Well, if I am understanding your question here, I do think that perception by the individual and society at large is how the laws came to be established in the first place.
To some degree I see how these laws are established through perception by the individual and society at large, as you now say. I think, when it comes to our elected law makers, are they there to make laws based on the perceptions and preferences of society at large, or by ignoring the electorate and making laws on their own perceptions. Maybe a mix of both, but it would depend on the law maker.
We seem to have been raised in a culture where female breasts are perceived as something sec-tual and should be covered up. In other countries, perhaps not so much.
I see the differences here and in other countries.
In some countries, men even want almost every part of a woman covered up because they don't want any temptation to arise (Or at least that's my understanding). Nevertheless it is a matter of control, and unfair to women (At least in my view).
I see the same. Those countries potentially never pulled themselves out of the dark ages because of that. I don't see it simply as removing unwanted temptation. It's about control of women and all aspects of their lives.
If we had been raised in a culture where men and women's chests were viewed the same, most likely the laws singling out women would never have been put in place.
I think similar.
So to me, the question really comes down to: "Are they really different" or "Why do we see them as different". I think it's because we were just raised to think that way. Some women have rather flat chests and some are more pronounced, and men are they same way. It's just that we treat them different based on gender. Quite frankly, if a person was purely androgenous looking from the waist up, and you couldn't tell if it was a man or a woman, and the exposed chest was just average size for a man or woman, and there was no hair there, we probably wouldn't know if they should be arrested or not.
Which then shows there are double standards at play within society. There because of society's over sexualisation of the female chest? Maybe even there because some have somthing to gain from the over sexualisation of the female chest? We have only got to look at some advertisements that play on this and use this to sell to both genders. Some societies might dig a hole for themselves that they can't get out of, or at least not within one or two generations. It all goes towards perpetuating double standards. It will take a long time to get out of this over sexualisation, particularly when there is money to be made. It all goes towards getting in the way when any debate on laws of this type crops up.
It really is a complex thing; far more complex than many here have put forward. But it seems to be complex for the wrong reasons. Some of the photos posted here make me think there are some males and females that I would prefer to see covered up, but in a free society I personally think it should be left to the individual, but with certain responsibilities. If we don’t like what we see, for whatever reason, we have the opportunity to look away. Being able to look away is an amazing concept that some seem to forget about. They would prefer some type of ‘control’ to be put in place instead.
Then there is the thought of who should be debating these controls regarding woman. The predominate male law makers, or a group of female only lawmakers, where males have no say in the matter. If a law of this kind needs debating, I can’t help wondering whether for women at least, it should only be women deciding on the law. For me personally though if a law was being debated regarding a man, I would want a more balanced approach. I put my hands up and admit that women may think of something that I as a man would never have thought about. And that additional perspective of a woman is required.
Whether we like it or not, it seems that a female chest is far more sexualised that a man’s or so it seems from my perspective in my society. There may be some women here who feel the opposite is true. Then there might be the thoughts and opinions of women who ‘prefer’ women sexually, what would they say about it all. Would they want female chests to be covered. Has anyone even thought to ask them.
I don’t see any resolution of the debate anytime soon. On this issue, it will depend on prevailing attitudes and values of each society and its willingness to address issues of gender equality, gender freedoms as a whole, as in freedoms of the collective gender, and an individual’s freedoms.
