The Female Body

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer discusses that in contemporary American society, the two genders are still socialized very differently in many respects. The Women's Liberation movement and civil rights
legislation of the late 20th century greatly improved women's rights in the last fifty years, but in the realm of self esteem, female attractiveness is still overemphasized in importance. The writer maintains that the natural power of the female form on men makes provocative clothes irresistible to many men, but it conflicts with other elements of social learning about sexual morality. The combination of the issue of gender-specific sexual socialization with constant messages to women encouraging them to accentuate their physical appeal and sexuality for social approval exposes women to sexual objectification in the work place and to deceptive misrepresentation within intimate relationships. The writer concludes that the solution lies mainly in eliminating the difference in male and female sexual socialization throughout society, including the mixed messages about the female form and female sexuality.

Outline:
Introduction
Mixed Messages about Sexuality and Attractiveness
The Influence of the Female Form on Relationships
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"This mixed cultural message and focus on female attractiveness is further complicated by the fact that men are socialized to seek as much sexual activity as they can and socially rewarded for sexual conquests beginning in adolescence. By contrast, women are taught to withhold sexuality except within emotionally intimate relationships. This discrepancy and the natural power of the female form to draw male interest promotes a predatory relationship on the part of men toward women. Instead of honesty and mutual attraction and potential romantic interest, many social relationships initiated by men are deceitful in nature and motivated purely by a desire to fulfill a physical urge, even if that requires outright deception. To make matter worse, in many cases, the moral rationalization on the part of men is that women who emphasize their attractiveness and sexuality in their choice of clothes and style "deserve" to be objectified and used for their sexual purposes without concern for their feelings."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Baker, R., Elliston, F. (1998) Philosophy & Sex. Buffalo: Prometheus
• Henslin, J.M. (2002) Essential of Sociology: A Down-to-Earth Approach. Boston: Allyn and Bacon
• Kasl, C.D. (1989) Women, Sex, and Addiction. New York: Harper & Row.
• Levant, R.F. (1997) Men and Sex: New Psychological Perspectives. New York: Wiley & Sons.
• Macionis, J.J. (2002) Sociology. New Jersey: Prentice Hall

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