Sheldon is a fascinating character with an overtly intellectual demeanor; he strictly adheres to routine, has a vague understanding of sarcasm, irony and humor in general, he admires his superior intelligence, and generally lacks humility. Sheldon has a very high IQ and has a tendency to over-explain everything, often to the point of irking his audience. Sheldon has several peculiar habits which include sitting in the same spot of the sofa at all times, and forcefully knocking on the door three times while calling out the name of the person he expects to be in the room, and repeating the process until the door is opened. Sheldon also says “Bazinga!” after pulling a practical joke on his friends.

Intellectually, Sheldon is far ahead of his three friends, but he is utterly confused when it comes to ordinary social issues. It takes him a number of episodes of the first season to begin appreciating humor, and empathy is seen to elude him too. Nonetheless, in his own bizarre way, Sheldon proves to be a very loyal friend, especially, strangely enough, to Penny, who seems unable to decide whether she finds him annoying or appealing. Sheldon has been described by many as the breakout character in the Big Bang Theory.

        

One study in particular that relates to this is Margaret Fuller’s 1984 study on a number of black girls in a London comprehensive school. Fuller concluded that the girls resented their negative stereotype of being both female and black, and felt many of their teachers expected them to fail, despite the fact the girls worked seemed to disprove this. Even though this study was done nearly two decades ago, it is still very relevant to England today, where almost all comprehensive schools in London have a large influx of pupils from ethnic backgrounds. Indeed, my own school has a large majority of both Black and Asian students, and it’d be an indicator of how much has changed, and how labelling affects students in 2003 in my research.

However Bird’s study, just four years earlier in 1980 discovered that some labels are more readily accepted than others. Pupils were more likely to accept and academic labels, as opposed to ones relating to behaviour and discipline. In large secondary schools she notes, similar to mine, students have a greater likelihood of having a varied selection of teachers for different subjects, and therefore the chance that both the student will behave in the same way for all lessons, and that the teacher will give the same labels is unlikely. This too is an important study as it shows that labels are both complex and come in different forms.

When doing my research, I aim to try and discover three main things. How students feel they are labelled, how much they accept and agree with the labels they are given, and how labels vary from subject to subject. This will allow me to understand the extent to which labelling happens in the opinion of students, and how much of effect it can have on them. My hypothesis is that most students feel they are labelled, but as these labels are likely to be different for every lesson, they will only take on board the labels they more readily agree with, such as labels which may be reflected in their family or peers, or those from teachers and subjects who they value the most.

My research method will be a questionnaire, which is a distinctly positivist approach to my research, and one that will generate quantitative data. My sample will include 20 males, and 20 females from Year 13, which will not only be controllable and easy to regulate, but it should produce clear and reliable results.

        

These such terms, sex and gender, imply the differences between men and women physiologically and characteristically. Sexuality is not sex or gender, although sexuality is somewhat entertwined with the two. Sexuality is sexual behaviour. The ‘behaviour related to copulation and similar activities’(Oakley, 1985 p.99: as cited in Zajdow 2002:63). Sexuality is the whole area of actions and thoughts surrounding ‘achieving and having sexual relations’(Pinker 1997). The behaviours one exhibits when attracting a partner, the interactions with other humans in a sexual manner, and actual sexual activities, are all components of sexuality (Vida 1996).

Theorists attempt to answer what causes sexual behaviour, which factors have the power to influence ones sexual behaviour and what factors control or limit sexual behaviour.

Traditional explanations of sexuality or sexual behaviour have been derived and coloured by evolutionary biological sciences. As noted earlier these such theories have been criticised by sociology as being flawed by essentialism. This term, essentialism, refers to the way theorists, such as sociobiologists have reduced the complexity of sexuality right down to a single essence (Abercrombie et al. 2000: 122). The essence, in this case, explains sexual behaviour as being exclusively controlled by ones biological make up. This essentialist explanation for sexuality emphasises a simplistic approach, placing sole responsibility for sexual behaviour upon ones genes (Zajdow 2002). Such theories rely on evolutionary imperatives such as the theory of Natural Selection by Charles Darwin (1809-82).

The Darwinian theory was proposed in 1859 and was evidenced by fossil records and studies conducted on comparative anatomy and embryology of humans and animals (Minidictionary of Biology, 1988:102). The theory was later supported in 1920’s through studies known as ‘classical genetics’ by a man named Mendel, who updated the theory to Neo-Darwinism (Minidictionary of Biology,1988:185). The theories explain that natural selection by the natural environment has shaped humans universal behavioural tendencies and characteristics. Only the beings who carried optimal characteristics for survival and adapted most well to their natural environment, avoided death, and went on to breed and thus pass on their genes to their offspring. Therefore, these optimal behavioural tendencies and characteristics were inherited and passed along the generations over millions of years (Marieb 2001). The notion is, that the sexual characteristics and sexual behavioural tendencies present in humans today, have been selectively inherited genetically, as they have optimal capacity to ensure offspring and therefor species survival. These genes encompass drives for instinctive and innate behaviours, finely tuned or concentrated through the generations. (Marieb 2001)..

The theory likens human sexuality to that of primate animal sexuality, which is where the research has been documented (Vida 1996). This essentialist sociobiological approach insists that sexuality can not be contolled by an individual, as it is a primal urge, and that any observable change in human sexual behavioural tendencies could only come through a slow evolutionary process (Zajdow 2002).

The Darwinian theory, has been widely accepted in westernised culture for well over a century. Affirmations of biological concepts by the medical association, give support to and encourage acceptance of essentialist explanations for human behaviour (Jureidini & Poole 2000) . The recent development of the Human Genome project, evidencing links between some genes and characteristics (Zajdow 2002) has has also strengthened these theories.

The assumption that sexual behaviour is an innate biological process is visibly reflected in sexuality among western cultures. Whether the sexual behaviour actually is innate, or whether the essentialist behaviour theories have become so socially accepted, that it is now ingrained as a social norm, is still to be proven. Either way, documentation of sexuality over the the past century shows a definite link to the Darwinian theory (Pinker 1997).

Essentialist theorists believed traditional sexuality saw that men had strong primal urges, as do many primate animals. Men were expected to be overt in their sexuality and initiate sex and marriage (Vida 1996). In the 19th and 20th centuries, the division of labour (Durkhiem 1964: cited in Jureidini & Poole 2000:35) saw men became stereotyped and expected to be bread winners and women were stereotyped as incubators and child carers. Patriarchy within the family was accepted as the norm as men were believed to be naturally aggressive (according to sociobiology)and have a need to dominate the family, women were believed to be naturally passive, nurturing and even to have a need to be dominated (Jureidini & Poole 2001).

Sociobiologists ascertain that men have an innate attraction to fertile women. Implying that men will look for a healthily loyal women of a childbearing nature. They also suggest that men have a need to be paternal, so they will inevitably display jealousy and rage when this paternity is threatended, perhaps from advances by other men towards his partner, or infidelity by his partner. Women on the other hand are instinctively attracted to a male that can provide for her and the children she will have, wealth and physical ability are attractive characteristics (Zajdow 2002).

The sociobiological theory suggests that sexual behaviour is for pro-creation purposes. As with animals, men are understood to have an innate urge to ‘sow their seed’ as far and as wide as possible in the name of ensuring species survival, which causes men to exhibit promiscuous sexuality (Myers 2001). Some even regarded men as sexual predators and to be harbouring the sexual instincts of caveman ancestors (Wilson 1975; as cited in Zajdow 2002:64). Thus rape and prostitution become nessicary in order to satisfy the male desire to constantly procreate(Vida 1996).

A female would not have a desire to be promiscuous, theoretically women don’t harbour such innate urges in their genes. Women are theorised as having little, or no sexuality, as sociobiology suggests species survival requires them to need only be the recipient of sperm and childbearers. Maternal instincts are theorised to cause women to naturally desire this course of action, as a instinctive desire to facilitate species survival (Myers 2001).

Social attitudes of the Darwinian theory are reflected in Western culture. A ‘double standard’ on men’s and women’s sexuality has arisen by the social disapproval of the women’s sexuality, a social expectation of men’s sexuality. Taken from Llewellyn-Jones’ (1982:52) book titled ‘Everywoman’ an excerpt on ‘cultural myths about sex’ describes some consequences of Darwinism on social attitudes of sexuality.

Llewellyn-Jones writes, ‘nice girls don’t have sex’,also that ‘she is unfeminine unless she marries and becomes a mother’ and ‘sex is a mans responsibility. . . women should make themselves available to their husbands when he requires a release of sexual tension’. Yet social expectations of men’s sexuality are different, men are encouraged to “get lucky, score, pick up and are inclined to compete with peers about sexual conquests’ (Llewellyn-Jones 1982:54). Such socially constructed norms correlate with the essentialist theories and demonstrate how an inequality between men and women’s sexuality has emerged.

In the 1960’s, dissatisfaction with patriarchy, subordination of women, gender role stereotyping, social norms and expectations about sexuality led to the Women’s Movement, the rise of Feminism and other sociologists to examine these issues (Poole & Jureidini 2001). Sexuality, was examined by sociologists objectively, as a socially constructed phenomena. Looking at sexual behaviour from a Social Constructionist perspective shed a new light on sexuality . By addressing some of the problems that have arisen from the essentialist sociobiological theories, sociology considers that there are social and cultural influences on sexual behaviour that need to be recognised and that sexuality not be solely a biological mechanism (Zajdow 2002).

Although sociology accepts that biology and evolution does play a role in sexual behaviour in humans, it argues that social and cultural influences also play a large role, and that sexuality may be socially constructed, by social rules norms and expectations. Sociology insists that sexuality is a complex social behaviour, not a simple innate behaviour as proposed by biology. Sociology emphasises that sexuality, entwined with sex and gender are intricately laced into every day social life (Jureidini & Poole 2002).

In contrast to biological ideas, that sexuality is simply a precondition of the actual act of copulation, sociology explains that sexual overtones affects every human interaction and behaviour privately and publicly (Zajdow 2002). The complexity of sexuality , as social interactionist theorists state, becomes apparent just by observing normal human interaction. Basic human interaction between the sexes, sexual humour, media depiction of sex and sexuality , body language, styles of appearance and language all influence and construct ones sexuality. Everything one sees and everything one does is influencing and constructing ones sexual behaviours (Jureidini & Poole 2002).

Symbolic interactionist theorists emphasise that as men and women interact and negotiate their daily lives , they are influenced by the sexual meanings they learn, from society (Jureidini & Poole 2002). The notion that sexuality is learnt is a key difference to the sociobiology view. An example would relate to the way that the sociobiological theory of sexuality by Darwin was embraced by western cultures, and that this has actally influenced the actual formation of individual attitudes about sexuality. Much of western society’s understanding about sexuality is based on the institutionalised rules, meanings and understandings drawn from the Darwinian theory, one looks to these socially constructed norms to create a reality about sexuality (Pinker 1997).

Sociologists do have notable evidence to suggest that sexuality is learned. Sociobiologists have maintained all sexuality is innate and instinctive, but sociology suggests otherwise. Studies among animal primates show that by isolating young apes from observing sexual behaviour, they then fail to exhibit normal sexual behaviour, if followed by remedial socialisation (being able to observe other apes sexuality)the previously isolated ape will then develop his/her sexuality and sexual behaviour to an almost normal level(Jureidini & Poole 2001: 367).

Studies of other cultures too, have demonstrated that there is an element of sexualitylearning from cultural norms. Some cultures, such as the ‘Mehinaku’ of the Amazon Basin, the ‘men are actually fearful of sex, engaging in it as little as possible’. In Trobriand Islands, ‘adolescent girls are expected to be sexually aggressive andmen quite timid’. In Sorino society, ‘very fat women are considered to be sexually satisfying and thin women are said to be repulsive’. Some cultures, such as Pacific societies ‘young men are expected to have sexual relations with older men as an initiation’. (Jureidini and Poole 2001:368). The list goes on, however the point is that sociology has pointed out a very valid fact; Learning from others, cultural norms and social expectations are all very powerful influences that do define and effect expression of sexuality.

Sociologists have found what is considered attractive also differs from those suggested by the sociobiological theory, across cultures (Jureidini and Poole 2002). Even modern Western culture seems to have diverged from the Darwinian theory that says men will instinctively be attracted to healthy women of a childbearing nature. Modern media representation of women currently depict extremely thin, and quite underdeveloped and unhealthy body types as attractive (Vida 1996). Sociological data has suggested that the type of partner one is most likely to chose and come to desire sexually is one with a matched status, economic class, race, ethnicity, religion, background, education and generally within an age bracket no more and no less that five years of their own age (Micheal et al.1994).

Sociological theorists Gagnon & Simon (1974, p. 76-7: cited in Zajdow 2002) have supported the notion that individuals do have control over their sexuality and that they actually cognitively develop ‘sexual scripts’. A clearly defined cognitive plan of action and directive behaviour guidelines for choosing whom one will choose to interact with sexually and what sort of behaviour one plans to exhibit when having sexual interactions with that person. Gagnon and Simon (1974) state that without these organised planned sexual scripts than it would be unlikely that any sexual behaviour would occur at all. Contradictable to the Darwinian theory, sociology suggests sexuality is a planned and organised behaviour, not an impulsive urge or animalistic reaction.

As theorists from differing disciplines combine their ideas and research findings, the factors and influences responsible for human sexual behaviour become evident. In a tireless pursuit to understand the mysteries of sexuality, it is important to gain insights from many perspectives. In the endeavour to understand the true foundations of sexuality or sexual behaviour we become aware of the power of evolution, the complexity of social constructions and the influences of ones environment. As Science and Sociology research, acknowledge and debate knowledge, the realm of understanding sexuality is slowly unravelled. As hypotheses are tested and re-tested, and theories are continuously debated refuted and accepted, knowledge about sexuality becomes finely tuned. Although disciplines may emerge with distinctly different theories about sexuality, a lot can be learned through the studies of science and sociology. Sexual behaviour, a complex and intricate web of innate desires, and learnt behaviours is an important part of every individuals lives. A source of reproduction, pleasure and self expression for men and women of every culture and every epoch. 

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There are and have been a diversity of approaches to the development of social thinking and there has never been a discipline in which there is a body of ideas that all accept are valid. It is about our own lives, our own behavior and is therefore complex and difficult to study. The practice of Sociology is involves the ability to think imaginatively and to detach oneself from any preconceived ideas about social life. It can also increase self understanding and influence our own futures from what we learn.

This objective and systematic study of human behavior is a relatively recent development with its beginnings being found in the late eighteenth century. Any study or discovery was initially expressed in religious terms or drawn from well known myths and superstitions.

The French Revolution of 1789 marked a breakthrough in the abandonment of traditional ideas promoting those more secular such as liberty and equality.

During the Industrial Revolution in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century, there was a broad spectrum of social and economic transformations. These rises of industry lead to migration from land to urban areas resulting in new forms of social relationships.

Society as a whole has always been curious as to how we behave. The rise of a scientific approach in understanding the world brought about radical changes to our perspectives and outlook. Sociology emerged, as did biology, chemistry and physics as part of this important intellectual process and the shattering of traditional ways of life challenged thinkers to develop a new understanding of both the social and natural worlds.

Sociology embraces a variety of theoretical views. The disagreement between theoretical standings and viewpoints can occasionally be quite radical and these differences can occasionally produce complex issues due to the problem of subjecting our own behavior to study.

Auguste Comte (1798-1857) can be seen as a key founder of the subject due to his coinage of the term, sociology. Comte was a French social thinker, often deemed eccentric whose thinking reflected the turbulent events of his age. As the founder of Positivism, the idea that the only true knowledge is scientific knowledge, Comte set up the concept of the law of three stages. This claimed that human efforts to understand the world have passed through a theological stage, the belief that society was an expression of Gods will, a metaphysical stage, that society was seen to be natural not supernatural, and a positive stage, encouraging the application of scientific techniques to the social world. Comte regarded sociology as the final science to develop
Comets vision was never actually realized but it had great influence on and contributed to sociology as the science of society and on its becoming an academic discipline.

Like Comte, Emile Durkheim (1858-1917) another French writer, believed social life must be studied with the same objectivity as scientists study the natural world. Durkheims influence, however, had a much more lasting influence on modern sociology.

Durkheim tried to free the study of society from philosophical concepts and replace them with more rigorous scientific ones, in order to define sociology as a science comparable to the physical sciences of biology chemistry and physics.

Functionalism was a theoretical perspective based on the notion that social events can best be explained in terms of the functions they performed and on a view of society as a complex system whose various parts work in a relationship to each other in a way that needs to be understood. This was one of Durkheims most prominent and decisive viewpoints.

His most famous principle, however, was to study social facts as things to study aspects of social life that’s shape our actions as individuals such as the economy or the influence of religion. He conceded that social facts exercise coercive power over individuals. Durkheim argued that people often follow patterns that are general to society such as lifestyles, morals and religious beliefs and that processes of change in the modern world, the division of labor, are so rapid and intense that they give rise to major social difficulties and have disruptive effects. This theory leads to Durheim’s famous concept of anomie, a feeling of aimlessness or despair provoked by modern social life.

One of Durkheim’s most influential, although controversial, studies was that of Suicide and how on the outside it appears to be a purely personal act but that social factors exert a fundamental influence- anomie being one of these.

Karl Marx (1818-1883) is one of the most well known if not, arguably, the most influential classical sociologist. However, his ideas contrast sharply with those of Comte and Durkheim.
Marx was not so conscious to develop sociology in to the science of society but through his witnessing of the growth of factories and industrial production, he became continuously aware of the social inequalities and class struggle that followed. He concentrated primarily on change in modern times as opposed to through history and found that the most important changes tied in with the development of industry and through that, capitalism.

Capitalism, a system of production contrasting radically with previous economic systems, saw Marx at his most dynamic. He saw it as a class system in which class relations are characterized by conflict and the relationship between classes to be exploitative. Marx came up with the concept of the proletariat, an urban based industrial working class who had previously supported themselves by working on the land but had now moved to the expanding industrializing cities. However, Marx saw the relationship between this proletariat class and its superior capitalizing class to be extremely unbalanced and also believed that in time; class conflict over economic resources would become more acute.

Marx’s main theory was his belief that social change is prompted primarily by economic influences and that all class conflicts derive originally from an economic background. He believed that a workers revolution, overthrowing the capitalist system and providing a new classless society was inevitable.

Marx’s recognition in the field of sociology is predominantly due to his concern with connecting economic problems to social institutions and his writing, diverse in topics, was rich in sociological insights. Marx has had a far reaching effect on the twentieth century world and more than a third of the world’s population live in societies ruled by a government influenced by Marx’s ideas.

Another writer who concentrated on the field of economics, as well as philosophy and history was Max Weber (1864-1920). He identified key sociological debates that remain central for sociologists today and was both influenced by and critical of some of Marx’s major views, seeing class conflict as a less significant reason for social change.

Weber believed that sociology should focus more on social action as opposed social structures. He argued that human motivation and ideas were the forces behind change and that they had the power to bring about transformations. Unlike Durkheim and Marx, Weber did not believe that structures exist externally of individuals and that they were formed by a complex interplay of actions It was the job of sociology to understand these actions.

Weber came up with the idea of an ideal type, conceptual or analytical models that can be used to understand the world forming very useful hypothetical situations.

Weber saw the increasing shift from traditional beliefs to those of science and this development of science, modern technology and bureaucracy was described by Weber collectively as, rationalization. This was a concept referring to the process by which modes of precise calculation and organization, involving abstract rules and procedures, increasingly come to dominate the social world. In Webber’s view, the Industrial Revolution and the rise of capitalism were proof of a larger trend towards rationalization, a concept which has put him to the forefront of classical sociological thinking.

All of the above classical sociologists saw sociology as a science and agreed unanimously that sociology is a discipline in which we set beside our personal view if the world and look more carefully at the influences that shape our lives and society.

Comte and Marx established some of the basic issues of sociology, such as Positivism, later elaborated on by Durkheim and Weber. However the three employed very different approaches in their study of the social world. Where Durkheim and Marx focused on the forces external of the individual, Weber was more interested on the ability of individuals to act creatively on the outside world. Such differences have persisted throughout the history of sociology.
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