Sexual+Repression

Samuel Chung ** Sexual Repression **  Sexual repression , also known as sexual ethics, is a state in which a person is prevented from expressing their [|sexuality]. Sexual repression is often associated with feelings of [|guilt] or [|s] [|hame]. Dickman claims, “It may manifest itself in sexual impulses or sexual compulsivity in which people are either excessively controlling or compulsively expressing their sexual desires and behaviors, which may have adverse effects on the person’s ability to integrate into society” (1976). What constitutes sexual repression is subjective and can vary greatly between cultures and moral systems. Social norms, cultural structures, and religious morals greatly influence which sexuality or sexual desires are expressed as well as which are repressed. As part of sexual repression, a person may abstain from expressing his or her sexuality, sexual behaviors, or partaking in anything that would associate him or her with a distinctly atypical sexuality. This is often associated with the repression of sexual desires that may lead to specific sexual behavior or sexual identity. Wilson states, “Individuals may repress same-sex or homosexual desires because they are not the dominant sexuality; therefore, in order to conform to the sexual majority, specific nonheterosexual desires and sexualities are repressed” (1994). [|Sigmund Freud] was the first to use the term widely, and argued that it was one of the roots of many problems in western society. Freud believed that people's naturally strong instincts toward sexuality were repressed by people in order to meet the constraints imposed on them by civilized life. ** The Development of Sexual Repression ** Several factors may influence the development of sexual repression. Specifically, social rules and restrictions implemented and enforced within society are theorized as the cause of sexual repression. In every society, there is a dominant group and a minority group. Those that belong in the dominant group are likely to be favored in society. For example, in W estern society, heterosexuals belong to the dominant group, whereas those who are not heterosexual lose social privilege because they belong to the minority group. Havvio-Manila notes, “Since most individuals seek to be part of the majority groups, individuals whose true identity or desires are not those of the majority group would have a vested interest in concealing these less acceptable identities and desires in order to maintain their advantageous association with the majority group. However, as demonstrated by both early and contemporary understandings of psychology, this decision to conceal may be either conscious or unconscious.” (1996) In addition to social constraints, religion is one of the strongest influences on sexual repression. Dialmy says, “The structured nature of religion, which deciphers what is moral and pure as opposed to what is forbidden and corr upt, creates a necessity for individuals to conform to the moral and dominant behavior and sexuality, even if it does not match their own desires” (2010). This is common among followers of fundamentalist religions in which the moral codes are so rigid that followers may easily find themselves outside the dominant behavior or sexuality. For example, in conservative for ms of Islam, there is a strong desire to repress sexuality. Most Islamic traditions have strict sexual codes that forbid homosexuality, demand virginity until marriage, and require extreme modesty from women. These strict codes can create a lot of anxiety for the followers of the Islamic faith and lead to sexual repression. Furthermore, this sexual repression can result in identity confusion, sexual frustration, and sexual anxiety for those whose sexual desires do not match the strict sexual codes of the Islamic faith. Most Christian religions also have strict sexual codes on what sexual behaviors are considered moral. For example, only sex within a heterosexual marriage is considered sacred. Thus, Christians who have nonheterosexual or homosexual attractions often repress their desires in order to uphold their Christian beliefs and morals. ** The Nudism Movement and Sexual Repression ** Astonishingly, the Nudism Movement is another aspect of American society that contributes to sexual repression. According to Cooper, “ To permit nudity yet not allow any form of sexual expr  ession, not even an erection, seems like an impossibility at best and a cruel tease at worst. Either way, it is a form of sexual repression. … And so, when we fail at this, even if just in our thoughts, we consciously or unconsciously feel increased guilt, shame and embarrassment over our sexuality, which merely adds to our already societally-induced poor self-image problem in general. ” (2011) By not permitting any open display or expression of sexuality, the nudism movement merely reinforces American society’s negative attitude toward sexuality. The nudists’ claim that nudism is not about sex, and that nudist parks are in no way sexual, is hypocritical. However, people should not bash on nudist organizations too much for contributing to sexual repression because they are simply extensions of western society that has repressed human sexuality for centuries. ** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Modern Representations of Sexual Repression ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">One of the most well-known contemporary representations of sexual repression in American society is the movie // Brokeback Mountain //, a popular film that depicts two young men, Ennis Del Mar and Jack Twist, who begin <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;"> a long-term emotional and physical relationship with each other while working as ranch hands in Wyoming in the 1960s. In the film, the two young men form a bond supersedes their own limited knowledge of sexuality. Both men are clearly not identified as homosexual and in fact, viewed as cowboys, are the pinnacle representation of American masculinity. To further prove their heterosexuality, both men have wives and children but rema <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman',serif; font-size: 16px; line-height: 32px;">in in a secret, loving relationship throughout their lives. // Brokeback Mountain //offers an insight into the lived experience of sexual repression in Western society, as demonstrated by the men’s confusion and struggle to understand their own intimate feelings. Since Ennis and Jack know that their desires exist outside the realm of possibility of their culture, they repress their shared desire to be together. Instead, both men marry and start families, which is consistent with the dominant model of sexuality. The separation of the two men exemplifies the shame, guilt, and adversity associated with sexual repression. ** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">References **<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;"> <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Cooper, Davina. (2011). Theorising Nudist Equality: An Encounter Between Political Fantasy <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">and Public Appearance. // Antipode, 43 //. 326-357.   <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Dialmy, Abdessamad. (2010). Sexuality and Islam. // European Journal of Contraception & // // <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Reproductive Health Care, 15 //<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">. 160-168.  <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Dickman, Howard, Elman, Donald, & Hirt, Michael. (1976). Repression of Sexual Associations: <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Cognitive Inhibition, Familiarity, or Social Inhibition? // Social Behavior & Personality: // // <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">An Internation Journal, 4 //<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">. 283-288.  <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Haavio-Mannila, Elina, Roos, J.P., & Kontula, Osmo. (1996). Repression, Revolution and <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Ambivalence: The Sexual Life of Three Generations. // Acta Sociologica, 39 //. 409-430.   <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Wilson, John G. (2010). Repression. // Existential Analysis: Journal of the Society for Existential // // <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Analysis, 21 //<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">. 271-281.  ** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Images  ** <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">[] [] []
 * <span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 200%;">Sexual Repression Background **