The article discusses “Masculinities and feminism. Masculinity and femininity. Difference between masculinity and femininity. Masculinity vs femininity characteristics. Masculinities and feminism.”

Masculinities And Feminism CSS

Masculinities and feminism are the two important concepts of Gender Studies, Women’s Studies and Men’s Studies. Both concepts hold an important position in these fields. A short introduction of masculinities and feminism have been given in below paragraphs.

Masculinity

The concept of masculinity can be understood from the following points.

Defining Masculinity: Masculinity is a set of attributes, characteristics, behaviors and roles that are generally linked with men and boys in our society. These are those characteristics that according to gender stereotype make man a real man. In simple words we can say masculinity means manliness and manhood.

CSS Gender Studies Solved MCQs

Masculinity As Gender Identity: Masculinity is basically a gender identity that has both social and biological backgrounds. This makes it different from anatomical sexual definition of male which considered genitalia as the basis of sex definition for a person. For masculinity there is no such condition as sometimes both men and women can exhibit masculine characteristics and behaviors.

Is Sex Socially Determined Too?

Androgynous: People who possess both masculine and feminine traits are called Androgynous. Due to this reason feminists sometimes quoting the example of Androgynous challenge the common classification of people on the basis of gender. 

Characteristics Of Masculinity: Generally accepted characteristics of hegemonic masculinity includes boldness, physical strength, heterosexuality, economic independency, courage, assertiveness, authoritative behavior and interests in intimate relations with women.

Affects Of Time On Masculinity: The generally accepted standards of masculinity changes from time to time and culture to culture but one thing that has always remained the same is masculinity always define itself superior and different from femininity. Those husbands who are subordinates and those men, who are gay, are not considered real men in our society.

Development Feminism

Femininity

Femininity is a set of those attributes, roles, behavior and characteristics that are possessed by women in society. The central feature of femininity is subordination to male power in society. Other characteristics of femininity include attractiveness to men, nurturance of child, sexual availability, heterosexuality and sociability.

Feminism

Feminism is the name of a movement that works for the advocacy of women’s rights on the basis of equality of the sexes. The movement demands that women should be treated equal to men. People who support feminism are called feminists.

Nature VS Nurture Debate in Gender Studies

The demands of feminism apparently seem just and fair yet throughout history women have been mistreated by their counterpart. To put an end to this and acquire respectable position and status for women in society, feminists launched feminism movement.

Conclusion

Masculinity and femininity are the two most prominent socio cultural characteristics of our gender based society that has classified people on the basis of generally accepted traits. According to feminists masculinity and femininity are societal euphemisms for male dominance and female subordination.