October 21st

1
October 21st

• Attendance
• Lecture 6 The Gendered Body
• Homework
• Research Project 2 The Sexual Politics of
  Language Slut!

2
Lecture 6

• The Gendered Body Gendered Sexuality

3
Gendered Sexuality

• Sexual ideology supports the idea that men and
  women have naturally different
• sexual desires sexual urges and sexual
  pleasure.
• sexual roles in the private and public realm
• and sexual practices appropriate sexuality
• Femininity and sexuality
• passive, emotional/irrational, monogamous,
  vaginal, penetrated
• Masculinity and sexuality
• aggressive/assertive, unemotional/rational,
  multiple partners, penal, penetrate

4
Developing our Gendered Sexuality

• According to Freud, Childrens sexual pleasure
  derives from the same erotoenic zone penis or
  penis equivalent (clitoris)
• With the change to femininity the clitoris
  should wholly hand over its sensitivity, and at
  the same time importance, to the vaginahowever
  the man has only to continue the activity that he
  previously carried out

5
Female Hysteria at the turn of the 20th Century

• 25 of women were diagnosed with hysteria
• Over 75 possible symptoms
• Nervousness, insomnia, or a "tendency to cause
  trouble"
• Women went to the doctor for pelvic stimulation
  until the home vibrator emerged
• 1902 electric vibrator was for sale in home
  catalogs like Sears

6
Vibration promotes life and vigor, strength and
beauty
7
What is the focus?
8
Constructing the Body

• Bodies are not purely biological, but socially
  constructed
• The ideal male/female body
• Culture affects how we understand our physical
  bodies and what we do to achieve the ideal form

9
Ancient Chinese Foot Binding

• 10th 20th century
• Young girls and womens feet were bound to stop
  growth
• 4-5 in length

10
Hourglass Figure Corset and Bustle
11
Gender, Culture, and the Body

• Female Circumcision
• or FGC
• Clitoridotomy
• Clitoridectomy
• Infibulation

12
Breast Augmentation
13
American Gendered Body

• Vaginal Reconstructive Surgery
• Vaginoplasty
• Labiaplasty
• Hymen repair
• Penis Enlargement Procedures
• Self treatment
• Surgery
• Is there a NORMAL or perfect penis/vagina

14
Bodies and Sexual Politics

• The physical body is linked to power in our
  society
• We often view men as more powerful because of
  their physical strength
• The biological characteristics of those in power
  are valued above those with less power
• Several contexts in society in which those in
  power use womens bodies to
• Exclude them
• Justify inequality

15
How would society be different if men could
menstruate?
16
Race, the Body, and Gender Politics

• The female body is politicized as a place where
  race and gender are enacted
• Race, ethnicity, and class are important aspects
  of American beauty ideals
• Society has often judged all women using the
  white female body as the standard
• Hair?
• Body Type?
• Facial Features?

17
The Athletic Body Reinforcing Standards?
18
Racialized Sexualities Then

• Hottentot Venus (Sarah Barttman)
• Brought to Europe in the 1800s
• Represented deviant sexuality thru her body
• Died in 1815 and she dissected and her genitalia
  and buttocks were on display till 1970s

19
Racialized Sexualities Now

• How does this picture compare to the one of the
  Hottentot Venus?
• Reduced to her body parts
• Animalistic
• Racial sexualization