Mo Chick

What does the concept of femininity and masculinity mean to you from a philosophical perspective?

The usual complement of masculinity is femininity and vica versa. What does this mean to you in your life or based on a philosphical so not biological view point? Thanks

Public Comments

1. Too difficult to answer without the concept of biology. What it means to be masculine or feminine is so intertwined with that area, it is next to impossible to remove it from those terms. In a social construct, society tends to dictate gender derivatives. Personally, I would not deign to make a judgment about what makes someone either.
2. Crux of the matter is masculinity and the aesthetics and detail are femininity.
3. This is a hard question because you are asking the question in the realm of the social depictions of expression (femininity and masculinity) rather than the simple biological elements (female and male). In short, the closest I can come to an answer for you is that I am attracted (this is both socially developed and biologically driven) to the performance of weakness. A strong expression leans to the side of masculinity (at least in Modern Western culture) and, being male, I seek to perform that rather than desire that. This may not be ethical, but it is what has been socially conditioned into the minds of men (as seekers) and women (as pushed into a given mold).
4. Philosophically, humans have the full spectrum of traits and behaviors from which to choose and adopt. Socially, we have gender roles so that women who act masculine are sneered at and men who act like stereotypical women aren't respected. They are suspected of being homosexuals. Being pinned as "homosexual" is the ultimate judgment for those who don't fit our idea of what is normal for a man or woman. Being viewed this way prevents that odd person from being looked at as a potential mate. While there are other people out there that like atypical males and females, let's face it---the chance of that person mating is slim. That said, "masculinity and femininity" play a powerful social role in determining our attractiveness and ultimately, our "matability". We naturally associate angularity with masculinity and round soft curves with femininity. Likewise in personality and behaviors, we associate masculinity with confidence, assertiveness, and domination and femininity with flexiblity, yielding, nurturing, and self-sacrificing personna. In actuality, men and women are so much more flexible than their exterior reveals. Men are affectionate and nurturing to their child and spouse and women are dominating and opinionated when the situation calls for it. However, to permanently---not as a role, but as a personna--- take on these traits as if their own is to be inevitably labeled as "unfeminine/lesbian (dyke)" and "effeminate/gay". Finally, if I may interject my own opinion on this matter.... I believe anyone has the right to take on any trait, however, the social attractiveness to the OPPOSITE gender of heterosexual orientation is highly diminished. If that isn't the goal of the individual (provided s/he isn't gay), this behavior is counterproductive to the goal of reproduction. If the person has no such goals of reproduction, it isn't such a grave problem, but that doesn't mean it is aesthetic. To be aesthetically pleasing, a woman must possess feminine beauty and we all know what this is. Her behavior can be entirely masculine, but these types of women do not attract a long-term partner. I've read an article about attrativeness and mating and how in this day and age of said equaltiy, men still prefer women to be 4" on average shorter. Tall women are considered less attractive for the average Joe. Subconsciously, do tall/er women give the impression of domination? Also, men prefer women who aren't careerists. Well, this one is obvious! Who else is going to stay at home and tend to the young? For women who are careerists, they end up marrying a man who doesn't mind helping a lot more around the house. Interpersonally, we make amends for our slight deviations from the ideal axes of femininity and masculinity. I generally tend to have a strong sense of what is feminine and masculine that coincides with societal views. Slight deviations for myself are fine with me. I don't think I am ultimately feminine, however, as I don't want marriage or children (neither am I lesbian/gay). It's just that a life of projects means much to me. I actually believe this is the goal of the individual. I care not for any evolutionary or biblical mandate to reproduce. If I don't reproduce or make myself available to men, does that make me unfeminine? I highly doubt it. It's a private matter and decision and it remains so in my daily life. Even if this fact were written on my forehead, I wouldn't feel any less feminine. What is imprinted in our genes and what we have embraced define us and complete our presentation. Having a child doesn't logically equate with womanhood. I don't really care for that term, "womanhood". This word is nice if you want womanhood---marriage and/or a child. It means little to me. I feel more pleasure in thinking about the meaning of these terms in my life---personhood, humanity, humanitarian, humanistic...These give me a holistic sense, a sort of detached sense of being real and human without the limited social use of femininity and masculinity for the purpose of facilitating mating.