Oxford, the paradise of dead philosophies.
George SantayanaRead
Female heterosexuality is not a biological drive or an individual women's erotic attraction or attachment to another human animal which happens to be male. Female heterosexuality is a set of social institutions and practices... Those definitions... are about the oppression and exploitation of women by men.
Interpretation
What this quote means
This quote asserts that female heterosexuality is shaped by societal structures rather than purely biological instincts.
Marilyn Frye's quote challenges the notion that female heterosexuality is solely a natural inclination of women towards men. Instead, she argues that it is a complex interplay of social institutions and practices that contribute to the oppression and exploitation of women by men, suggesting that societal factors play a significant role in shaping sexual orientation.
Themes
FemaleHeterosexualitySocial InstitutionsOppressionExploitation
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about gender studies, this quote illustrates how societal norms shape perceptions of female sexuality.
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