Page 54 - Cultural Studies A Practical Introduction

38 Gender and Sexuality

Maybe some labels are best left in the closet. Maybe when we label
people: “ Bride, ” “ groom, ” “ husband, ” “ wife, ” “ married, ” “ single, ” we
forget to look past the label to the person. And there, in the same city
where they met as girls, four New York women entered the next phase
of their lives dressed head to toe in love. And that ’ s the one label that
never goes out of style.
Discuss these statements in relation to the clothes - changing sequences
in the movie. How does clothing function as a metaphor for love in
the movie?
Finally, discuss the SATC phenomenon in relation to the follow-
ing. Women are socialized from a very early age to consider and
prioritize other people ’ s feelings. They are socialized to perceive
emotional connection in relationships as extremely valuable. In fact,
women ’ s identities are often largely defined through their relation-

ships with others and their capacity to nurture these loved ones. This
socialization often engenders the development of strong relationship
and intimacy - building skills in women, which serve as a bridge to
intimacy. On the other hand, this focus on relationships can become
a barrier to achieving intimacy if it precludes attention to individual
needs. Traditional gender socialization may result in some women

having difficulty with prioritizing self - care, championing their own
needs, and developing aspects of identity that are separate from
others – all of which are important to the capacity to intimately
connect with another person. Many scholars have noted that male
socialization involves a degree of suppression of emotional expres-

sion and vulnerability which may make it difficult for some men to
feel comfortable with or develop skills in emotional expression, self -
disclosure, and interpersonal vulnerability. Male socialization also
involves an expectation that men are highly sexual. They are encour-
aged to view women as sex objects, pressured to engage in sex at an
early age, and taught to use sex as a way to validate their masculinity.
Male socialization involves a view of sex as satisfactory when divorced
from emotional connection. Some argue that this socialization leads
some men to sexualize feelings of emotional or non - sexual closeness
and to focus on the physical aspects of sexuality to the preclusion of
emotional or relationship aspects. These social expectations may also
lead some men to equate their personal worth with their sexual
performance, virility, and ability to attract and please a partner.