messages in media genres such as same-sex relations, sex between peers, and sex between unmarried adults regarding sexually transmitted diseases as a way to discourage risky sexual behaviors among adolescents, same-sex relationships, and sex before marriage. SOCA 207 Chapter5 Sexuality Paper
Social media networking sites such as Facebook and MySpace are presently the most popular and frequently used by both adults and adolescents across the globe. Users can create or post sexual content, or encounter sexual videos and photos. The sexual context created or posted can also influence sexual solicitations where individuals encourage others to do something sexual, talk about sex, and share personal sexual information even when an individual does not want to. These solicitations have reportedly influenced abductions and rape of teenagers, risky sexual behaviors among adolescents, and people’s sexual orientation. However, according to De Ridder (2017), increased awareness of the solicitations through traditional media has influenced users to make informed sexual choices and positively modify their sexual behaviors.
References
Amoah, P. A., & Gyasi, R. M. (2016). Social institutions and same-sex sexuality: Attitudes, perceptions, and prospective rights and freedoms for non-heterosexuals. Cogent Social Sciences, 2(1), 1198219.
De Ridder, S. (2017). Social media and young people’s sexualities: Values, norms, and battlegrounds. Social Media+ Society, 3(4), 2056305117738992. SOCA 207 Chapter5 Sexuality Paper