Femininity

Definition and characteristics of femininity

• Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviors, and roles associated with women and girls.
• It is socially constructed and influenced by cultural and biological factors.
• Femininity is distinct from biological sex and can be exhibited by all humans.
• Traits traditionally associated with femininity include gracefulness, gentleness, empathy, humility, and sensitivity.
• Feminine traits vary across societies and individuals due to social and cultural factors.

Historical development and scientific perspectives on femininity

• Modern notions of femininity emerged during the medieval period in English-speaking society.
• After the Black Death, traditional gender roles changed and opportunities opened up for women.
• The terms 'femininity' and 'womanhood' were first recorded in Chaucer's writings in the 1380s.
• Simone de Beauvoir argued that femininity is not biologically determined but socially constructed.
• Judith Butler theorized that gender is a socially defined set of practices and traits.
• Psychologists Lewis Terman and Catherine Cox Miles pioneered efforts to measure femininity and masculinity in the 1930s.
• The M-F model posited femininity and masculinity as innate and opposing qualities.
• Researchers moved away from this model and developed an interest in androgyny in the 1970s.
• The Bem Sex Role Inventory and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire were developed to measure femininity and masculinity separately.
• Second-wave feminists argued that femininity and masculinity were culturally constructed, with traits assigned based on gender.

Behavior and personality associated with femininity

• Stereotypically feminine traits include nurturance, sensitivity, sweetness, cooperativeness, and expressiveness.
• The characteristics of femininity vary within and between societies.
• Femininity is linked to women's sexual appeal and can be associated with sexual objectification.
• Sexual passiveness is sometimes considered feminine, while sexual assertiveness is seen as masculine.
• The extent to which gender identity and behaviors are influenced by socialization versus biology is debated.

Individual perspectives on femininity

• Femininity is not solely determined by social constructions but also by individual choices.
• Some philosophers argue that femininity arose from early human sexual encounters and anatomical differences.
• Others suggest that femininity is a result of how females must behave in a patriarchal social system.
• Gender ambiguity can challenge traditional gender classifications.
• Modern conceptualizations of femininity consider both social constructions and individual agency.

Clothing and appearance, history, body alteration, traditional roles, religion and politics

• Feminine appearance traditionally includes long, flowing hair, clear skin, narrow waist, and little body or facial hair.
• Some cultures have different expectations, such as underarm hair not being considered unfeminine.
• The color pink is strongly associated with femininity today, but it was associated with boys in the early 1900s.
• Feminine beauty ideals have been criticized as restrictive, unhealthy, and even racist.
• In many Muslim countries, women are required to wear a hijab as a symbol of feminine modesty and morality.
• Cosmetics have been associated with femininity in some cultures.
• High heels were considered masculine in 16th century France but are now considered feminine.
• Ancient Egypt, Persia, Greece, and Rome had different clothing styles for women.
• Body alteration is the deliberate altering of the human body for aesthetic or non-medical purposes.
• Foot binding was practiced in Imperial China to induce perceived feminine characteristics.
• Neck rings are worn in parts of Africa and Asia to elongate the neck, symbolizing feminine beauty.
• Femininity is a social construct that relies on a binary gender system.
• Conventional attitudes towards femininity contribute to the subordination of women in patriarchal societies.
• Shamanism, including the role of shaman, is considered feminine in some cultures like the Altai.
• In Hindu traditions, Devi represents the female aspect of the divine.
• The Abrahamic God is typically described in masculine terms.
• Communist revolutionaries depicted idealized womanhood as strong and hard-working.
• Men who display qualities considered feminine are often stigmatized and labeled as weak.
• Some feminists reject constricting standards of female beauty.
• Traditional gender roles assign femininity to certain behaviors and traits.
• Julia Serano's book offers a transfeminist critique of femininity.
• Society often assigns specific traits and characteristics to femininity, such as nurturing, modesty, and caring for the weak.
• Femininity is not limited to cisgender women and can be expressed by individuals of various gender identities.

Femininity Data Sources