Lecture Notes: Masculinity and Femininity in Society

Key Concepts:

• Masculine vs Feminine:
  • Not synonymous with male and female.
  • Derived from Latin words meaning "manlike" and "womanlike."
  • Men can be feminine; women can be masculine.

Historical Studies:

• Analysis in anthropology since the 1930s.
• Margaret Mead: Significant figure in studying gender roles.

Definitions:

• Masculinity:
  • Societies with distinct emotional gender roles.
  • Boys: Assertive, tough, focused on material success.
  • Girls: Focused on quality of life.
• Femininity:
  • Societies with less distinct or blurred gender roles.
  • Men can be modest, tender, focus on quality of life.

Societal Characteristics:

• Feminine Societies:
  • Balance family and work.
  • Both parents deal with facts and feelings.
  • Sympathetic to the weak.
  • Religion focuses on fellow human beings.
  • Sex is a means of relating.
• Masculine Societies:
  • Work prevails over family.
  • Fathers deal with facts, mothers with feelings.
  • Admire strength.
  • Religion focuses on a powerful God.
  • Sex is a performance.

Measurement:

• Masculinity Index (MAS):
  • Scale from 0 (most feminine) to 100 (most masculine).
  • Examples: Japan (high masculinity), Nordic countries (feminine).

Correlations with Societal Facts:

• Literacy and Poverty:
  • Higher functional illiteracy and poverty in masculine societies.
  • Feminine societies spend more on aid to poor countries.
• Marketing and Shopping:
  • Advertisements targeted at women in masculine societies.
  • Both genders shop in feminine societies.
• Work and Leisure:
  • Salary prioritized over leisure in masculine societies.
  • Longer vacations in feminine societies.
• Social Media Use:
  • Fact-gathering in masculine societies.
  • Rapport building in feminine societies.

Cultural Stability:

• Masculinity and femininity are stable over time.
• Role modeling in families influences societal norms.
• Historical perspectives: Britain (masculine) vs. Netherlands (feminine).

Challenges in Measurement:

• Difficulties in measuring the dimension due to cultural taboos.
• In the USA, femininity is a taboo topic.

Conclusion:

• Despite lack of comprehensive data, masculinity and femininity are considered stable societal dimensions.