Double Standards in Sexuality Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3750 words

Double Standards in Sexuality - Essay Example Today just like in the past generations, sexual double standards has progressed to a level that it is no longer considered as an issue worth frowning at (Gerodetti, 2004). In this paper, the issue of sexual double standards will be discussed to evaluate the existence of the issue from a historical and contemporary position. The difference in the men and women sexuality as has been perpetuated within the society thus gaining an acceptable status within the communities will also be discussed in the paper. In the Victorian era, the attitude towards sexuality differed and this is believed to have strengthened the double standards issue as we know it today. For example, sexual activities and practices such as masturbation in women and men were viewed from a different angle and this led to varying support to the different genders on the same topic. For example, during this era, it is believed that men were more concentrated on the effects of masturbation to them as compared to having a sexual relationship with men. Masturbation during this period was associated with a wide range of physical and mental disorders and conditions such as syphilis and other venereal conditions were attributed to men who were engaged in the activity. During the Victorian era, it is believed that people were unaware of their sexuality and this gave the aristocrats the leeway to manipulate those they deemed fit. Though there exists the perception that Victorian England was marked by the presence of female distaste and male indulgence, evidence points to a situation where the couples enjoyed mutual sexual pleasure as seen today in the modern society (Alexander & Fisher, 2003). Attitude towards prostitution also changed as the leadership legalized and made the issue of prostitution public as opposed to the venerated act of the 17th century.