Performing Femininity
Jun. 7th, 2011 01:20 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
apple_pathways(Disclaimer: Dudes, I want your opinions, too. I know there's, like: two of you who read my journal regularly. But don't feel left out if it seems I'm only talking to the ladies!)
The subject has come up elsewhere, and it's been on my mind recently: what is femininity? Is it the traditional, stereotypical traits that have historically been prized in women? (And in whose history?) Has the definition evolved significantly over time, or are we still stuck in an antiquated frame of mind? Which qualities are absolutely necessary in order to be considered feminine, and which are optional?
Are you offended when certain traits, interests, or qualities are described as masculine or feminine? As for myself, whenever I've taken any sort of "Male or Female" brain test, I've always skewed slightly toward the masculine side of the scale. (Including when I took such a test in college as a research participant for credit in my psychology class.) It does bother me when people say I "think like a guy", but I do realize that when it comes to science, they're speaking about statistical norms, which I'm cool with, because I like math. :P (Even though, as a child, I got much more attention for my writing abilities than I did my mathematical skill.)
(If anyone else is interested in taking a test based on "male vs. female" brain science, here's a really good one from the BBC. Save it for when you have some time, though, as there are multiple parts. Though I do believe you can save each section as you finish.)
[Poll #1749763]
Also, I'd like to know: how well do you fit into (what you perceive to be) your culture's definition of 'masculine' or 'feminine'? What do you think of others who are unable to adhere to your culture's rules? How many of the differences between men and women come from biology, and how many are culturally constructed?
I'll provide my own responses once I've had some sleep!
The subject has come up elsewhere, and it's been on my mind recently: what is femininity? Is it the traditional, stereotypical traits that have historically been prized in women? (And in whose history?) Has the definition evolved significantly over time, or are we still stuck in an antiquated frame of mind? Which qualities are absolutely necessary in order to be considered feminine, and which are optional?
Are you offended when certain traits, interests, or qualities are described as masculine or feminine? As for myself, whenever I've taken any sort of "Male or Female" brain test, I've always skewed slightly toward the masculine side of the scale. (Including when I took such a test in college as a research participant for credit in my psychology class.) It does bother me when people say I "think like a guy", but I do realize that when it comes to science, they're speaking about statistical norms, which I'm cool with, because I like math. :P (Even though, as a child, I got much more attention for my writing abilities than I did my mathematical skill.)
(If anyone else is interested in taking a test based on "male vs. female" brain science, here's a really good one from the BBC. Save it for when you have some time, though, as there are multiple parts. Though I do believe you can save each section as you finish.)
[Poll #1749763]
Also, I'd like to know: how well do you fit into (what you perceive to be) your culture's definition of 'masculine' or 'feminine'? What do you think of others who are unable to adhere to your culture's rules? How many of the differences between men and women come from biology, and how many are culturally constructed?
I'll provide my own responses once I've had some sleep!
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 01:33 pm (UTC)Angles, 15/20, equally male/female
Spot the difference, 64%, balanced male/female brain (2% off more female)
I'm right-brain dominant
Empathising - more female (higher score)
Systemising - exactly half-way between the male and female score
Eyes - 9/10 - very good at reading emotions (average is 6.6)
Finger ratio - .96, which is lower than the average for men
Faces - I prefer more masculine faces (I knew this!)
Words - my score was 25! I would hope so for a writer (average for females was 12).
So, I mostly tilt to a female brain, but intellectually, I'm neutral. I think that's really true of me. I was a good all-rounder at school - loved science and was good at it, but also verbose and creative. I wonder how much of this is nurture, as well as nature. I was encouraged as a child to be good at 'boy' things as well as 'girl' things, and enjoyed both equally. You'll see it in the way I dress, too. Typical winter fare is big boy boots, low-slung looser jeans, with a pretty top and bright lipstick.
I'm impressed with the test - it really works.
no subject
Date: 2011-06-07 03:51 pm (UTC)I'd have to take the test again to remember exactly how I scored in each area, but I can only imagine I'd be skewing even further to the male side, since I tutor math as a profession now and will only have increased my scores in some of the mathematical/spatial reasoning areas. (This is one of the problems I have with IQ tests now--I spend my days doing math and teaching kids to recognize patterns, so I tend to know those questions out of the park, whereas I might not do some well if I weren't practicing on a daily basis. These are unofficial IQ tests, of course.)