Abstract
Studies have been conducted about the social construct of virginity inside the United States and cross-culturally. Investigations comparing the United States with these other cultures are limited and focus on the United States as the ideal representation of virginity in men and women. I aim to expand upon the current research provided by adding a new perspective to the analysis. The objective of conducting this analysis is to provide a global perspective defining the connotations of virginity cross-culturally. This study focused on the cultural, religious, and societal impacts on virginity collected through qualitative methods in the cultures of Arab-Americans, Latinx-Americans, and Malawi villages. The concluding evidence supported the theory that although there are specific gender expectations tied to each culture’s version of virginity, in an overarching analysis, the core ideals are too similar to be ignored. Overall, all of the cultures represented in this study viewed women’s virginity as a gift and the women as sexually submissive to men. While male virginity was seen as a failure to men’s masculinity and the men themselves must be a modern day Casanova.
Date
Fall 2020
Citation Style
APA
Included in
Gender, Race, Sexuality, and Ethnicity in Communication Commons, International and Intercultural Communication Commons, Speech and Rhetorical Studies Commons