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Femininity as a social construct relies on a binary gender system that treats men and masculinity as different from, and opposite to, women and femininity. [8] In patriarchal societies, including Western ones, conventional attitudes to femininity contribute to the subordination of women, as women are seen as more compliant, vulnerable, and less ...
Effeminacy or male femininity [1] [2] is the embodiment of feminine traits in boys or men, particularly those considered untypical of men or masculinity. [3] These traits include roles , stereotypes , behaviors, and appearances that are socially associated with girls and women .
Gender expression, or gender presentation, is a person's behavior, mannerisms, and appearance that are socially associated with gender, namely femininity or masculinity. [1] Gender expression can also be defined as the external manifestation of one's gender identity through behavior, clothing, hairstyles, voice, or body characteristics.
Gender is used as a means of describing the distinction between the biological sex and socialized aspects of femininity and masculinity. [9] According to West and Zimmerman, gender is not a personal trait; it is "an emergent feature of social situations: both as an outcome of and a rationale for various social arrangements, and as a means of legitimating one of the most fundamental divisions ...
[71] [70] [72] It is distinct from the definition of the biological female sex, [73] [74] as both men and women can exhibit feminine traits. Most women are cisgender, meaning their female sex assignment at birth corresponds with their female gender identity. Some women are transgender, meaning they were assigned male at birth. [6]
Women who adopt these characteristics may be more successful, but also more disliked due to not conforming with expected feminine stereotypes. [101] According to a study in the UK, women with stereotypically masculine personality traits are more likely to gain access to high-paying occupations than women with feminine personality traits. [102]
The Grimms didn't just shy away from the feminine details of sex, their telling of the stories repeatedly highlight violent acts against women. Women die in child birth again and again in Grimms' tales — in "Snow White," "Cinderella," and "Rapunzel" — having served their societal duties by producing a beautiful daughter to replace her.
Women are viewed as less competent when they showcase "non-feminine" traits and are not taken seriously. These women don't brag about their accomplishments and feel guilty for being able to go beyond stereotypes of feminine emotion and thought in order to become masculine in their jobs, just to be successful or try to be equal to men.