Discourses on women's (hetero)sexuality and desire in a South African local context

Abstract

Feminist analyses of gender power inequalities in the negotiation of heterosexual sexuality (heterosex) have exposed heterosexuality as a key site for the reproduction of patriarchy. Empirical studies have highlighted women's lack of negotiation and men's dominance in heterosex. This paper reports on a qualitative study exploring the negotiation of heterosex among young men and women students at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa. A discourse analysis was carried out on the transcripts of focus group discussions held with over 100 male and female students speaking about their sexual experiences with the opposite sex. The study highlights the lack of a positive discourse on women's sexual desires, and continued double standards in the construction of masculine and feminine sexualities, with men viewed as positively sexual while women are representative of love and relationships. Nonetheless, there are some marginal voices contradicting these discourses and challenging the hegemonic construction of women as passive, lacking sexual desire and responsive to male active sexuality.