SOSC 200Y Gender and Society Lecture 13: Sexuality and power relations

L13: Sexological perspectives The primacy of heterosexuality (man & woman) –Men have uncontrollable sexual urges, which are not shared by women Genital sex is the ‘normal sex’: –It entails active men satisfying passive women in the satisfaction of their own natural desires. –Women’s sexuality is defined as finding fulfillment in meeting men’s need.

L13: Heterosexism Sex class as social class: –male as superior, active, dominate while –female as inferior, passive and subordinate Having sex: –penetration by penis (common and legal definition) Heterosexuality maintain women’s oppression by entailing women’s subordination to men –woman as sexual object for man –the use of women’s sexuality by men

L13: Pornography The representation of the human body or sexual activity with the goal of sexual arousal Includes materials that feature nudity, sexually suggested scenes, or contains close-up of aroused genitalia and sexual activities including penetration In the form of literature, photos, magazines, film, video, internet, computer games, etc

L13: Pornography and male power Pornography constitutes and reproduce the meaning of sexuality in the male dominated world (women = sex) Pornography constructs the image of women and ‘women’s sexuality’ Men treat women as who they see women as being in the pornography

L13: Objectification –Dehumanizing women as an instrument for pleasure –Women are made and transgressed for purposes of sexual arousal –women=sex

L13: Women’s most common gesture in porn magazine Pouring or ejaculating liquid onto their bodies Sucking (include food, fingers, cigarettes, etc.) Touching their sex organs Looking at their bodies Licking or show their tongue Opening their legs Wearing on or wearing off

L13: Fragmentation –Women’s body being shown in porn Part of the body (nude)Close up - Breast - Female genitalia- Hips - Tight- Female genitalia - Hips- Tight - The back- Eyes - The back - Lips - Lips and tongue - Ear

L13: Submissive –Women knowing their inferiority (power and sex) –Women have to remain humble and obedience Story line: -Women have excessive but suppressed sexual desire -Women enjoy being rape, want to be tortured and humiliated Common scene in pornographic film: -Women are forced to have sex -Women are enjoying sex (through penetration) -A woman have sex with more than one man at a time -Men inserting penis or other objects into women’s mouths -Men ejaculating on women’s face (while they’re kneeling)

L13: Re-defining pornography 1.Distortion of women’s image 2.Women being portrayed in pornography  Desire dispossession and cruelty  Sexual desire being fulfilled by violation and possession. Pornography institutionalizes the sexuality of male supremacy through the social construction of male (dominance) and female (submission). It causes women discrimination It causes attitudes and behaviors of sexual violence

L13: Suggested Readings: MacKinnon, C. A. (1989) “Pornography: not a moral issue” in Klein and Steinberg (ed.) Radical Voices. Oxford: Pergamon