Young Adult Relationship Values at Intersection of Gender and Sexuality

Introduction

Young adulthood is becoming an extended and distinct developmental stage; it marks the transition period from the adolescent stage to the adult stage. In particular, young individuals strive to identify numerous life aspects, which correlate positively with specific life experiences such as the establishment of intimate relationships. The different forms of sexual interactions that young people engage in, and the several choices and decisions they make in those relationships often impact significantly on their youthful and adulthood lives. Indeed, momentous social and lifestyle changes have taken place, fueled by westernization and civilization transformations over the last few decades.

These changes have eventually influenced the attitudes of the young towards intimate relationships (Wellings et al., 2006, p. 2). Ultimately, this leads to changes in the ideologies related to gender attitudes and sexual practices. These ideologies have been increasing and diversifying as the global society also changes.

The diversity is in terms of partners’ ages, the types of unions formed, ethnic differences, and levels of commitment and love. Based on intersectionality values and gender theories, gender and sexuality intersect to uniquely influence the relationship and interactions of young adults. In the process, society is witnessing new intimate interactions such as the rise of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) relationships as part of the sexual minorities. Other changes relate to cases where young adult females appear to attach more importance to customary associations and values compared to young adult men. Moreover, situations are unfolding where gender relationships detach from traditional values regarding sexual commitment and faithfulness among partners.

Literature Review

Fundamentally, young adult interaction values are shifting, while gender and sexuality are continually intersecting. Notably, the biological paradigm has stressed the contribution of societal controls in influencing these gender and sexual transformations (Kocsis, 2017, p. 57). For instance, due to the ongoing changes in cultural dilution, societal enlightenment, and the integration of global society brought on by liberalization, attitudes towards cultural values attached to gender and sexual expression have equally evolved. This aspect presents the correlation between sexuality, which is an internally-mediated process, and external forces such as global cultural interaction. As Bay-Cheng (2003) notes, the decline in youth sexuality due to the biological process of hypersexuality and deviation succeed in creating a natural and inevitable transition into adulthood (p. 63). On this note, the focus is not strictly on the nature of the conduct that the youths participate in, but rather on the constructed aspect of their adolescence. Thus, owing to cultural attachment and the need to conform to the prescribed sexuality norms, the co-opting of this biological concept necessitates behavior regulation. As a result, young adults who fail to comply with certain gender values, especially those relating to the female gender, are considered deviators of the expected and desired sexuality order.

Notably, contemporary society is characterized by the erosion of values traditionally attached to sex and gender. Because of these changes, global society is witnessing legal, moral, and cultural conflicts related to issues of sexuality and gender relations. Specifically, high rates of non-marital and unintended childbearing, premarital sex, homosexuality, cohabitation, Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs), and a decreased value attached to marriage characterize the present generation of young adults. For instance, a study by Smith states that, in a General Social Survey among young adults aged between 25-44 years in a second marriage relationship, about 61 percent cohabitated with their new partners before marriage (2003, p.4). Amid the transformation in the social framework and the increased discourse regarding LGBT relationships, the gender and sexual perceptions held by the new cohort of young adults have been intensified. This context and debate determine the extent to which these adults’ association will impact the understanding of gender and sexuality values, and the effect on new relationships such as heterosexuals and sexual minorities on the ideals of institutions such as marriage and male-female interactions.

Importantly, the national understanding of the importance of relationships and marriage, as well as the expectations of every gender and sexual partner in the country, has changed significantly. For instance, among American young adults, the value attached to marriage, family, and relationship fidelity has markedly reduced. Family theorists have primarily noted that contemporary adults are delaying marriage, especially in their early adulthood stages (Uecker & Stokes, 2008, p. 1). However, the percentage of youths expecting to marry has increased over the years, as they regard marriage as a vital union. Factors such as cohabitation and the need to fulfill career objectives are influencing perceptions of early marriages. For instance, young adults who frequently engage in cohabiting are less likely to marry. Such youths derive satisfaction from their partners, and therefore do not see the importance of a marriage union. This phenomenon varies between genders, with young adult women expressing greater expectations of marriage, and attaching greater importance to family life than their male counterparts (Uecker & Stokes, 2008, p. 4). Consequently, women appear to adhere more to traditional relationship values and the importance of marriage than young men. However, factors such as the nature of parental marriage take precedence and influence perceptions of interactions with the opposite gender. Young adults raised by a single parent are less likely to marry early compared to those raised by both biological parents. This scenario is more common in cases where single-parenting has resulted from marital conflicts and separation, creating a negative perception of marriage.

As seen, the dynamics of gender intersectionality have led to the recognition of lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) relationships as part of the sexual minorities. According to a study by Gates, approximately 3.5 percent of the U.S population identifies as LGB, while about 0.3 percent identifies as transgender (2011, p. 1). Young females are substantially more likely to identify as bisexual, a group comprising over 50 percent of the lesbian and bisexual population among women. Studies have shown that partners in same-sex relationships are less likely to be socially compatible than those in opposite-sex relationships, based on parameters such as age and race. Moreover, sexual minorities have fewer opportunities to find mutually satisfying partners, leading to less stringent partner requirements. Lesbians also earn more money compared to other young women, and therefore, they are less reliant on financial security in relationships. Social issues such as wealth and race are of lesser concern among young adults and sexual minorities.

Under the umbrella of LGBT interaction, same-sex relationships tend to last for shorter periods compared to heterosexual relationships. Female same-sex relationships among youths tend to have a higher rate of separation when compared to the dissolution rates in both youth male same-sex relationships and different-sex couples (Joyner, Manning, & Bogle, 2017, p. 2). The legal support given to same-sex relationships has created differences in relationship dissolution among sexual minorities. These disparities may influence the expectations and aspirations of sexual minorities with many viewing long-term commitments as unachievable or undesirable. Furthermore, young males are less likely to practice monogamy compared to lesbian and heterosexual partners. Consequently, the rate of sexual fidelity among same-sex couples has less significance. Numerous gay males tend to detach themselves from various aspects of sexual fidelity, focusing more on the psychological significance of the association rather than gender exclusivity within the relationship (Joyner et al., 2017). From this study, it is clear the ideal of sexual monogamy is influenced by both sexual identity and gender. Despite the higher dissolution rate, young women are more likely to participate in public commitment rituals than young men. Female couples also tend to enter into legal partnerships and marriage-like situations more frequently than male couples. This shows that young adult women are more committed to their relationships than young adult men.

Indeed, the influences of gender and sexuality are apparent in all aspects of social, economic, and educational endeavors. For instance, according to an earlier study by Kocsis, recorded in the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health, students who engage in early sexual encounters are more likely to have lower academic expectations (2017, p. 57). He also notes that certain academic and lifestyle choices, including future school plans, inversely relate to gender and sexual experiences. This phenomenon predominantly manifests in females compared to males. Additionally, substantial reviews argue that young adults with positive life aspirations and secure attachments to community organizations are more likely to diverge from antisocial behavior (Kocsis, 2017, p. 57). Factors such as socioeconomic conditions, neighborhood lifestyles, and availability of quality educational and recreational facilities significantly impact the youths’ marital expectations and sexual behavior.

Without a doubt, the intersection of gender and sexuality is profoundly influenced by factors such as ethnic background and socioeconomic status. Social and economic theories posit that parental socioeconomic status can greatly influence an adolescent’s sexual behavior (Kocsis, 2017, p. 58). Factors tied to these theories like urbanization, social norms, academic achievement, and family income levels can also play major roles. For instance, adolescents from economically disadvantaged backgrounds may likely be more sexually active as they tend to have lower educational aspirations and are less informed about handling sexual expressions.

The societal manifesto has taken an ethnic dimension given that certain races, especially in ethnically diverse nations such as the US, are economically and socially segregated. For this reason, ethnic minority groups such as the black community are more likely to have sexual encounters than whites. In this context, Hogan and Kitagawa (1983) cite a case where Black teenage girls from poorer Chicago neighborhoods have a higher rate of engaging in premarital sexual intercourse, due to a high poverty rate and low educational attainment, compared to those living in higher social class neighborhoods. Bakken & Winter made a similar observation, affirming that cases of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) are 30 percent more prevalent among African Americans than among other ethnicities, such as whites or Asians and Pacific Islanders (2002, p. 252). Furthermore, the researchers noted that in the US, African American adolescents are more likely to indulge in multiple sexual partners and initiate opposite gender-related encounters at an earlier age compared to other races. The explanation given is that the youth tend to seek non-traditional techniques to attain adult status due to economic uncertainty and poor career prospects.

References

1. Bakken, R. J., & Winter, M. (2002). Family characteristics and sexual risk behaviors among black men in the United States. Perspectives on Sexual and Reproductive Health, 252-258.
2. Bay-Cheng, L. Y. (2003). The trouble of teen sex: The construction of adolescent sexuality through school-based sexuality education. Sex Education: Sexuality, Society and Learning, 3(1), 61-74.
3. Gates, G. J. (2011). How many people are lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender? Retrieved from https://williamsinstitute.law.ucla.edu/wp-content/uploads/Gates-How-Many-People-LGBT-Apr-2011.pdf
4. Hogan, D. P., & Kitagawa, E. M. (1985). The impact of social status, family structure, and neighborhood on the fertility of black adolescents. American journal of Sociology, 90(4), 825-855.
5. Joyner, K., Manning, W., & Bogle, R. (2017). Gender and the stability of same-sex and different-sex relationships among young adults. Demography, 54(6), 1-45.
6. Kocsis, T. (2017). A critical analysis of sexuality education in the United States: Toward an inclusive curriculum for social justice. Loyola Mary mount University. Retrieved from https://digitalcommons.lmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1477&context=etd
7. Smith, T. W. (2003). American sexual behavior: Trends, socio-demographic differences, and risk behavior. Chicago: National Opinion Research Center.
8. Uecker, J. E., & Stokes, C. E. (2008). Early marriage in the United States. Journal of Marriage and Family, 70(4), 1-18.
9. Wellings, K., Collumbien, M., Slaymaker, E., Singh, S., Hodges, Z., Patel, D., & Bajos, N. (2006). Sexual behaviour in context: A global perspective. The Lancet, 368(9548), 1-21.

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