Gender and Race Aspects of the Body in Philosophy

Student’s Name
Professor’s Name
Course
Date
Body in Philosophy
Gender-based violence entails any form of physical or psychological abuse that targets people based on their gender. Notably, men tend to be more aggressive and violent than women based on variation in the socialization process and biological makeup of the two genders. Equally, the members of minority races, such as African Americans, suffer from extensive segregation and violence from the majority races. Therefore, viciousness has emerged as one of the prevailing health concerns across the United States and other parts of the world. Researchers have conducted numerous studies on the high rates of violence against women and blacks. One of the characteristic findings is that men are more muscular and energetic as opposed to women. Besides, the high testosterone levels in men make them more aggressive, thus causing increased rates of violence against women. Although many factors cause increased rates of violence in society, biological makeup is one of the primary factors that cause disproportionate violent behaviors based on race and gender.
Gender Aspect
Western feminists regarded embodiment with suspicion in the research of rational powers of the human mind. Notably, early feminists endorsed a dualism between body and mind through bodily features being contingent characteristics of self. According to Burch, the human body is vulnerable to illness and other forms of violence that might affect physical and psychological wellbeing (420). In most cases, women are susceptible to abuse more than men based on social practices in society and biological makeup. Research findings indicate that men and women have distinctive experiential capacities and embodiment. For that reason, radical feminists highlight the prevalence sexual violence against women, which is rooted in aggressive nature of men and socialization process.
Female sexuality and the biological capability of giving birth are the main grounds of affirming the power and value of the human body. Arguably, society expects women to be submissive, especially in male-dominated communities. Equally, the parental bodies of women are a source of positive values in setting against male norms and stressing subjectivity as opposed to duty and freedom. However, the caring and reproduction roles of women set them against the widespread violence from men. Women encounter joy and extensive suffering based on their childbearing capability. On the contrary, some women take part in military professions and can be violent in both private and public places.
Feminist writers explore ways that society prescribes norms based on subjects that regulate human bodies. The historical gender relations make a significant contribution to shaping bodies. Predominantly, women sculpt their bodies into shapes that reflect societal norms through exercise, dieting, cosmetic surgery, and makeups (Davies p. 501). The core objective of the efforts is to adhere to societal attitudes that women should be beautiful to attract men. The practices attach to gendered bodies and other aspects of body identity that define men and women. In most instances, women make significant efforts to be attractive.
Men are committed to exercise authority over women and maintain their superior position in the family and society. Arguably, men have strong and muscular bodies, which makes it possible for them to use violence as a tool for being dominant figures. Power and control underlie the high rates of intimate partner relationships in response to man’s feelings of being unable to accept rejection. According to research findings, some men fulfill their sexual needs through violence, taking advantage of women being weaker than them. The more vulnerable women in society are more likely to be victims of rape from men as perpetrators.
Men and women have different bodily features that determine their experiences in social relations. Theorists have explored the notions of bodily imaginaries and body image as significant determinants of susceptibility to violence. Prescott postulates that body schemas are vital determinants of people’s sense as human beings (64). Equally, the emotional and imaginative factors determine the social relationships between men and women in society. Men and women have varied interests that assess their cognitive ability and susceptibility to different forms of violence. For that reason, feminists utilize the concept of bodily images in advocating against gender-based violence that affects women predominantly.
Researchers argue that people’s bodies make them vulnerable to the material environment and different forms of violence. However, vulnerability to social punishments attaches more to the people who fail to conform to the existing regulations and social norms. Besides, social and familial bonds enable people to assume agency and subjectivity. Accordingly, feminist theorists have made a relevant contribution towards the philosophy of embodiment to ensure that the attention of the body plays a vital role in metaphysical and political thought. Notably, theorists provide an account of the relationship between 7777physiques and selves. One of the mutual findings is that women are weak, thus making them more vulnerable to different forms of violence.
Scholars and critics have explored female bodies as one of the primary causes of increased violence against women. The fact that society perceives women as weak makes them more susceptible to heightened levels of powerlessness. Equally, the fact that women are less assertive makes it hard to advocate against the different forms of mistreatment and violence. As a result, they tend to suffer in silence without any assistance exposing them to further psychological and physical aggression. Therefore, feminists encounter numerous issues in fighting for equality and including women in social, political, and economic development projects.
One of the characteristic findings is that the interaction of psychosocial and biological factors is the primary cause of gender-based violence that affects women more than men. The natural makeup if women make it possible for men to different executive forms of violent behaviors. Since men understand that they are more muscular, they a...