Susan Bordo's "Beauty (Re)discovering The Male Body"- Sex Roles using Plato's "Symposium"

   Plato's Symposium is the ideal book about young boys being pursued by older men. In Greek culture it was custom for men to sleep with still developing boys. Men are expected to play upon their desires, as well as woman since the Greeks believed that woman were animalistic in nature; only that in modern times it has been socially and culturally shown that men tend to lead with their impulses and woman are more taimed with emotions. This leads into how men are dominant in their society, they can sleep with who they want and must be the masters of their wants. These full-fledged male citizens were the ones who had to be active. The main point leads to the behavior of the dominant man and what is expected of them. Symposium uses many speeches to express the different sexual behaviors that are deemed appropriate for older men to perform on beautiful, sensual young men who were desired for their looks rather than their intelligence. This idea becomes the battle between a dominant and passive male. In Greek culture this is an example of what is expected of these roles and thus supports how times have not changed, and the ideals of male expectations in behavior have clarified the ideal of what it means to be an active and passive male.
     The Journal of Marriage and Family published an article in 1975 titled, "Sex and Sexism: A Comparison of Male and Female Sex- Role Attitudes." The article is essentially how men and woman view themselves due to expectations and societal values. Many of these views are affected by stereotypes and thus can reinforce how woman view their expectations of their husbands for example, and how men believe their wife should act in different scenarios. A man's dominant role is explored in the article and it really shows how a man views himself in society and how they believe they must behave.

Plato, and Plato. The Symposium. New York: Penguin, 2006. Print.