Representation of Gender & Sexuality in Literature

Factors Influencing Society's Perception of Sexual Exploration

Sexuality | Age | Social Outlook

By Vrutha S. Karmali

Sexual Exploration is all about finding and discovering your preferred sexual behaviours and attitudes. It answers questions like; how do you feel about yourself? Who do you like? Whether you are romantically or sexually attracted to them. It is vital to learn about your sexuality as it is the key to a happy and satisfactory life. Here, we shall tackle questions such as; whether exploration of sexuality is restricted to a certain age group or not? When does it begin? What causes it? And how society perceives it. Social factors play a major role in one's sexual exploration journey. Hence, we shall discuss the society's outlook on sexuality and its exploration.

Finding your Sexuality

Sexuality is dynamic and extremely personal. One’s sexuality or sexual orientation more or less encompasses every aspect of their being. Being aware of your sexuality means being self-aware of your sexual preferences, behaviours and desires. You can find other people physically, sexually or emotionally attractive, and all those things are a part of your sexuality. It is about understanding one’s feelings and attraction towards others and it covers a wide spectrum. It isn’t black and white nor is it a static process. It is ongoing. One comes to know their sexual preferences with experience, hence, exploration of sexuality is a crucial step in one’s life. It is unique for every single person and it aids in learning about and establishing one’s ‘wants’ and ‘don’t’ concerning their sex life. The section below discusses the relationship between sexual exploration and age.

Journey of sexual exploration

The journey of sexual exploration begins with Curiosity. As DeLamater and Friedrich write in The Journal of Sex Research, the development of sexuality in humans begins as early as in intrauterine life following conception and continues through infancy, childhood, adolescence, adulthood till death. This depicts the kinetic and fluid nature of human sexuality. As a child one is curious about their body, this is when they learn about different body parts. The forces that shape one’s gender and sexual identities, attitudes and behaviours are a combination of maturing/ageing, experiences during childhood, adolescence and adulthood, and the person’s relationships with others, including family members, intimate partners, and friends. Their society’s perception of sexuality also plays an influential role in this journey of exploration.

Concerning age, ‘Adolescence’ is the prime age when one becomes sexually aware. During puberty, one goes through several physical and psychological changes, this is when curiosity regarding one’s sexual identity becomes apparent. Curiosity during your teenage years, lets you find out new things about yourself; your interests, likes and dislikes. IT IS FINE TO BE CURIOUS. Here, certain social factors play a major role in determining one’s sexuality. The attitude of the parents toward sexuality, parenting style, peer relationship, and cultural influences are the important social factors which facilitate sexual learning and decide the sexual attitude of the adolescent (Kumar, Choudhary, Singh). However, as mentioned earlier, sexuality is deeply personal and fluid, the journey of finding who you are and what you like is different for every single person. This journey of exploration isn’t restricted to only adolescence, it continues and keeps evolving as one matures. One’s sexual preferences may change over time or while exploring they might find something new about themselves which is completely NORMAL and ORGANIC.

Conservative societies do not let individuals express themselves. Forget about the others, a restricted environment at home itself is responsible for limiting one’s sexual identity. Society has associated multiple stereotypes with the process of sexual exploration. This results in ingrained prejudices towards the same. Hence, we need to be more OPEN-MINDED and ADAPTABLE to change.

Society, Parents, Sex Education

When we talk about Indian society, the practice of exploring one’s sexuality is negatively perceived by people. Due to its conservative nature, parents and teachers find it difficult to talk about sex education with their children and students, respectively. Individuals heavily rely on their peers, social media and other sources to learn about sexuality and its different kinds. This is one of the main reasons why teenagers and young adults feel restricted when it comes to self-expression. The lack of guidance makes the journey even more difficult. Along the journey, some may feel as though they do not belong anywhere, they are skeptical and unsure about their choices, therefore, they NEED someone who can guide them. Individual experience is important, but having someone to talk to about sexuality at a young age can prove to be of great help.

He’s a Stud, She’s a Slut?

The society that we live in is highly based on patriarchal values and standards. There has always been a distinction between how society perceives women’s sexual explorations as opposed to men. Men are glorified for being sexually active and engaging in sexual activities. This also means that they have more chances of exploring their true sexual identity. However, women are looked down upon for doing the same. Especially in India, the concept of purity is associated with women. Their desires and curiosities are suppressed. It is said that exploring your sexuality is key to happy, healthy sex life. However, a woman is categorised as a slut by society for simply wanting to be happy.

Interestingly, in a lot of countries, women are married off at an early age. Hence, they are exposed to sexual acts at a very young age, some marriages even involve acts of sexual abuse. In these cases, women aren’t allowed to explore their sexual preferences and interests, as they are forced to live with partners chosen by somebody else for them. ‘Sex before Marriage’ is considered to be a taboo in Indian society, it is regarded as an immoral act mainly when it comes to women. This outdated mentality needs to be amended. Every single person deserves and is entitled to freedom when it comes to exploring their sexualities. So be UNDERSTANDING AND ACCEPTING of one’s choices.

That’s Gay! So What?

Homosexuality is to date perceived as abnormal by many communities around the globe. Education institutes and social environments are still not safe and inclusive of the lgbtq+ community. This makes the journey of sexual exploration of an individual who doesn’t identify as straight much more difficult. Many people treat homosexuality as a disorder and look down upon it. Hence, the expression of sexuality is restricted for people belonging to the lgbtq+ community. It is very important to change this mentality. Teenagers are being bullied and called names for being attracted to people of the same sex, they are made to believe that they are the problem when in reality it is the society that has ingrained such ideas in the minds of the people.

It is very important to educate people regarding different sexualities and genders. This should begin at home as well as at school. Only then, individuals will have an open and safe space to freely express themselves and explore their options. BE INCLUSIVE AND FREE FROM PREJUDICES.

Be Yourself!

To conclude, the exploration of sexuality is an ongoing process across all age groups. Experience and maturity help in finding what you like, dislike, your wants, your expectations, desires and what kind of relationship you aspire to be in. It is totally fine to feel the need to experiment and explore to establish your sexual identity. Do not be constrained by the outdated societal perception of sexual exploration. It is safe to say that society is progressing in a positive direction with the debunking of these stereotypes and prejudices. Be a part of the change. BE KIND AND SPREAD LOVE.

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References

DeLamater, John, and William N. Friedrich. “Human Sexual Development.” Journal of Sex Research, vol. 39, no. 1, 2002, pp. 10–14, doi:10.1080/00224490209552113.
Endendijk, Joyce J., et al. “He Is a Stud, She Is a Slut! A Meta-Analysis on the Continued Existence of Sexual Double Standards.” Personality and Social Psychology Review: An Official Journal of the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc, vol. 24, no. 2, 2020, pp. 163–190, doi:10.1177/1088868319891310.
“How to Explore Your Sexuality without a Partner.” Hers, https://www.forhers.com/blog/how-to-explore-your-sexuality-without-a-partner.
Kar, Sujita Kumar, et al. “Understanding Normal Development of Adolescent Sexuality: A Bumpy Ride.” Journal of Human Reproductive Sciences, vol. 8, no. 2, 2015, pp. 70–74, doi:10.4103/0974-1208.158594.
Kassel, Gabrielle. “The Best Time to Explore Your Sexuality Is Now—Even If You’re in A Relationship.” Women’s Health, 12 June 2021, https://www.womenshealthmag.com/sex-and-love/a36547903/how-to-explore-sexuality/.
Levine, Stephen B. “What Is Sexuality?” Sexual Life, Springer US, 1992, pp. 1–9.

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Created by

Vrutha S. Karmali

AU190080

CA II

Student of Representation of Gender and Sexuality

2021-2022

vru001@chowgules.ac.in

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