Lauren Cartwright
From a young age, there are
expectations defining each gender’s role and behavior in society. In early
childhood, girls are taught to be timid, dainty, and sweet. Boys are taught to
be strong, aggressive, and bold. Gender socialization teaches that when a
little girl gets in trouble for fighting, she is told that her behavior is
“unlady like." However, when a boy gets in trouble for fighting, people use the
phrase “boys will be boys."
Double standards continue to dominate our culture
into adulthood. The biggest standard women and men are judged differently on is
the amount of sexual partners one has. In today's society it is referred to as one's "body count." Single women are perceived as wanting a
monogamous relationship, while men just want casual sex. Men are given high praise
the more, and the prettier, women they engage in intercourse with. Yet women are
scrutinized with derogatory slurs such as “slut”, “skank” and “whore” if they
engage in casual sex.
Even within marriage, there are double standards about
sexuality. Men are seen as the unfaithful sex in a relationship. Studies have
shown that is a myth, and women cheat equally as much as men, if not more.
According to the National Opinion Research Center, a 2010 study shows that women
are 40 percent more likely to cheat than men within the last 20 years.
Why were
men considered the unfaithful sex? Men have a stronger sex drive, and are
considered to think about sex every few seconds of the day. When men have a
wandering eye in a relationship, they are “just being men” because they can
help themselves. It’s a fact that men do have a stronger sex drive, but women
have a high sex drive as well.
Women and men should be seen as equal, including
sexual activity. A woman should not be deemed as “loose” because she explores
her sexual desire with various partners. Men should not be pardoned from
cheating because it’s "their nature" due to a stronger sex drive. Times will
continue to change and gender stereotypes, though they are fading, will still exist.
A double standard only exist if sex is as available to men as it is to women, if sex was offered to men at the same rate it is to women, and if men and women had the same genitalia. If those conditions existed and men were judged differently than that is a double standard. Since they don't, there is no double standard.
ReplyDeleteBasic biology tells you that men and women are not equal sexually. They have categorically different sexual parts. There is no equating the two.
The last paragraph is funny as it says women shouldn't be judged for sleeping around and men shouldn't be allowed to. Nice.