Male dominated societies have reacted in at least two very different ways tothe perceived threat of women’s sexuality – by desexualizing or segregating them.An equally important dividing line is between cultures of shame and cultures of guilt.
The paper takes as its point of departurethat sexuality and gender as we knowthem are social constructs, and that socialconstructs means culturally dependent,i.e. varying between cultures. It isalso pointed out that there are markeddifferences in power between countries,regions and individuals, and that withineach country, region and subculturethere is also a difference in power betweenmen and women.