A History of Sexuality Essay - 1960 Words

Unlike sex, the history of sexuality is dependant upon society and limited by its language in order to be defined and understood. In his paper which is called Is There A History of Sexuality, Halperin drew a distinction between the topics of sexuality and of sex. He claimed that the two concepts are separate ideas. In Halperins view, sex is a natural function that has not changed in many years, if ever at all. He says that sex â€Å"is a natural fact, grounded in the functioning of the body, and as such, it lies outside of history and culture† (Halperin 416). This means that sex cannot be measured in historical thought, for it has not changed since the beginning of time. As a natural function, it will continue to exist without the influence†¦show more content†¦According to Halperin, â€Å"the sexuality of the classical Athenians...was constituted by the very principles on which Athenian public life was organized† (Halperin 419). By this he is referring to the fact that sexuality in the Ancient Athens society was socially constructed, but not in the way that it is understood to be socially constructed in modern thought. The so-called sexuality of the Ancient Greek peoples in Athens was directly related to how the society worked, how it was built and how it was understood. Halperin provides a quote from a French anthropologist who is named Maurice Godelier in order to make this point more apparent. This quote states that â€Å"it is not sexuality which haunts society, but society which haunts the bodys sexuality† (Halperin 419). This statement re-emphasizes the fact that sexuality is a socially constructed concept, entirely dependant upon the society in which it is created in order to be best understood. The history of sexuality, therefore, is a brief history in the sense that the idea of sexuality is constantly being rethought and changed. Halperin sums up the concept of sexuality very well when he says that â€Å"[it]...is not a cause but an effect† (Halperin). The paper written by Kennedy and Davis, which was called The Reproduction of Butch-Fem Roles: A Social Constructionist Approach, provides further evidence that the history of sexuality is young andShow MoreRelatedHistory of Sexuality3607 Words   |  15 Pagesof the 80s incited a discourse in which homosexuality was re-articulated, re-negotiated, and unmistakably re-repressed (Davis 3). Supreme Court judgment and actions taken by Congress with the Dont Ask, Dont Tell policy exemplify theories of sexuality and power expressed in the philosophies of Michel Foucault. Foucault was a French-born philosopher historian. He examined social institutions such as medicine, psychiatry, the prison system, and the human sciences in general. 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Even today, the topic of sexuality is one of the most controversial and progressive movements sweeping the country as more and more states pass laws allowing the marriage of gay and lesbian couples. This essay will attempt to delve into the controversialRead MoreA Long History Of Sexuality Is Conditioned And Inhibited By A Complicated History1402 Words   |  6 Pagesthink about sexuality is conditioned and inhibited by a complicated history and, to make our problems worse, that history is in the power of those who have necessarily been antagonistic to women for a very long time. Males generally have been economically and socially superior to women since they became the primary producers and possessors of private property.† (Murphy Robinson, 1984: 251) One of Western societies biggest social taboos is sex. Even more so, there is a long history of repressedRead MoreThe Perception of Human Sexuality throughout History1030 Words   |  4 PagesThroughout history it is evident that human sexuality changes do to religious, governmental and societal influences. The perception of human sexuality has gone through many changes such as being very open and unlabeled activity; to being very â€Å"conservative† and a topic that shouldn’t be talked about in public or at all. 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In fact, this spreading of discourse on sexuality itself gives a clear account of how sexuality has been controlled and confined because it was determined in a certain kind of knowledge that carriesRead MoreThe Importance Of Being Sexual : A History Of Sexuality Essay2012 Words   |  9 PagesThe Importance of Being Sexual: A History of Sexuality Sex is the force that drives the continuation of humanity, and sexuality is an integral part of human life. Next to survival, the most primitive primal human instinct is sex. Sexuality is something carnal and pervasive, something that is responsible for and touches the lives of everyone. Understanding its history, its relativity to culture and era, and its fluidity of meaning is vital to gaining and composing a full understanding of the behaviors