Sociology of Sexuality
Sexuality refers to the sexual identity, sexual attraction and or sexual experiences that might align with sex and gender. Some of the widely discussed categories have included heterosexuality which describes the attractions and sexual experiences between individuals of the opposite sex, homosexuality which describe experiences between individuals of the same sex (gay for males or lesbian for female) and bisexuality. The sociology of sexuality has been a study undertaken for more than a century, with new discoveries by the time, and more controversies from different angles of philosophy and religion.
While contributing to this critical social aspect, through his book ‘The History of Sexuality’, Michael Foucault explains
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In essence, kids are not yet sure of their being sexually male or female up until they have a deep understanding of their surrounding environment. It basically brings in the notion of socialization of individuals as a result of their sexual identities. For example, a female brought up in an environment of boys grows up understanding the male gender and roles more than the female she is. It is therefore highly likely for such an individual to feel an urge to transition and identify more with the male gender more than the female gender. This could also translate to the individual having an attraction to another female (lesbianism) as a result of mixed personal …show more content…
Norms regarding gender and sexuality vary across cultures. In most Western cultures, the concept of sexual orientation is highly appreciated, and discrimination against people who choose a different path for their sexual orientation is lower than is in most African culture. The socialization in some cultures like the African cultures insist on the natural orientation inborn in a person, by having very defined gender roles that socialize one to be of their natural gender. For example, dressing in trousers and pants is a socialization specific to the male children and has been the case over the years in African cultures, even though the fashion trends are also catching up. Males were known to be taught how to be tough through hunting and traditional ceremonies like circumcision and slaughtering of animals, which socializes a boy into the sexual orientation of a male, and the like for females. For this reason, there have been fewer reports of African people transitioning to a different sexual