In a great many of its incarnations, Jensen argues, pornography facilitates this orientation. Jensen asserts that as a consequence of the "patriarchal system in which we live, a key site of men's oppression of women -- a key method of control and domination -- is sexuality." (Jensen, p. 48) in other words, because our society is so notably tilted to favor the empowerment of men and the sublimation of female desires, sexual intercourse will frequently function as an extension of this imbalance of power. And as Jensen ultimately argues, the act of using pornography to arouse one's self is tantamount to reducing femininity and women to mere objects for the satisfaction of male sexual desires. The result, Jensen argues, is the effect of pornography reflecting back to us the worst possible qualities of our own masculinity. Unfortunately, the Jensen arguments do not hold water, primarily because they rely so heavily on constructing a sense...
While it is clear that working conditions in the pornography industry are highly exploitive and frequently give way to acts of abuse and violence against women, Jensen extends his argument to suggest that masculinity itself is a problematic force. This notion, that men should impose guilt upon themselves to repress the sexual desires that may overshadow romantic gender-driven impulses, is both unrealistic and dogmatic in nature. Here, Jensen conflates the social construction of gender roles with the propensity toward sexual desire. In doing so, Jensen also undermines the notion that women are also moved to act by sexual desire rather than always by male imposition.
Sociologist Darryl Hall (2009) notes that the symbolic interactionism view of sexual deviance (which can relate to the issue of porn and sexual deviance) is as follows: "Symbolic interactionists suggest that the need of men to validate their sexual prowess or reaffirm their masculinity is an important factor in their seeking out pornography or prostitues" (p. 2). Such a notion can explain the rising level of sexually deviant crime in
Pornography, Women, And the Digital Revolution Digital technologies have gone through a revolutionary period of development over the past twenty or so years. Some say that the digital revolution is helping to facilitate participatory democracy; some say it will "sweep aside the gatekeepers, allowing free expression and broad access to information"; but on the other hand this revolution has the potential to corrupt innocent children by exposing them to "video game
Pornography remains one of the most contentious issues related to the freedom of expression. The definition of pornography and the parameters of the First Amendment must be taken into consideration when determining what, if any, types of pornography are protected as a First Amendment right. The First Amendment does have its legal limits, in theory and in legal precedent. As Lowey points out, the Supreme Court has consistently ruled that
So that an adult who enjoys masturbating while watching a video of two other adults having sex and sees this activity as an acceptable and in fact healthy and joyous celebration of her or his sexuality will in most cases be horrified to see a video in which a child is being forced to have sex or anyone is being raped (Lauer & Lauer, 2007, p. 44). Because an individual's
This is what creates confusion in the minds of young and vulnerable people." (p. 1) Concerning this vulnerability, our research suggests that upon entering an adolescent age, individuals who are not yet emotionally or intellectually prepared for the responsibilities of sexual engagement are yet beginning to experience emotions hinting at this impulse. Schwartz warns that encounters with explicit and potentially deviant materials such as those which may incorporate violence, exploitation,
The 1964 film Dr. Strangelove uses the context of Cold War brinksmanship in order to uncover a more fundamental problem with patriarchy and the maintenance of a destructive masculinity. This masculinity is under threat as a result of sexual frustration, and the characters of Ripper, Turgidson, and Kong embody three different kinds of this frustration. Ripper's sexual frustration is the most explicit, and leads to the most overtly violent reaction.
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