Sex is the innate characteristics that determine whether an individual is male or female. These innate characters are contained in the gene makeup of an individual. There are two categories of sex; male and female. Sex determines the biological processes that take place in the body of an individual. These biological processes take place at different in life, depending on sex. The biological differences that are apparent are as follow: Nevid and Jeffrey 349.
Females menstruate while males do not. Menstruation is the monthly release of ovaries into the fallopian tube in a female individual. This process facilitates fertilization. Sexual behavior of an individual can be contributed by social and biological factors. Biological factors like exposure to early sex can make to be sexually active at an early age. Sex comes with pleasure that is experienced by the participants only. When the body has tasted the pleasure, it may be difficult to deny it the pleasure. In both men and women sex is controlled by the sex hormones. Examples of these hormones are testosterone and progesterone. Testosterone plays a very important role in a male’s sexual behavior. For example, the unconscious ejaculation during sexual intercourse is mainly controlled by testosterone hormones. It also controls the sexual mood and activeness during sexual activity. This vital hormone is responsible for spermatogenesis. It also contributes to the development of the secondary sexual character in male. Progesterone on the other hand is present in both males and females. It controls the sexual activities and the urge to have sex.
Socialization is another core factor that affects sexual the behavior of an individual. When one socializes with people of the opposite sex, there is a high possibility of his sexual behavior to be influenced. People of opposite naturally attract one another, other factors held constant. Also, the types of sex materials one exposes himself to, are key factors that influences the sexual behavior. Sex is psychological and is triggered by the mind more one gets exposed to these materials the more he gets interested in sex and sexual activities.
Another core difference between male and female is that female have well developed breast that can produce milk while male are not capable of lactating. Also men have more strong bones than women. Moreover, men have testicles which lack in women. These are some of the physical differences between men and women.
On the other hand, gender refers to the social roles, behaviors and the activities of an, individual in the society. It is not clear whether these roles were set by the society or individuals. The categories of gender are masculine and feminine. The gender difference between male and female can be observed in their roles and behavior in the society. For example, in most countries women earn less than men when they do the same job. This indicates the position of women in the society. There are some social behaviors that are only expected in men. Thus, if a woman is spotted smoking, it may appear so strange that it becomes the talk of the day. In some countries like Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to drive while men are free to drive. All these social responsibilities and norms contribute to gender. In western countries like US, girls have more sexual restriction than boys. The work ‘slut’ is mainly associated to girls and women. The gender roles are not an issue of today. Even in the scripture, the bible clearly separates the role of a good wife. In the book of Hebrews, women are supposed to be a servant to her people, obey her husband and care for her children. The Hebrews were known to undermine women and only valued them when they could sire them male children. Sex in marriage was only meant for procreation and not enjoyment. However, the same bible that Hebrews claim to be following says that husband and wife should satisfy one another.
Personal challenge.
The exam results were due to be released in a week’s time. My father called to his living room to inquire from me my plans if I passed. Ambitious and full of hopes, I walked in and sat beside him, ready and confident to give him my plans.
“So, my son, the results will be released next week, what plans do you have for yourself?” He asked me, his eyed fixed on me. I sensed the seriousness in his statement and cleared my throat to give my elaborate plans for future. I explained how sure I was that I was going to excel and join a university through a government scholarship to study law. I had always admired lawyers in their honorable gowns. I went ahead to and told my father how prepared I was to join a college to learn accounting before joining university.
“Ok my son. I’m happy to hear that. But remember we have to wait for the result to decide on the way forward.” He said. As he talked, I noticed some dissatisfaction in his face. May be I had not convinced him much.
That Monday morning, I woke up earlier than usual. The ministry of education had announced that it would release final result that day. I decided to go and visit my girl friend so that we listen to the announcement together. This was another way of showing her that was I confident with myself. Soon we were engrossed in conversation that we could hardly hear the announcement. We were brought to our senses by the phone call from our class prefect, Linda. She broke the bad news. No one among the students who sat for the National Examination from our school had qualified. In a nut shell, even my bright girl friend had not made it to the university. Something painful ran through my nerves; how could I face my father and tell him that I had failed the exams? What will everybody say about me and my family? My parents had been the talk of the village because of the fact that we were poor. Worst of all was my girl friend that had banked on brightness to help us in future. I looked at Lavenda, my girlfriend, and noted that she was disillusioned, hopeless and resigned. I opened my mouth (with difficulty) to tell her that we still had hopes. We could repeat the same class the following year and still pass.
The second task was to convince my dad that there were still high chances of making up for the lost glory in academics. I was met with a lot of opposition and mistrust. My mother, as usual sympathized with me but dad did not want to hear anything from me. I sat at my bet and supported my head in my hands. I had to come up with something to mend the trust my parents had in me. When I called Lavenda to inform her that I was ready to repeat the class so that I perform better, she rejected me and said she was not ready to live with an academic dwarf. I‘m the same person she believed was the brightest among all the boys and now she is referring to me as a dwarf. I was so confused that I could not eat for days. What traumatized me more was the reaction of people I believed were closest to me, including my own father. He had resorted to escapism; coming home late after I had gone to sleep and leaving at wee hours. My girlfriend did not want to receive my calls. The only person who could understand me was my mother. She would comfort and advise me to continue trying until that time I get what I want. I swallowed my pride and reported to school the following amidst rumors that my girlfriend had left me.
Stages of human development.
Human beings undergo several stages before completing the life cycle. Each stage is characterized by different psychosocial behaviors. For example, children between 2-5 years are generally curious to know everything around them. They put a lot of trust in their parents and those who treat them well. When human beings reach adolescent stage, they feel capable (although they cannot) of doing everything. They get sexually attracted to the opposite sex. At this stage, their physical appearance changes. When an adolescent fails to accomplish a goal, he gets frustrated and confused. (Valsiner).
At 19 years, I already had a girlfriend whom I trusted and loved, or thought I loved so much. I had promised her all that a man could promise a girl he loved. At the back of my mind I believed I loved her and I would do anything to please her. This was supported by the fact that I was better off academically. I worked hard in class and made sure that she was comfortable. Since she was my first love I gave Lavender all my heart. At times, we would hide at a corner, pretending to be sharing some academic materials. We did this repeatedly until it became a habit. In our ignorance, we ignored class work and concentrated in making our love stronger. The teachers realized this and warned me in particular, to concentrate on my studies. As any adolescent would think, I believed I was still capable of excelling in exams despite the relationship with Lavender. Lavender also had a lot of trust in me. According to her, I was her only hope and future. However, all this trust faded away immediately she realized I failed my exams. She refused to receive my call, cut all the communication links between us. I got confused and frustrated. My intention of having Lavender was not entirely love but to show others that I was capable of having a girl. It also turned out that Lavender had no love for me. This real life case illustrates how teenagers, especially the adolescents feel attracted to the opposite sex. At this stage a teenager feel that he can do virtually everything. When there comes any failures on their path, they get frustrated and confused. They feel love that is never real and unattainable ambitions. In my teenage mind, I had a strong conviction that I was going to excel in exams.
This was also going to be the main tool for winning Lavender and the moment it failed, she slipped through minds and probably got into a more mature relationship. I also had to continue with my life and venture into more serious activities. It is also important that teenagers rarely have real love for one another. They cannot withstand life’s challenges and ensure that their love endures. At this age, the only thing a teenager can see in life is prosperity and success. When things come to reality, they find alternatives instead of looking for solution.
Work Cited
Beyer, M. (2008). Shooting Woman - Comparative Study of Gender Roles in American and Italian Western Movies. GRIN Verlag. Print.
Oakley, A. (2005). Gende,Women,And Socil Science. London: The Policy Press. Print
Robert L Crooks and Karla Baur. (2011). Our Sexuality. London: Cengage Learning,.Print.
Nevid, Jeffrey. “Psychology: Concepts and Applications”. London: Cengage Learning, 2008, p. 349. Print.
Robert. Cavanaugh, John. “Human Development: A Life-Span View”. London: Cengage Learning, 2010, p. 172. Print.
Valsiner, Jaan. “Culture and Human Development”. London: SAGE, 2000. Print.
