--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: The main problem for women trying to…" description: "\"“The main problem for women trying to emulate male sexuality is that as a ruling-class sexuality, it is constructed around the fact that they have a su..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/sheila-jeffreys-20069_class-status_the-main-problem-for-women-trying-to-emu_482740.png" --- # The main problem for women trying to emulate male… ![“The main problem for women trying to emulate male sexuality is that as a ruling-class sexuality, it is constructed around the fact that they have a subordinate class on whom to act sexually. Women are that subordinate class. The elements that constitute male sexuality depend upon the possession of…” quote by Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/sheila-jeffreys-20069_class-status_the-main-problem-for-women-trying-to-emu_482740.png) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/sheila-jeffreys-20069_class-status_the-main-problem-for-women-trying-to-emu_482740.png) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c33/sheila-jeffreys-20069_class-status_the-main-problem-for-women-trying-to-emu_482740.png) > ““The main problem for women trying to emulate male sexuality is that as a ruling-class sexuality, it is constructed around the fact that they have a subordinate class on whom to act sexually. Women are that subordinate class. The elements that constitute male sexuality depend upon the possession of ruling-class status such as objectification, aggression, and the separation of sex from loving emotion. Women are bound to be unsuccessful in seeking to acquire a form of sexuality which depends upon the possession of ruling-class power. It might be possible for some lesbians to seek a close emulation of ruling-class sexuality because they are able to practise on other women. Heterosexual women cannot practise ruling-class sexuality on men because they are not the ruling class. All that heterosexual women are in a position to do is to accommodate male sexual interests... In male supremacy men's sexual access to women gives them power and status. It does not make much difference who initiates the act, the men still gain the advantage.”” [Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jeffreys/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Male-dominated sexuality is tied to power structures; women cannot fully adopt it without the same status, leading to inherent inequality. **In simple terms:** Sexual power is linked to social hierarchy. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge gendered power dynamics. Themes gender power sexuality inequality social hierarchy Mood critical analytical Type theoretical political When to use this quote - feminist theory classespolicy reform - education - media representation - relationship counseling Key Concepts patriarchy social construction class dynamics sexual politics Questions to Reflect On - How can societies restructure sexual norms? - What alternatives exist beyond ruling-class sexuality? A Different Perspective Changing power structures is complex and may face resistance. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Class status](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/class-status/) ## Related quotes > [The annihilation of a woman's personality, individuality, will, character, is prerequisite to male sexuality.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrea-dworkin/the-annihilation-of-a-woman-s-personality-individuality-will/) [Andrea Dworkin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrea-dworkin/) > [I think women don't see themselves and their sexuality as wholesome. And yet men's sexuality is everywhere. We experience it as a culture in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-kelley/i-think-women-don-t-see-themselves-and-their-sexuality-as-wholesome/) [Sheila Kelley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-kelley/) > [The sort of public sex aspects of gay male sexuality did not appeal to me. 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It is the badge of inferiority—the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/merely-reducing-prison-terms-does-not-have-a-major-impact-on-the/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) > [If you take into account prisoners, a large majority of African American men in some urban areas, like Chicago, have been labeled felons for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michelle-alexander/if-you-take-into-account-prisoners-a-large-majority-of-african/) [Michelle Alexander](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michelle-alexander/) ## More by Sheila Jeffreys > [“Women incorporate the values of the male sexual objectifiers within themselves. Catharine MacKinnon calls this being "thingified" in the head (MacKinnon, 1989). They learn…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-jeffreys/women-incorporate-the-values-of-the-male-sexual-objectifiers-within/) [Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jeffreys/) > [Men have been adjudicating on what women are, and how they should behave, for millennia through the institutions of social control such as religion,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-jeffreys/men-have-been-adjudicating-on-what-women-are-and-how-they-should/) [Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jeffreys/) > [Girls learn to love and have sexual feelings in a position of low status, and the eroticization of powerlessness is a normal part of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sheila-jeffreys/girls-learn-to-love-and-have-sexual-feelings-in-a-position-of-low/) [Sheila Jeffreys](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sheila-jeffreys/) > [As a feminist, I consider the female pronoun to be an honorific, a term that conveys respect. 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It might be possible for some lesbians to seek a close emulation of ruling-class sexuality because they are able to practise on other women. Heterosexual women cannot practise ruling-class sexuality on men because they are not the ruling class. All that heterosexual women are in a position to do is to accommodate male sexual interests... In male supremacy men's sexual access to women gives them power and status. 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