Sociology

The sanctity of human life has meant that mankind aspires to live life in the most justifiable way possible so that nothing is done to go against what society considers to be evil or an abomination. For along time, different members of society have asserted their right to right living by seeking to adhere to this code of acceptable values and practices. While men have had a rather easy time keeping their values and so being in a better position to lead a life they desire, women have had an uphill task in having their issues recognized, appreciated, and incorporated into the wider society (Cebulko 2007). Often, it has been very difficult for women views to be given a deserved hearing and instead the voice of men has been mostly heard and taken to be representative of all people. This has happened on many subjects, and the issue of pornography is one of them. For a long time, there has been debate on this subject in general, and specifically regarding how it impacts on women. Of particularly great interest has been the real aim of legislation regarding pornography. Although some have been of the opinion that such legislation is critical for ensuring a safer and healthier world for women in this country and even beyond, others have been of the view that such legislation is a damaging invasion to the personal lives of women. It is for this purpose that this paper compares and contrasts the issues of pornography as they are presented by sociologists and philosophers. This is done from the point of view of a feminist.

The Pornography Debate
Humanity is at a crossroads regarding the role that is played or not played by pornography. These differences are not so much as a result of ideology but more so factual. The feminist is aware of the role played by pornography in enhancing societys molestation of women. For a long time, the place of the woman in society has been relegated to that of a mere figurehead that has not so much to say before people (Cebulko 2007). And that pornography has been used extensively to expander this notion can be best illustrated in the content of the renown feminist and activist Andrea Dworkin who spent the better part of her life criticizing, among other issues, the blatant use of pornography to degrade women and cause them to be viewed more like objects for sexual use by men and no more. She was very critical of the nature in which various attempts had been made, some of them sadly successful, to make the viewing of pornography legal even to the very young children (Dworkin 1989).

In one of her most outstanding books, Dworkin presents pornography as being a cause of the rape and violence meted on women (Dworkin 1989). She laments that while society is turning a blind eye on the vice, many women and young girls are living their everyday lives at the mercy of the societys crooked and morally deprived men who subject them to rape and molestations of all kinds and nature (Dworkin 1989). She attributed most of these acts by men towards women and girls to having a direct link to pornography, citing past confessions by men and medical surveys conducted on people who have once been victims of such violent acts. It is amazing how the society can purport to be seeking for the welfare of all people by legalizing pornography. Pornography will in the end cause more harm than good, if at all anything good comes from it. She argues that it is morally wrong for mankind to be exposed to pornography as over time its effects will manifest in ways that will be more damaging to the very social fabric that holds people together (Dworkin 1989).

In her book Pornography Men Possessing Women, Dworkin complains that the world is taking on a form where men have literary possessed women through pornography viewing this possession has been greatly enhanced through various legislations. She is of the view that men who are prone or even addicted to pornography cannot act in any natural way because their minds are always clouded with the nasty images of naked women and girls, or of other sexually explicit material (Dworkin 1989). As such, such men can only seek to practice what is on their mind. Science and sociology are in agreement that the thought patterns of every individual are directly linked to what one takes in through any of the five senses, specifically eyesight and hearing. As such, the people who keep viewing pornography will have nothing else to think about but the images they view. The result is that they will seek to have what they will have been put into practice and experimented (Dworkin 1989).

Since it is highly unlikely that women will have the courage and power to violate men, it is instead the men who uses such power to violate women (Dworkin 1989). Most end up raping women and committing other heinous acts against them just in an attempt to get their lusts and abnormal sexual desires fulfilled. These sexual desires are abnormal because they are caused by images, some of which are usually made up or conjured in the mind. From a sociological point of view, pornography has equally been proved to cause far-reaching negative consequences. The family is the first casualty of the consequences of pornography in that among pornographys commonest consequences is a decline in values and norms regarding the family. Those involved will tend to be less committed to the family ties, and will instead prefer to be less responsible. The men will want to seek for sexual satisfaction from women or people they will not be compelled to be responsible for, or to provide any care for (Dworkin 1989). They want women whom they can just have sexual intercourse with and move on to get other women or girls to have other sexual relations with.

Such a man cares less about the object of his acts and is instead concerned with having his desires fulfilled. Neither is the man ready to take on any long term relationship with the woman because all he wants is momentary sexual satisfaction (Dworkin 1989). The family therefore suffers in the process because the man will be less wiling andor prepared to perform his duties as the man in the home. Even if such a man is not doing any other things that can be termed as harmful, he is in essence causing psychological suffering to the spouse (Dworkin 1989).

That aside, pornography will cause men to be more inclined to cheating on their spouses because they want to have many women who they are not bound to at all but who are willing and ready to have sexual relations with them. This is a trend which made Dworkin (1979) to claim that women have become possessed by men. There is nothing worse in the sociological field as being possessed by anyone. Possession means that one has no choice but to do as the possessor desires, regardless of the consequences. Pornography, therefore, promotes this possession of women in that it encourages men to have many female partners for sexual satisfaction purposes only. All that is expressed in pornography is never in line with the family values and systems. Instead, an emphasis is placed on the need for non-committal, polygamous affairs with many partners (Dworkin 1989).

The Religious Position
Religion has often represented a key point of reference for the society on matters that are of great social interest. Pornography has been opposed by religion on grounds similar to those cited by Dworkin. Every person has a place and a role in society, and religious believes dictate what is right and wrong based on morals and ethics. As such, pornography is never tolerated based on its implications on the society and the individuals (Fenwick 2002). Pornography is harmful as it erodes family morals. Morals are given priority in religious circles, and especially where family matters are concerned. Pornography is viewed as evil as it causes sexual pervasion which is sin. It is also known to cause marital problems which threaten the trust and love that families started and which are essentially the bonds that hold such families together. Every family ought to bring up their children in ways that are also socially acceptable and tolerable, and pornography is a major hindrance to such an endeavor. Although religious practices are never focused at a particular gender or age group, pornography has been presented as being very harmful to women who are more prone to the consequences of family shakeups. Religious faiths underpin pornography as a case of sexual immorality and lust, both of which are sinful (Fenwick 2002).

In Defense of Pornography
It is an interesting phenomenon when the debate on pornography takes many dimensions among feminist. While Dworkin would have nothing to do with support for pornography by anyone, least of all from a woman, there are many feminist supporters of pornography and they have been no less vocal in having all possible measures put in place to ensure that there is freedom for women to view and use pornography as they wish (Berger et al. 1991). These pro-pornography activists are of the view that since the woman has for a long time been degraded and made to feel like a lesser being, she ought to use pornography as a way of asserting her autonomy in the society (Strossen 2000). The issue of pleasure for women has come in for a lot of debate. Many women have failed to have even the slightest understanding of how they can enjoy themselves and have many other pleasures in life. Pornography, therefore, makes women to get the rare chance to learn of the many as they can be able to find this pleasure from sexual relations.

That pornography is a cheap alternative to the many sexual pleasures that make women vulnerable to the sexual desires of men has also been a point very much emphasized. The fact that the many feminists have desired to have autonomy and break loose from the control that men have over them has fueled this analogy (Strossen 2000). They therefore want alternatives to anything that will make them subject to men and their tendencies to control women. Pornography can cause sexual acts like masturbation and even lesbianism. These are ways through which the woman can be freed from the dependence she has been thought to have on man. Some feminist have even cited the entire theory or philosophy that sex is a natural or biologically-rooted act. Instead, they say sex was devised by males to oppress women. Therefore, they argue, it is high time more women are enlightened on the consequences of their sexual dependence on men and having understood that they are dire and negative, they ought to use different ways to satisfy their sexual desires without having to seek the involvement of men. Only then will men learn to respect and honor women (Strossen 2000).

Pornography best provides this enlightenment, giving women a wide range of options to choose from to satisfy their sexual desires (Strossen 2000).

Nadine Strossen (2000), writing in her book Defending pornography free speech, sex, and the fight for womens rights argues that for a long time the society has failed to give people the right to express themselves even though freedom of speech is paramount and a key requirement. She wonders why there has been a trend towards making expression of ones feelings illegal, especially when such expressions touch on matters that have to do with sex. She is of the view that legislation is not doing enough to protect women by prohibiting sexual expression through forums like pornography, but is simply seeking to help anti-porn feminist movements to advance their course and so make women more like slaves (Strossen 2000). Strossen, quoting from the speeches of famous activists who fought tooth and nail at one time or another to ensure that all kinds of civil liberties were granted to all people, including women, insists that women and girls ought to be allowed a chance to express themselves using all means, including pornography or any other sexually explicit material so that there is no show of partiality or favoritism. She contends that just like non-sexual speech and expression has been so universally accepted, so must sexual speeches and freedoms be allowed for all people (Strossen 2000).

While she differs with Dworkin on the role that pornography has played and continues to play in the lives of women and the society at large, she cites the need for absolute rights for all people in all areas of expression as the basis for her support for pornography (Strossen 2000). According to her philosophy, the attack on pornography is not just about pornography but a lot more. It is an attack on women and on the most basic civil liberties of the people. Needless to say, it is an impediment to development especially in this age in time when technology in general and the internet in particular, where a lot of information on all subjects and of all nature are to be found and accessed for free and without limitation, is shaping the way communication  is done (Fenwick 2002).

The attempt at outlawing pornography, argues Strossen, is in itself an attempt at keeping people barred from all other information (Strossen 2000). It is a going back to that age in time when free speech was illegal and vetting for content to be made public was the order of the day. This is antisocial and unpopular, and a developed society ought not to have such barriers to expression. Adults are especially very mature and their decisions are based on information and understanding. That is why it is all wrong to regulate what they can use. If it is true that legislation prohibiting pornography is intended at preserving family values, then these values ought to be understood from different perspectives because people of different sexual orientations will definitely have different values (Strossen 2000). 
   
Conclusion Strossen and Dworkin Compared and Contrasted
The views of these two leading feminists on the subject of pornography are more different than they are similar. Their differences are not only ideological but factual and substantial. They contend on the area of the role of legislation. To Strossen, legislation forbidding or limiting to use of pornography is somewhat prohibiting the universal freedom of expression, while to Dworkin it is a move to bring sanity in the society and allow people the especially women, to have a real freedom from male domineering over them. The former believes that pornography is a way of life and a form of expression which women can use to assert their own special autonomy and so free themselves from the need to depend on men for sexual satisfaction while the latter, although agreeing that men have used the effects of pornography to violate men, does not think pornography is one of the ways through which women can assert their autonomy. Instead, she wants legislation enacted to forbid its use for being a gross violator of family and social values.

Strossen wants to see a society where all forms of liberties are granted to all people to enable each person or group of people to best express themselves and get that which they might desire. Pornography is such a way through which this expression can be done effectively well. Dworkin is of the contrary view that feminism and pornography cannot be made to go together, and that any real feminist ought to condemn pornography as a root cause of family breakups and a way of life which portrays the woman as a being only able to live her life in accordance with the dictates of man  whether her husband in the family setting or any other partner. The similarities that arise in their arguments are mainly in the area of women rights, both seeking to use their specific positions to advance the cause of women in society.

They are in agreement that legislating around pornography has largely been skewed to respond to the needs of men as opposed to women, whether  the legislation gives room for pornography to thrive to not. They want a case where women play a greater role in society, especially in decision making. The actual approaches at achieving more autonym for women in society are, however, the main bone of contention. They cannot agree on the best approach to be followed. In spite of their views, the other critical opinions regarding pornography has been from the religious circles, where it has been the norm to set aside any practice that does not conform to the faith and religious philosophies. The issue of pornography, therefore, has been decried as causing serious moral erosion and is sin. It is also a prevention of natural sex which is to be enjoyed in the family setting alone and not exposed to the public.