Masculinity and femininity: destroying gender stereotypes

Are gender and human sex the same thing?

The topic of gender has become widespread thanks to gender studies, as well as feminist theories of social constructivism.

A number of authors have questioned the idea that the accepted differences between men and women were “programmed” by nature, and were not formed against the backdrop of social processes. That is, the concept of “gender” actually criticizes the theory of “biology as fate.” In this regard, gender equality is also considered, which suggests not dividing people by gender.

Gender was originally thought to represent a person's social sex. But today such a concept is outdated and now biological and social gender are considered as a general social construct. There are different definitions of gender that are found in postfeminism, gender sociology and many other areas.

But most often, gender is viewed as a series of human characteristics that are grouped by masculinity or femininity. There are many varieties of genders (about 50), so one person can have several genders at once, since these subtypes are very close.

Femininity is actually the level of manifestation of femininity, respectively, masculinity is masculinity. In the first case, we are talking about certain qualities that in psychology usually characterize women. For example, this could be appearance, manner of speaking, features of gait.

That is, femininity and masculinity are a complex of characteristics inherent in representatives of different sexes:

• behavioral;
• mental;
• physiological and others.

But a person has long been no longer considered by his gender or biological affiliation. A man can have manifestations of femininity, and a woman can have masculinity. Depending on which qualities predominate, gender is determined. This concept represents the role of man not only as a biological species, but also as a representative of society.

Accordingly, the concepts of “gender” and “sex” cannot in any way be perceived as synonyms. For convenience, you can use the outdated concept of gender and talk about it as a person’s social sex. On the one hand, it complements biological affiliation, on the other, it contradicts it. That is, gender is what social role a person takes on.

Genders in psychology

If a woman does a man's job and shows more masculinity, this does not mean that she is not a woman or wants to become a man. This determines its role in social life.

For example, in modern families, women often occupy the position of head of the family and do things that, according to their femininity, are not characteristic of them. It can also happen the other way around, when a man gives the dominant role to his partner, thereby showing femininity. But there is no relationship with a person’s gender.

In simple terms, gender is how a person expresses himself. It differs in the ratio of femininity and masculinity.

Public opinion

Different types and methods of self-identification based on a specific characteristic are not something that arose suddenly and appeared only yesterday.
History knows many examples of atypical gender behavior. Transgender, intersex, bisexual and other minorities have actually been around for a long time. This does not mean that the modern generation has crossed the line and is broadcasting perverted views, as some representatives of the older generation think - such people have always existed, they just never declared themselves publicly.

But in recent years everything has begun to change. The degree of freedom and openness is growing, and all gender diversity has decided to show the world that nature is not at all one-sided and that it is normal to be different.

Who knows, perhaps in a few years we will be able to live in a tolerant society, where each person will be assessed not by gender identity, sex, age and other criteria, but by his deeds and actions.

Read also:

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• We say “no” to intimacy: what are sex strikes

List of qualities that characterize a personality and relate it to a gender type

Genders (the types and descriptions of their features are extremely interesting, and today these concepts are emerging more and more often along with the development of technological progress) have several essential features:

• Social perception of personality. It is formed simultaneously with classical development according to gender.
• Social and psychological relations. It is how a person interacts with the people around him.
• Personal agreements. This concept characterizes how generally accepted stereotypes, which define men and women according to a standard set of traits and behavioral characteristics, are reflected on a person.
• Socio-psychological construct. It refers to the specificity of creating certain characteristics that are inherent in masculinity and femininity in society.

Gender is also formed on the basis of the socio-psychological characteristics of the individual depending on biological sex, culture, and the hierarchy of social relations between men and women in a particular country. A person must also be aware of whether he accepts his biological sex and its meaning.

There is no general theory that would describe the problems of gender differences and their characteristics. But there are methods for studying masculinity and femininity.

The most popular of them are the following methods:

• G. Gaymans.
• V. E. Kagan.
• S. Bama.

Each method describes different psychological gender characteristics.

Genders, types and descriptions of their characteristics are considered according to a simplified scheme of types, based on personality manifestations:

• Masculine type. When a person shows more masculinity and less femininity. This type was previously considered only characteristic of males. That is, we are talking about increased energy, insensitivity, ambition, love of freedom. It is more difficult for people belonging to this category to engage in work that does not coincide with established gender stereotypes. Masculine women have more willpower; they often compete with men and compete for their positions or roles in the social environment.

• The androgynous type is tall. Characterized by the same manifestation of masculinity and femininity. People of the androgynous type have high self-development, they are not so dependent on the opinions of society, they worry less and face stressful situations. Androgynous men are both sensitive and cold-blooded. They easily cope with the work of a children's doctor, teacher, hairdresser and other professions that, according to stereotypical models, are more suitable for women. Female representatives, in turn, are able to perfectly cope with tasks that were previously only possible for men. Such women show great flexibility and sociability. At the same time, they are less susceptible to emotions and show strictness.
• Low androgynous type. In this case, the personality is distinguished by equally low levels of femininity and masculinity. Such people often complain of a lack of vitality and are unable to cope well with almost any job.

Communication

Men pay attention to arguments. In communication, they are laconic and unemotional. Women tend to be distracted from the essence of the conversation, using emotions or intonation instead of arguments.

Men are prone to discussions and consideration of different positions. They do not perceive any difference of opinion as a quarrel. For women it’s the opposite. Because of this and the psychological tendency of men to weakly recognize intonations, women’s grievances often arise.

Classification of genders, distinctive features

Genders, types and descriptions of their characteristics have been and are being considered by specialists in various fields.

There are about 50 of their subtypes. They are mainly divided into 3 general groups depending on the personality model.

Bipolar

In this case, we are talking about a person who is distinguished by characteristics inherent in a particular gender. They are considered in the form of a scale with the values ​​“+” and “-”. According to this model, men show more signs of masculine identity, and women show femininity.

If a person has more pronounced femininity, then the value of masculinity automatically decreases, and vice versa. The study of the bipolar personality model is predominantly carried out by clinical psychologists.

It is also necessary to determine how much a person’s self-perception corresponds to his gender. According to Kagan, this determines how successfully a person will adapt to the social environment. This also takes a toll on mental health. This model of personality is the main one in the process of studying the psychology of gender when it comes to the norms of male and female expression.

Multipolar

This model of social gender goes beyond the usual canons of gender-specific behavior inherent in men and women. Gender ceases to be simply a list of male and female qualities, but is viewed as a more complex construct.

When defining a multipolar model, ideas about gender, interests and attitudes of so-called gender-role behavior, which are determined using the techniques of R. Costner, D. Spencer and other specialists, are also taken into account.

These are complex characteristics that are not directly correlated, but are inextricably linked. That is, a person may have certain behavioral attitudes, but exhibit gender characteristics of a completely different gender type.

Therefore, this model is considered comprehensively and allows the use of an expanded list of various manifestations of individuality. According to the multipolar model, the concepts of femininity and masculinity are laid down in a person’s subconscious from early childhood, but they change throughout life.

The formation of gender identity occurs against the background of the creation of other components of social identity. That is, profession, ethnicity, religion and many other factors affect.

Androgynous

This personality model is widely considered in the works of S. Bem and N.V. Dvoryanchikov. Androgyny is the optimal combination of male and female psychological characteristics. There is also the concept of androgyny, which is based on the reconciliation of the sexes, which excludes stereotypical understandings of masculinity and femininity as social beings.

That is, the androgynous model represents more personal manifestations, originality, individuality, originality, which can be equally characteristic of men and women.

Representatives of both sexes can be equally:

• ambitious;
• loyal;
• independent;
• gentle.

The personality in this case is formed during specific methods of education based on the position of the parents, who encourage the child and allow him to accept both models of behavior.

By object of attraction

Based on who a person is more attracted to, several of the most common personality types can be identified:

• Transgender. Transgender is a discrepancy between a person's biological sex and gender expression. That is, such people perceive themselves as individuals of the opposite sex and often try to achieve the “correct” match through surgical intervention.
• Heterosexual. The classic type of sexual desire, when a person accepts his biological sex and fully corresponds to it. Also in modern psychology, the term heterosexual is often replaced by cisgender. There are also cis men and cis women, that is, people of standard sexual orientation.
• Homosexual. A person is aware of his gender, but experiences attraction to representatives of the same sex rather than the opposite. Unlike transgender people, homosexuals do not try to outwardly match the other gender and do not feel like a woman in a man’s body or vice versa.

In the modern world, gender types are also usually divided depending on the object of sexual desire. In this regard, there are 3 subtypes of gender personality.

Genders are not yet divided into strict classifications, so the types and their descriptions may differ. Some concepts are quite vague, while others, on the contrary, are widely used in psychological practice.

Demisexuality is also a relatively new concept. This is a category of personality types that may include genderfluid people, non-binary transgender people, and some other types. Demisexuality means that a person is sexually attracted to someone of any gender with whom they have an emotional connection.

That is, a person pays attention primarily to the personal characteristics of a potential partner. At the same time, a demisexual may show signs of asexuality, that is, he rarely experiences sexual desire and may have only a few contacts of this kind throughout his life.

Pansexuals also do not consider their partner’s gender important and are guided solely by personal sympathy.

In the unapproved classification of gender manifestations, there are at least 24 variants with the prefix “-trans”, as well as many varieties of “-cis”. If earlier experts only considered hetero- and homo- or bi-sexuality, now these groups include a huge number of varieties of personality types, depending on who is attracted to.

The list of subtypes is constantly growing, since this issue began to be seriously addressed in the United States only in 2014, when the primary classification of genders was compiled. But it may vary depending on the state. Accordingly, each country may have its own specific definitions and types of genders.

What is gender identity

Gender identity is a person’s self-determination not only on the basis of biological, but also social sex. In studying this phenomenon, the greatest success was achieved by American specialists who developed a conditional classification called gender identity.

To determine the types of genders, experts used social networks, where in profile settings users were given the opportunity to choose not only their biological sex, but also independently determine their gender identity.

This option is available only to American users. They can choose from 54 main options. According to the first studies, it was possible to prove that in most cases gender identity is interconnected with biological sex.

So, let's try to summarize

Biological sex is the physical characteristics of a person that ensure procreation.

Gender identity is an internal feeling of gender: identifying oneself with a gender or a combination of them, or refusing to belong to a gender.

Sexual orientation is a vector for searching for a sexual partner or a justification for the lack of need for such a search.

Variability of gender identities and sexual orientations contributes to effective social adaptation of the individual. Much of what is acceptable today was previously almost unthinkable. Fortunately, social norms of time are flexible. The positive nature of these changes is undeniable. We can only watch with curiosity what awaits us tomorrow.

Sources:

1. Kon I.S. “Sex and gender. Notes on terms” // Andrology and genital surgery, No. 1-2, 2004.
2. Ryabov, O.V. “Mother Rus'”: Experience of gender analysis of the search for Russian national identity in domestic and Western historiosophy / O.V. Ryabov. – M.: Ladomir, 2001.
3. Krasova, E. Yu. Dictionary of gender terms / E. Yu. Krasova; edited by A.A. Denisova. – M.: Regional public organization “East-West: Women’s Innovation Projects”: Information XXI century, 2002.
4. Ilyin, E.P. Sex and gender / E.P. Ilyin. – St. Petersburg: Peter, 2010.
5. Kletsina, I.S. Integration of gender issues into the system of psychological knowledge / I.S. Kletsina // Sex and gender in the sciences of man and society; edited by V. Uspenskaya. – Tver: Feminist-press, 2005.

Gender studies and their scope

Genders, types and descriptions of types are considered by many specialists. For example, the American researcher M. Mead argues that in the modern world, women and men no longer fulfill roles that have been defined for centuries.

Diversity of genders is formed due to less need for differences between the sexes. If previously a man was focused on providing for the family, and a woman on household responsibilities and raising children, today partners often fulfill each other’s responsibilities.

According to Mead's research, men's basic skills have become increasingly redundant today as women increasingly take on men's responsibilities. But new role models are just beginning to form, which leads to conflict situations.

More and more often there are women of the masculine type who simultaneously play the roles of:

• breadwinner;
• mothers;
• father.

Female representatives more often suffer from heart diseases, ulcers and other pathologies that were previously diagnosed mainly in men.

Gender research was also conducted at the Nizhny Novgorod University. E.A. Andropova. Domestic experts began to consider the intergenerational transmission of culture in various families, taking into account the characteristics of the male and female lines.

For this purpose, structured interviews and surveys were used. Families of different generations took part in them. The subjects were asked to divide their lives into several stages and highlight the most significant goals in each of them. They also had to come up with a life motto that they would like to pass on to their children and grandchildren.

As a result, after a survey of the female line, it was possible to find out that representatives of the 3rd generation (high school students and students) are less focused on the stereotypical differences in the social status of men and women. They are less focused on the so-called fairy tale scenarios or mottos that are usually actually imposed by the older generation.

For example, women aged 54-89 years called fairy-tale characters (Cinderella, Sleeping Beauty, Vasilisa the Beautiful) their heroes.

The main motto of representatives of the older generation was “paradise with a sweetheart in a hut” or “a man is the head, and a woman is the neck” or “the main thing for a girl is to get married successfully.” The respondents, who were between 30 and 56 years old at the time of the study, also often used the mottos they heard from their mothers.

But representatives of the younger generation more often chose stronger and stronger-willed characters as heroines (Super Woman, Gerda). The main motto of the girls was “I am and I value myself”, “you should always achieve what you want and strive for perfection.” They also completely rejected the scripts of their grandmothers' legacy and deliberately chose other scripts for themselves.

Using this example, it was possible to assess the development trend of women in whom masculine qualities are increasingly predominant. They become more independent, self-reliant and active, self-oriented.

Many of the girls interviewed admitted that from early childhood they saw that more opportunities were opening up for men; they could choose the path of self-realization. The desire to be in demand has become a great motivator for young women to develop more masculinity, which has greatly expanded their opportunities.

The results were also obtained from studies of the male line. Unlike women, they are more willing to preserve traditions. For example, young guys have not forgiven the mottos of their parents and grandparents. They perceive the role of the hero or other stereotypes about men positively.

But the increased masculinity of young women creates stricter standards for men. Society perceives an independent woman more harmoniously than a feminine man who shows signs of helplessness and weakness. This leads to more discomfort and pressure for men who promote stereotypical values.

These are just a few examples of gender studies, which today have become an official interdisciplinary scientific field. Experts examine sexuality in history, geography, literature, sociology and dozens of other areas.

Gender is also seen as a kind of intersection:

• ethnic background;
• race;
• nationality.

Research of this type increasingly intersects with conflict theory, as the redistribution of masculinity and femininity often becomes the cause of a struggle for social power. Accordingly, men and women now equally lay claim to status and resources.

Genders, types and descriptions of their characteristics began to be superficially studied by domestic specialists since the time of Perestroika. They mainly relied on the varieties that were proposed by Western feminist theories.

This made it possible to determine the political orientation of citizens and assume that very serious changes in the social order will occur in the future.

Will genders replace sexuality?

Since biological sex and social sex are different, it is too early to talk about a complete replacement. The biological sex of a child can be determined immediately after his birth, but it is impossible to name his social sex, which will only be formed during life.

However, when we are talking about adults who are psychologically and biologically fully formed, it can be assumed that in the future people will not be divided simply into men and women, but more expanded classifications will be officially allowed.

But, again, it is impossible to replace sex with gender, since in the first case we are talking about a biological fact that can only be changed surgically, and in the second it is about human self-determination.

Genders are already divided into numerous types. Such descriptions are constantly being updated. These are social transformations that have just begun. Society partially accepts them, but on the part of males there is a greater desire to consolidate stereotypical positions.

Society is in the midst of a restructuring of values, which, according to research, has more positive than negative effects.