Gender and Sexual Studies - Female Masculinity Research Paper

Gender and Sexual Studies - Female Masculinity - Research Paper Example The issue of masculinity brings out notions of power, privilege and legitimacy. It symbolizes the power of state and unequal distribution of property. It represents the inheritance and social privileges across gender and sexuality. Culture and society tends to ignore and discourage female masculinity and yet is highly attentive on male femininity. â€Å"Issues of gender inequality are perpetuated by the patriarchal nature of our society that permits male domination and female subordination† (Kambarami, 2006). This has largely been influenced throughout the process of socialization. Researchers, community organizers and law enforcers who concern themselves with anti-LGB (-lesbian, -gay and –bisexual) prejudice and discrimination tend to conflate those aspects that target sexual orientation with other issues of gender non nonconformity (Gordon, 2007). Gender nonconformity is defined as â€Å"An outward appearance or gender expression that does not conform to the traditio nal laws of gender† (Gordon, 2007). It is attributed with experiences of sexual minority and behaviors that deviate from the expected gender roles. The gender nonconformity incidences were discovered to occur in the societal set up and were mostly perpetrated in the family, in schools, religious settings like a church and in the corporate world like in a public retail setting (Gordon, 2007). This gives evidence of the roles played by the society through its basic institutions on the issues of gender and sexuality. There are various contexts in which the society shapes women to femininity. It sets boundaries for women that are morally acceptable according to cultural norms and customs. There is interplay between femininity, sexuality and culture (Kambarami, 2006). Culture impacts feminine sexuality negatively by imprisoning women to subordination of patriarchy which consequently renders them powerless to control their sexuality. Feminists define patriarchy as â€Å"A social sy stem in which men tend to over rule all the social responsibilities as women remain in subordination† (Kambarami, 2006). An example of a social setting where feminism is highly displayed and culturally manipulated is in the family. The socialization process differentiates the boy and girl child at a very tender age. The boys are oriented to view themselves as the family heads and breadwinners whereas the girls are trained to be obedient and submissive housekeepers (Kambarami, 2006). This consequently displays women as sexual beings and not human beings, where they are being defined in relation to men therefore dependent to them always. The society instills in women qualities such as gentleness, passivity and submission in order to always please men (Kambarami, 2006). In our culture for example when a girl attains the puberty age, she receives endless teachings on how to please and maintain her future husband by being a submissive wife. She is further exposed to issues of her s exuality and how best to utilize it for male’s benefit. The teachings encourage dependency where a woman ultimately cannot support themselves in absence of the husband. They observe a male figure with great awe for provision and cannot survive alone in the case of the husband’s death but have to remarry. The society values the male child more than the female. The foundation of this is in the family where a boy child rules a girl child by the right of birth. He