From birth, sexuality is shaped by society. Cultures institute behaviors that are to be seen as social norms, which work to constantly reinforce social expectations about how genders should act in relation to each other. While some might argue that sexuality is an innate characteristic resulting from genetic makeup, there is a wealth of evidence that points to its social construction instead. Through power differences between males and females, established gender roles, and drastic economic changes, society establishes sexuality and reinforces the behaviors expected of its citizens. As Tamsin Wilton explains in her piece, “Which Is the Man? The Heterosexualization of Lesbian Sex,” society has asserted that heterosexuality, or desire for the opposite sex, is the norm. However, the reason behind this is left out. Rather, Wilton argues that “heterosexual desire is [an] eroticized power difference [because] heterosexual desire originates in the power relationship between men and women” (161). This social struggle for power forces most individuals into male-female based relationships because most women are unable to overcome the oppressive cycle that society has brought them into. While heterosexual relationships consist of the male (the oppressor) and the female (the victim who is unable to fight against the oppressor), homosexual relationships involve two or more individuals who have been freed from their oppressor roles- oppressor. socially constructed phenomenon and how acceptable one's relationship is determined by society's view of gender roles. Since the majority of the population is characterized as heterosexual, those who deviate from that path are... middle of paper... Blackledge, Catherine. "The function of orgasm." Gender, sex and sexuality. New York: University of Oxford, 2009. 272-84. Print.D'Emilio, Giovanni. "Capitalism and gay identity". 467-76. Print.Martin, Emily. "The Egg and the Sperm: How Science Constructed a Romance Based on Stereotypical Male-Female Roles." Gender, sex and sexuality. New York: University of Oxford, 2009. 248-53. Print.Preves, Ph.D., Sharon E. “Intersex Narratives: Gender, Medicine, and Identity.” Gender, sex and sexuality. New York: University of Oxford, 2009. 32-42. Print.Somerville, Siobhan. "Scientific racism and the invention of the homosexual body". Gender, sex and sexuality. New York: University of Oxford, 2009. 284-99. Print.Wilton, Tamsin. "What is the man? The heterosexualization of lesbian sex." Gender, sex and sexuality. New York: University of Oxford, 2009. 157-70. Press.