Society in the biological sense of the word is divided into women and men. Gender characteristics consider signs by which people are credited with the norm of psychological habits or behavior of both sexes. Are masculinity and femininity really synonymous with the words “female” and “male”? And what are the characteristic differences?
Biological sex
People differ physiologically among themselves. Body features form traits, body structure and reproductive abilities. However, in the social world, it is customary for each child to attribute characteristic qualities that they expect to see in the norm of psychological behavior in the future. For example, some parents who hold conservative views on parenting want boys to be purposeful, courageous, and strong, and girls to be soft, kind, and polite. But masculinity and femininity are not just gender affiliation.
When mankind invented the alphabet, it referred the term “man” to all people who have a certain set of biological characteristics. Nature has created representatives of mankind with a different physiological structure. But, living in society, it is impossible to protect oneself from all attitudes. So the concept of masculinity and femininity arose, pointing to the prescribed social norms of behavior for men or women.
Social gender
Without professional surgical intervention, it is impossible to change the innate features. Despite the statement, individual character traits indicate that anyone has the right to identify himself as he considers correct.
Public attitudes defined categories of masculinity and femininity, but their changes were inevitable due to the passage of time. Prescriptions relevant in the last century are no longer unique because they do not take into account modern views. Gender gives an idea of the social field, determines the norm of behavior in society and how it is perceived.
It extends male and female to both groups, because qualities cannot be inherent only to certain representatives of the globe. So, femininity is not only the behavior of girls, but also applies to guys. However, social dogma actively promotes a framework in character, sharing features among themselves.
Historical formation: prerequisites
Evolution created two concepts, dividing the world into masculinity and femininity. The first concept was attributed to hunters, earners, succeeding in tasks. They were involved in the protection and collection of food in animal campaigns. Large, bold, purposeful - these qualities described men of the past. Some features were added to them, such as physical strength, tactical thinking and courage.
The female half of the population, in contrast, was engaged in household affairs, collecting herbs for cooking. Ancient people believed that the main instinct of man is reproduction, and therefore an alliance was created for the continuation of the genus. Often, leaders chose candidates whose beauty of the female body differed from the rest. Historically, girls were credited with tenderness due to the lack of pronounced physical strength, as well as love for children and housekeeping.
Stereotyping
The change of centuries has only strengthened falsely idealized images. The ideas that entered the culture are firmly settled, becoming a norm of behavior. Public perception of actions outside the framework leads to the fact that men are criticized for expressing emotions, and girls are criticized for not wanting to have children.
Man in the biological sense is a social animal. The cultural environment has formed in people's minds views on what kind of behavior is standard for an interlocutor of a certain gender. So, femininity in psychology is a character trait suitable for women. They are reflected in individual personal qualities that are instilled by parents from childhood.
Popular misconceptions
Cultural views on behavioral differences continue to grow in adulthood. The most common misconceptions about men:
- Cold-blooded, staunch and fearless.
- They have logical thinking and are practical.
- Pay attention to women, financially provide.
- They do not know how to cry and show warm emotions.
The female half of the population is not deprived of a range of stereotypes in modern society. So, the most popular of them were:
- Excessive emotionality, timidity, tearfulness.
- Irrationality, inability to cope with accurate calculations.
- Help men feel. They love children immensely.
- Romantic, airy and inspirational nature.
These prejudices put men and women on opposite sides and cause more negative than positive effect. Maintaining prejudice strengthens them, which emphasizes disrespect for both sexes.
Gender differences: is it relevant?
Faced with a situation where a person does not fit the framework of masculinity and femininity given, self-esteem of a person may be at risk. It should be understood that each individual is a set of traits and qualities that are not characteristic of the rest.
In the modern world it is not difficult to meet men who care for children, or women who are engaged in basic family income and career growth. Stereotypical views on norms have long been blurred, because femininity is just behavior that is enclosed in the framework of the perception of society. Cultural expectations arose naturally due to differences in size, physical strength and the division of labor between men and women.
Traditional roles have ceased to be relevant at present. The world is developing, allowing people to become free from prejudice. Nevertheless, humanity, clinging to a habit, has a need for established old roles, because it is afraid of instant changes.