Socio-Cultural Influences on Sexuality
Sexuality is an integral part of our life and a recurring concept that shapes our growth. The role that sexuality performs in the lives of young people is essential because we see its impact through several resources in life like social culture and media. Throughout the society, sexuality is present; across the shopping center, whether monitoring the family lifestyle or observing teenagers interact socially. What contributes to a healthy sexual relationship? Is it intimacy, attraction, love, or communications with one another? This study focuses on the factors relating to the socio-cultural impacts on sexuality contributing to the wholeness of an individual.
In psychology, it is understood that people are developed and influenced by biological, genetic predispositions, and environmental factors. The environmental factors build schemas, values, and ideas into the way a person believes about the world. Typically, young children notice what it means to be female or male. Young girls put on pink and boys blue. While girls prefer playing with baby dolls and kitchen sets, boys often play with vehicles and imagine weaponry. As children grow, they are flooded with information about their sexes and desires in their lives.
Literature review
Body Image and the Barbie Impact
Notably, girls are filled with information about the significance of their physical appearance. From the early age groups of five years or even younger, girls are often given a Barbie baby doll toy at some point. Barbie baby dolls are the cultural symbol of women beauty. In...
It is exciting that we give five-year-old girls a toy who is not only an older woman, but who has an impractical body shape (Balswick & Balswick, 2008). However, one must consider the diversity of the additional models for women in the younger age groups. Disney films often display princesses who have impractical, voluptuous bodies. These girls often have uncommonly huge chests, small waists, and long, thin feet. Oftentimes, the queen-looking baby appears thin while their heads are huge for their bodies. Their faces display huge, dazzling eyes and long, streaming hair. It is also exciting that models like The Little Mermaid's Ariel from Aladdin display lots of skin and cleavage even though these films are for kids.
Familial Messages and Peer Influence
Various studies have found an important link between how young girls are shaped by the cooperation of peers and media. This is about the whole body image. The research revealed how it was hard to establish the "cause" of the body discontentment. However, it is obvious that the pattern is complicated and covers the impacts from both peers and media. Researchers analyzed which appearance-saturated television shows and publications that were considered by the teenage girls. As such, they identified what types of appearance-related discussions they involved in with their peers. Writers have also mentioned the importance of peer connections during the adolescent and pre-adolescent levels. Young girls copy what they see in the press and…
