--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: When it comes to sexuality, romantic love…" description: "\"“When it comes to sexuality, romantic love plays a large part in feminine sexual scripts. Research suggests that women make sense of sexual encounters ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/susan-shaw-51059_feminism_when-it-comes-to-sexuality-romantic-love_1590331.jpg" --- # When it comes to sexuality, romantic love plays a large… ![“When it comes to sexuality, romantic love plays a large part in feminine sexual scripts. Research suggests that women make sense of sexual encounters in terms of the amount of intimacy experienced; love becomes a rationale for sex. If i am in love, women often reason, sex is okay. Men more easily…” quote by Susan Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/susan-shaw-51059_feminism_when-it-comes-to-sexuality-romantic-love_1590331.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/susan-shaw-51059_feminism_when-it-comes-to-sexuality-romantic-love_1590331.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/d9a/susan-shaw-51059_feminism_when-it-comes-to-sexuality-romantic-love_1590331.jpg) > ““When it comes to sexuality, romantic love plays a large part in feminine sexual scripts. Research suggests that women make sense of sexual encounters in terms of the amount of intimacy experienced; love becomes a rationale for sex. If i am in love, women often reason, sex is okay. Men more easily accept sex for its own sake, with no emotional strings necessarily attached. In this way, sexual scripts for men have involved more of an instrumental (sex for its own sake) approach, whereas for women it tends to be more expressive (sex involving emotional attachments). There is evidence to suggest that women are moving in the direction of sex as an end in itself without the normative constraints of an emotional relationship. By and large, however, women are still more likely than men to engage in sex as an act of love. Many scholars suggest that romance is one of the key ways that sexism is maintained in society.”” [Susan Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-shaw/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Women often link sex to intimacy and love, while men more readily view it as a standalone act, reinforcing gendered expectations and potentially sustaining sexism. **In simple terms:** Women tie sex to love; men see it as separate. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge gendered sexual expectations. Themes gender sexuality relationships sexism culture Mood reflective critical analytical Type sociological academic observational When to use this quote - dating - marriage - casual encounters - education - therapy Key Concepts romantic scripts instrumental sexuality social norms Questions to Reflect On - How do personal experiences reshape these scripts? - What role does media play in reinforcing or challenging them? A Different Perspective These patterns can vary widely across cultures and individuals, and not all women or men fit the described scripts. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Emotional relationship](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/emotional-relationship/) [Expressive Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/expressive-sex-6025831/) [Feminine Sexual](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminine-sexual-4519056/) [Feminism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/feminism/) [Love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/love/) [Rationale Sex](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rationale-sex-6025830/) [Romance](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romance/) [Romantic love](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/romantic-love/) [Sexual Scripts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexual-scripts-6025828/) [Sexuality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality/) [Sexuality Romantic](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/sexuality-romantic-6025829/) ## Related quotes > [“For Justine's conception of virtue is a specifically feminine one in that sexual abstinence plays a large part in it. 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I think sometimes true emotional relationships can go beyond those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-johar/in-my-experience-i-think-there-s-must-ado-about-fidelity-and/) [Karan Johar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-johar/) > [Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/think-about-any-attachments-that-are-depleting-your-emotional/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [My favorite episode is where the guy has a relationship with his car. An intimate and sexual and emotional relationship with his car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/my-favorite-episode-is-where-the-guy-has-a-relationship-with-his-car/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Merchandisers, by embedding subliminal trigger devices in media, are able to evoke a strong emotional relationship between, say, a product perceived in an advertisement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-bryan-key/merchandisers-by-embedding-subliminal-trigger-devices-in-media-are/) [Wilson Bryan Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-bryan-key/) > [The Freudian tradition will never completely die because it has a few good points. For example, people have motives and thoughts of which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/the-freudian-tradition-will-never-completely-die-because-it-has-a-few/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [Film peddles in one blip in the sea of emotional relationships when it's literally the content of the whole ocean.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramell-ross/film-peddles-in-one-blip-in-the-sea-of-emotional-relationships-when/) [RaMell Ross](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramell-ross/) > [“The parts of the brain which influence social and emotional relationships do not develop automatically but in response to the way a baby is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabrielle-palmer/the-parts-of-the-brain-which-influence-social-and-emotional/) [Gabrielle Palmer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabrielle-palmer/) ## More by Susan Shaw > [“There are politics in sexual relationships because they occur in the context of a society that assigns power based on gender and other systems…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-shaw/there-are-politics-in-sexual-relationships-because-they-occur-in-the/) [Susan Shaw](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-shaw/) > [“I wonder where love really is. 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For example, people have motives and thoughts of which they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-ellis/the-freudian-tradition-will-never-completely-die-because-it-has-a-few/) [Albert Ellis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-ellis/) > [Merchandisers, by embedding subliminal trigger devices in media, are able to evoke a strong emotional relationship between, say, a product perceived in an advertisement…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wilson-bryan-key/merchandisers-by-embedding-subliminal-trigger-devices-in-media-are/) [Wilson Bryan Key](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wilson-bryan-key/) > [My favorite episode is where the guy has a relationship with his car. An intimate and sexual and emotional relationship with his car.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/emmy-rossum/my-favorite-episode-is-where-the-guy-has-a-relationship-with-his-car/) [Emmy Rossum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/emmy-rossum/) > [Think about any attachments that are depleting your emotional reserves. Consider letting them go.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/oprah-winfrey/think-about-any-attachments-that-are-depleting-your-emotional/) [Oprah Winfrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/oprah-winfrey/) > [In my experience, I think there's must ado about fidelity and infidelity. I think sometimes true emotional relationships can go beyond those.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/karan-johar/in-my-experience-i-think-there-s-must-ado-about-fidelity-and/) [Karan Johar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/karan-johar/) > [We must restore the emotional relationship that people have to the idea of America, that no matter where you come from, no matter where…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/howard-schultz/we-must-restore-the-emotional-relationship-that-people-have-to-the/) [Howard Schultz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/howard-schultz/) > [True cultural connection is the Holy Grail for brands if they want to create an enduring emotional relationship with people.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/albert-chmielowski/true-cultural-connection-is-the-holy-grail-for-brands-if-they-want-to/) [Albert Chmielowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/albert-chmielowski/) > [“So I was damaged. 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