The Effects Of Socialization In Western Society

The chant “Girls go to college to get more knowledge; boys go to Jupiter to get more stupider” is commonly recited on the elementary school playground. This sexist chant may seem silly, but elementary aged children are socialized to recognize and accept these roles in Western society. Children receive this socialization through their parents, peers, school, and the media. According to Wheiten et al., gender stereotypes are defined as, “widely shared beliefs about males’ and females’ abilities, personality traits, and social behavior” (Wheiten et al. 227). Girls are stereotypically known to be nurturing, caring, and artistic while boys are generally associated with aggression, assertiveness, and athleticism. Girls are typically given dolls,

In the excitement phase, both sexes experience vasocongestion or the “engorgement of blood vessels” (Wheiten et al. 157). In the plateau phase, arousal and vasocongestion increase in intensity. In the orgasm phase, the highest intensity is reached and sexual partners experience pulsations through the pelvic region. In the resolution phase, the orgasm subsides. There are six different forms of sexual expression: fantasy, kissing and touching, self-stimulation, oral sex, anal sex, and intercourse. In the fantasy expression, imagine having sexual relations with an individual. In the kissing and touching expression, partners mutually kiss and caress each other. In the self-stimulation expression, an individual practices masturbation. In the oral sex expression, individuals stimulate each other’s genitals orally. In the anal sex expression, the anus and rectum are utilized to stimulate the male genitalia. Intercourse is the most common form of sexual expression. Intercourse involves inserting the penis into the vagina. As with most things, there is a risk associated with sex, primarily with sexually transmitted diseases and unwanted pregnancies. A sexually transmitted disease can be defined as “a disease or infection that is transmitted primarily through sexual contact” (Wheiten et al. 265). Examples of STDs include chlamydia, gonorrhea, genital herpes, human papillomavirus infection, pubic lice, syphilis, and acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS). The best method for preventing STDs is abstinence which is the refrainment from sexual activity. Other methods of prevention include sexually exclusive relationships and the use of condoms and