Objectification and the Social Construction of "Purity"

Throughout our discussion in class regarding virginity and purity, I began to think about the implications of classifying virginity as "pure". As I listened to people talk about how unmarried sexually active women may be perceived by others as tainted/used goods, I was reminded of the danger of associating virginity with moral purity. Most of my contention with the matter seems to be highlighted a book/documentary called "The Purity Myth" that deconstructs the idea of purity in regards to virginity.

The trailer for the documentary can be seen below:

On the most simple level, the grouping of virginity and purity places the entirety of a woman's perceived moral character on their sexuality. Not only can this limit their perception of themselves, but it almost dehumanizes them as placing their worth in their sexuality ignores the other aspects of humanity that make people who they are. Furthermore, placing such an emphasis on purity contributes to the idea of objectification as it turns purity in something that theoretically should be coveted by males. By characterizing virginity as a desirable character trait, we consider sexuality to be an asset, thus objectifying a woman's body as something that is to be used for male pleasure. When this ideology begins to manifest itself, the body is no longer a sacred space, but a thing that can be used, modified to become more marketable, and even bought.

As Audre Lorde highlights in "The Uses of the Erotic", it is dangerous to apply this logic to an area which is supposed to encapsulate the erotic.

"When we look away from the importance of the erotic in the development and sustenance of our power, or when we look away from ourselves as we satisfy our erotic needs in concert with others, we use each other as objects of satisfaction rather than share our joy in the satisfying, rather than make connection with our similarities and our differences." (Lorde)

Not only is objectification wrong for obvious reasons, but based on Lorde's quote, she would likely argue that when females are considered to be merely objects of sexual satisfaction, it is not just the female that is impacted negatively as shared experiences will impact everyone involved. Lorde's assertion led me to realize that when a large segment of a society is objectified, it effects everyone. The objectification will be experienced in a different way (objectifying someone else vs. being objectified), but the process is still hampering to everyone involved. In this sense, a feminist perspective is something that is not just beneficial to women, but to men as well.