FEMININITY

'Femininity' refers to qualities and behaviors judged by a particular culture to be ideally associated with or especially appropriate to women and girls. Distinct from femaleness, which is a biological and physiological classification concerned with the reproductive system, femininity principally refers to socially acquired traits and secondary sex characteristics. In Western culture femininity has traditionally included features such as gentleness, patience and kindness.^[1][2]

Contents

Feminine attributes

Feminine physical attributes

Femininity in men

Notes

Feminine attributes

To categorize human characteristics and behaviors into "feminine" or "masculine" is to rely on the current dominant culture of any society, as well as to rely on the essentialist notions of the binary woman/man. Traits that are traditionally considered feminine may be categorized into biologically-based physical differences (such as narrower faces and shoulders, larger breasts, wider hips in relation to body size, less body hair, warmer skin, larger amounts of body fat, longer legs, shorter waists, better sense of smell, etc.); psychological and behavioral differences (such as a concern for relationships, empathy, sympathy, better verbal skills), which result from an interaction between biology and social environment; and purely social differences (such as ornamentation of home and person; career choices, and leisure pursuits).

Feminine physical attributes

Research has shown that most heterosexual men are aroused by child-like smooth skin, big eyes, small noses and chins, though there are cultural differences in those preferences.^[3] Another found that a 0.7 waist-hip ratio arouses some heterosexual men. These studies have led the media to speculate that these are evolutionary indicators of feminine fertility. Long eyelashes or high-pitched voices may also be considered feminine by many heterosexual men in the West.^[4][5]
Women sometimes go to extremes to meet such exacting cultural dictates of what is considered attractive. For centuries in China, foot binding produced unnaturally small and deformed feet, where toes often rotted due to lack of circulation. In the early twentieth-century United States and Europe, women wore corsets that restricted their movement and caused a variety of health problems, including shortness of breath, atrophied back muscles and difficulty in labor. Modern women often wear high-heeled shoes that can cause the bones of the feet to become deformed. Many women in the West also restrict their food intake in an effort to achieve what they consider an attractively thin body, which in extreme cases can lead to eating disorders.
In parts of Africa and Asia, neck rings still signify femininity, sometimes leaving their wearers crippled and dependent on their husbands. In the modern United States, film, television, newspapers and magazines promote dieting, clothing, makeup and hair products, as well as cosmetic surgery^{[6] [7] [8]} and drugs^{[9] [10] [11]} as ways to achieve feminine beauty.
Many people criticize the fashion and entertainment industries for promoting underweight ^{[12] [13]} and arguably unhealthy ideals of feminine beauty.

Femininity in men

Main articles: Effeminacy

Femininity in men, as masculinity in women, is often considered to be negative due to its contradiction of traditional roles. However, this varies by location and culture. Certain traits and behaviors, such as wearing make up and elaborate hair grooming, may be seen by some as feminine. A common stereotype of homosexual men is that they are effeminate, with exaggerated feminine traits. In reality, gay men, like all men, range from very feminine to very masculine. Drag culture, often associated with homosexuality, makes a virtue of male femininity.

Notes

1. Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, 1996, p. 708.
2. http://www4.ncsu.edu/~ajrespet/Natural%20Science%20Genes.htm
3. http://www.andrew.cmu.edu/user/lkellner/Research%20Methods/Cross-Cultural%20Perception%20of%20Attractiveness.pdf
4. http://www.uiowa.edu/~shcvoice/textonly.html
5. http://wasser.sitewizard.biz/thequestforperfecteyelashes_.html
6. http://www.beautynet.com/ViewStories.html?Id=665&catagory=Spa%20and%20Health&rec=8
7. http://cbs13.com/health/local_story_085193634.html
8. http://sheknows.com/about/look/7949.htm
9. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16397237/
10. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?sec=health&res=9C00E4DE153AF936A25751C1A9649C8B63
11. http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2002/06/06/earlyshow/contributors/tracysmith/main511360.shtml
12. http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/story?id=2450069&page=1
13. http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/5341202.stm