Sex is the phrase we use to categorize the physical anatomy someone has, based on how it aligns with what we understand to be 'male', 'female' or 'intersex'; each known as 'sex'. It is a biological construction.
--Intersex : Individuals born with any or several variations in sex characteristics including chromosomes, gonads, sex hormones or genitals that according to the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, 'do not fit the typical definitions for male or female bodies'.
Gender is a relative, social construction that varies extremely widely among humans. It is a cultural construction; a person's self representation as 'male' or 'female'.
--Cisgender : It means having a biological sex that matches your gender identity and expression, resulting in other people accurately perceiving your gender.
--Transgender : It is generally understood to be an umbrella term for anyone whose gender identity doesn’t match the sex they were assigned at birth, the opposite of cisgender.
The term sex comes from the Latin word 'sexus' which means 'cut' - compare section, dissect, segment. The original meaning was 'division' which shifted to 'a way of dividing something in half' and thus to 'the division between men and women' - biological sex.
The modern English word gender comes from the Middle English 'gender', 'gendre', a loanword (a word adopted from one language and incorporated into another language without translation) from Anglo-Norman and Middle French 'gendre'. This, in turn, came from Latin word 'genus'. Both words mean 'kind', 'type', or 'sort'.
Now we can clearly understand that sex and gender are not similar at all. They both are different entities. One person has nothing to do with their sex and their sexuality - the way people experience and express themselves sexually. You can’t diagnose someone with any gender because for that to happen we would need several things -
A scientific understanding of what gender is and where it comes from that is agreed upon by specialists in the field.
A tool for consistently and accurately 'measuring' one’s gender.
A standard definition of 'transgender' (or any gender) that is accurate, universal, and agreed upon by specialists in the field.
When humans are born, we assign them to be either male or female based on their external genitalia. Based on that assignment, we raise them to be either men or women which are essentially the polar opposite options of a person's personality, occupations, dress, behavior (inward and outward).
As they grow up, we constantly shape their behavior if they don’t fit within the given social norms such as 'male' or 'female' as the only options.
Based on their gender assignment and place, an incredible amount of social pressure as well as mental pressure develops which embodies every aspect of their gender identity - the personal sense of one's own gender as male, female or non-binary (also known as gender-queer; a spectrum of gender identities that are not exclusively masculine or feminine); it can correlate with a person's assigned sex at the time of birth or it can differ from it and if it differs, the difficulty arrives...
If they question their identity, we silence them!!!
If they face conflicts with their assigned identity, we ridicule them!!!
If they don’t align with one of the two options available (male and female), we stigmatize them!!!
Wait...not done yet...if they decide we assigned them with the wrong identity, we question their mental health; we label them as 'crazy' or 'abnormal'; and here comes the most common statement - "SHAADI KARWADO LADKA/LADKI KA, SAB THIK HO JAYEGA"....in English, it means, get the man/woman married to some other person and everything will be alright. Despite of spending two decades in this incredibly rigid system, we still follow the same norms and restrictions on this construct and cycle keeps repeating!!
But its high time to break the cycle, re-direct the paths and break the stigma attached to it. So, to get a better idea we need to be aware about this and help others to overcome their difficulty.
Now the question is what is Human Sexuality?
Human sexuality is the way people experience and express themselves sexually (sexual behavior). This involves biological, erotic, physical, emotional, social or spiritual feelings and behaviors.
Aspects of Human Sexuality :
There are various aspects of human sexuality such as - the biological and physical aspects of sexuality largely concerns the human reproductive functions, including the human sexual response cycle. Physical and emotional aspects of sexuality includes bonds between individuals that are expressed through profound feelings or physical manifestations of love, trust and care. Social aspects deal with the effects of human society on one's sexuality; while spirituality concerns an individual's spiritual connection with others.
Biological and Physiological Aspects :
In our brain, hypothalamus is the most important part of the brain for sexual functioning; it is located below the thalamus and is part of limbic system. Hypothalamus is important because of its relationship with the pituitary gland which lies beneath it. The pituitary gland secrets hormones that are produced in the hypothalamus and itself. The 4 important sexual hormones are - Oxytocin hormone (referred as 'love hormone', released during the sexual intercourse when an orgasm is achieved; also released in women when giving birth or are breastfeeding), Prolactin hormone, Follicle-stimulating hormone and Luteinizing hormone.
Studies have shown that among lab animals, destruction of certain areas of the hypothalamus causes the elimination of sexual behavior.
--Sexual Dimorphism : Several hypothalamic nuclei are sexually dimorphic i.e., there are clear differences in both structure and function between males and females. Most notable is the sexually dimorphic nucleus within the preoptic area (a region of the hypothalamus) in which the differences are subtle changes in the connectivity and chemical sensitivity of particular sets of neurons. The importance of these changes can be recognized by functional differences between males and females. For example, male of most species prefer prefer the odor and appearance of females over males which is instrumental in stimulating male sexual behavior.
Psychological Aspects :
Some theorists identify sexuality as the central source of human personality. Psychological studies of sexuality focus on psychological influences that affect sexual behavior and experiences.
Early psychological analyses were carried out by Sigmund Freud. He proposed the psychoanalytic approach and also proposed the concepts of psycho-sexual stages of development.
Sexual behavior and intimate relationships are strongly influenced by a person's sexual orientation - refers to the 'desire for intimate, emotional and/or sexual relationships with people of the same gender/sex, another gender/sex, or multiple genders/sexes' (Michigan State University, 2014).
Society believes that if a man is masculine he is heterosexual, and if a man is feminine he is homosexual. There is no strong evidence that a homosexual or bisexual orientation must be associated with atypical gender roles. By the early 21st century, homosexuality was no longer considered to be a pathology.
Socio-Cultural Aspects :
The age and manner in which children are informed of issues of sexuality is a matter of sex education. In some countries, such as Australia and much of Europe, age-appropriate sex education often begins in pre-school, whereas other countries leave sex education to the pre-teenage and teenage years.
Sex education covers a range of topics, including the physical, mental, and social aspects of sexual behavior. Geographic location also plays a role in society's opinion of the appropriate age for children to learn about sexuality.
Sexuality and Age
Sigmund Freud was one of the first researchers to take child sexuality seriously. His ideas, such as psycho-sexual development. have been much debated but acknowledging the existence of child sexuality was an important development.
Freud gave sexual drives an importance and centrality in human life, actions and behavior. He said sexual drives exist and can be discerned in children from birth. He explains this in his theory of infantile sexuality and says sexual energy or drive or libido is the most important motivating force in adult life.
He wrote about the importance of interpersonal relationships to one's sexual and emotional development. From birth, the mother's connection to the infant affects the infant's later capacity for pleasure and attachment.
He also described 2 clauses of Emotional life -
An affectionate clause including our bonds with the important people in our lives.
A sensual clause including our wish to gratify sexual impulses. During adolescence, a young person tries to integrate these two emotional clauses.
Adult sexuality originates in childhood. A common stereotype associated with old people is that they tend to lose interest and the ability to engage in sexual acts once they reach late adulthood but age does not necessarily change the need or desire to be sexually expressive or active. A couple in a long-term relationship may find that the frequency of their sexual activity decreases over time and the type of sexual expression may change, but many couples experience increased intimacy and love.
Indian Concepts on Sexuality (Chakrabarty, K. & Thakurata, R.G., 2013)
India is a vast country depicting wide social, cultural and sexual variations. Indian concept of sexuality has evolved over time and has been immensely influenced by various rulers and religions. Indian sexuality is manifested in our attire, behavior, recreation, literature, sculptures, scriptures, religion and sports. It has influenced the way we perceive our health, disease and device remedies for the same.
In modern era, with rapid globalization, the unique Indian sexuality is getting diffused. The time has come to rediscover ourselves in terms of sexuality to attain individual freedom and to reinvest our energy to social issues related to sexuality.
India played a significant role in the history of sex, from writing the first literature that treated sexual intercourse as a science, to in modern times being the origin of the philosophical focus of new-age groups’ attitudes on sex. It may be argued that India pioneered the use of sexual education through art and literature.
--Repressed Sexuality :
Repressed sexuality has also been a factor in what in the West might be considered widespread incest. In India's extended family system, sex between brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law, or between cousins, or uncles and nieces, or aunts and nephews are common, although hard statistics are not available. As per the Manu Dharma Sastram (applicable to the Treta Yuga and Dwapara Yuga), if a lady is widowed without having any sons; then she could have a son through her dead husband's brother.
--Prostitution and Pornography :
Prostitution, the indulgence in promiscuous sexual relations for money or other favors, is an age-old institution in India. Purchasing young girls and dedicating them to temples, the Devadasi system was an established custom in India by 300 C.E. These girls often served as objects of sexual pleasure to the temple priests and pilgrims.
Generally, prostitutes tend to come from the less-educated class of women, including single abandoned girls, and economically distressed women. Most of these women were either forced by gang members and others to take up this profession or were betrayed with false promises of a job.
According to investigative reporter Robert I. Friedman, there are more than 100,000 female commercial sex workers in Bombay, which he describes as “Asia's largest sex bazaar.” In all of India, there are as many as 10 million commercial sex workers.
The government-appointed Central Board has the power to make cuts or ban the indecent or obscene scenes in films. Although, pornographic books, magazines, and videos are illegal, their display and sales are casually noticed in urban areas, especially in the major cities.
--Sexuality in Adolescence and Young Adulthood :
Indian children are pampered as much as possible, often until age 6 or 7. Before puberty, a natural approach to sexuality and nudity prevails, especially in rural areas. Daughters and sons are carefully prepared for their future domestic roles as mothers and fathers.
Women are considered to be much more skilled than males in love and sexual pleasures. Masturbation is generally unacceptable among girls. For boys however, it is considered a preparation for mature sex life.
Traditionally, premarital sex activity was controlled in India. As the marriages were mostly arranged by elders, premarital sex was not the accepted practice. A study by Savara and Sridhar (1992) showed that 30% of the respondents had experienced premarital sex, while 41% of unmarried men and 33% of married men had their first intercourse before attaining 20 years.
Future of Indian Sexuality
The newer generations of India and Indian people worldwide have been trying to define the sexual and sensual vocabulary on their own rather than being influenced by external and foreign influences. In fact, it is a healthier approach and eventually when Indian people in India in 1 or 2 decades become all formally educated and emancipated socially and have rather more space and time at their discretion will find that an open dialogue about sex matters is normal and acceptable.
We should start talking about issues and focus light on dark areas, which create ignorance, ill-health and many social evils like failed marriages, rapes, divorces, disrespect to women, abuse of children and in general an unhappy people.
Detailed descriptions of different areas about this topic will be given later in the coming posts....till then stay with us and keep learning. Hope this piece was helpful :)
For further queries please type it out in the comment box.
See you in the next post.
~Mousumi Gayen
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