What is the difference between masculinity and femininity

However, social construction and indeed, deconstruction, is contingent upon the participation of relevant stakeholders. The supportive involvement of all those affected by gender is required to effect gender equality. In other words, the global community as a whole. These attitudes present a considerable hurdle in reaching gender equality, as they are taught to children and carried on through the generations. One of the major principles of traditional masculinity that harms gender equality is that women are fundamentally inferior to men.

This view can be traced back to the Greek philosopher Aristotle, who based this claim on the principles of reason. Due to the fact that traditional masculinity discourages the expression of emotion, men rarely discuss their feelings. Evidence of this is presented in the positive relationship between traditional masculinity and depression among male university students in the UK and United States.

Hanninen and Valkonen argue that the principles of masculinity inhibit the expression of weakness or emotional distress and the seeking of help to remedy it. In other words, traditional masculinity is not equipped to respond to challenges that threaten its integrity, such as depression perceived as emotional weakness and gender equality.

Changing or altering traditional masculinity should be more widely recognised as an important step towards realising gender equality. In light of this, some gender equality advocate groups around the world have identified the need to promote masculinities that are more conducive of change.

MenEngage is a group for boys and men whose primary function is to advocate for equality between males and females. Those who acknowledge the existence of gender equality, and seek to address it, agree that equality cannot progress without the contribution of males.

By encouraging males to become more open and discuss their masculinities, it is possible to educate them on how their social roles and responsibilities impact women. Developing male attitudes towards open acknowledgement of the gender profiles they operate within is an important step in reaching gender equality.

These similarities included: having a peer-group or group of friends that were more accepting of gender-equitable attitudes; having personally suffered the negative impacts of traditional masculinity such as domestic violence; and, having a positive adult role model that represented an alternative to traditional gender roles. Furthermore, this suggests that gender equality is achievable through the deconstruction of traditional masculinity as the hegemonic masculinity.

Male stereotypes affect the manner in which males engage with gender equality, and traditional masculinity acts as the dominant masculinity for men. Although different masculinities exist for men, the idea of traditional masculinity remains the most influential. Realising gender equality is difficult, because the fundamental characteristics exhibited by traditional masculinity defend against change. For global gender equality to progress, males must recognise themselves as fundamental actors and actively work to change the patriarchal structures, which benefit them to the exclusion of all others.

Without the supportive contribution of males, gender equality is doomed to perpetuate existing power imbalances that favour traditional masculinity. To progress towards gender equality, efforts must be made to deconstruct traditional masculinity. Connell, Masculinities , 2 nd ed. Hughs and P. Zimmerman and C. Aronson and M. Kimmel eds. New York: Oxford University Press, , p.

Peterson and A. Moir and D. Jessel, Brain Sex: the real difference between men and women London: Mandarin, , p. Halpern, Sex Differences in Cognitive Abilities, 4 th ed. New York: Psychology Press, , pp. What is Gendered Innovations? Femininities and masculinities are not descriptors of sexual orientation.

What gets defined as feminine or masculine differs by region, religion, class, national culture, and other social factors. How femininities and masculinities are valued differs culturally. We all know that facial hair, a muscular body and difference in voice quality from females are masculine traits while a curvy and fuller body, a slender and delicate silhouette, and the ability to give birth to babies are feminine traits.

Females are also labeled as the fairer sex and are considered superior to men folks as far as their resilience, sensitivity , warmth, and patience is concerned. However, despite obvious and seemingly stark differences, there is this underlying fact that both males and females belong to the same species. It is not the biological difference that leads to an understanding of what is masculine and what is feminine. On the contrary, it is the gendered construction that leads to an identification of individuals as masculine or feminine.

Let us, however, continue to highlight the difference between masculine and feminine in this article. The term masculine is often associated with having manly qualities. For example, competitiveness is one quality that has predominantly been considered as masculine. Respondents indicate how much each adjective is self-descriptive. Based on these responses, people may be classified as feminine high femininity, low masculinity , masculine low femininity, high masculinity , androgynous high femininity, high masculinity , or undifferentiated low femininity, low masculinity.

Scale items for this measure were developed in ways similar to the development of the BSRI. The scale consists of 16 socially desirable items designed to measure instrumental traits e. Sex-typed individuals i. Strong gender schemas develop through strong identification with gender roles, in turn leading to attitudes and behaviors consistent with gender role expectations.

Thus, masculinity and femininity scores on the BSRI reflect a tendency to conceptualize the world in terms of male and female.