Masculinity and Femininity in Human Culture - Essay Example

YM Leyson For: Unidentified Masculinity and Femininity 6 April, 2006 Out of the recognition that women lacked the opportunity and power otherwise enjoyed by men, the feminist movement saw its rebirth some 30 years ago. In the process the traditional roles of men, to some extent saw substantial alterations as well. Male bonding retreats and books on male psychology cramped book stalls with men started claiming that women's criticism of their shortcomings as husbands, fathers and lovers started the confusion over what it means to be the man of today. It is quite fashionable to describe the feminine and masculine principles on separate ends of the continuum and to suggest to extreme differences exist in some people like yin and yang; soft and hard, etc. The basic distinction for some would identify the masculine principle as a driving force designed at straightforward success while the feminine principle designed to inspire the need for protection, the appeal of flexibility and dependence while giving the masculine principle its romantic Don Quixote ovation. In essence femininity pleases man because it creates a stark contrast and paints them as the ultimate power and competence. On the other hand to paint masculinity is to paint man as "success objects". He is perceived to be the 100 percent red-blooded certifiably male and a lot of expectation are being showered upon him. Unfortunately the men never realize that like women, they come in a variety of types-and that there is never an ultimate need to outdo one another for every person's ability depends on his capacity to recognized his role to himself, to the family and to the society in general. In Miller (1988)1 Willy told Linda that "In the greatest country in the world, a young man with such-personal attractiveness gets lost". His belief dwells on the idea that success means "being well-liked". He has been led to believe by the society he lives in that men are success objects. Failure is not treated as acceptable among males. Anxiety therefore created his negative behavior and responses further admitted when Willy recalls admitting to his older brother Ben that he feels "kind of temporary about"2 himself. To analyze, man can probably never vocally complain about being a "success object" and be valued for the money that he earns. Family responsibilities have depended on him to fulfill a certain role of strength that he simply forgets that his masculinity has sunk to its lowest when the realization of his dreams became mere figments of his imagination. According to Ladd in Roscoe(30)3 "Men are responsible for the universe. Women are responsible for the family and the tribe." Such belief evolved from the sterner and conservative society who has not recognize the understanding that man has a complex nature as Ladd further added, "These roles were distinct but complementary; both were essential to the welfare of society as a whole". Structural straining is encouraged in a fast-paced society to mobilize the genders to achieve and attain certain degree of success in his social strata. Such viewpoint heavily suggests that failure have only them to blame. Recent development in the social structure of the masculinity has been greatly affected by the influence and re-emergence of the "third sex" or the gay community. Genetics appropriately claimed that association between directly inherited traits of behavioral patterns provides the analogy for the possible meaning of homosexuality whereby the association between the two ends. It may be difficult to explain how the environment and society contributes to homosexuality or androgyny in males however Chauncey added that "The determining criterion in labeling a man as "straight" (their term) or "queer" was not the extent of his homosexual activity, but rather the gender role he assumed."4 Across the developmental stage of man, we encounter the emergence of the Elektra and oedipal complex right after the child passes the toddler stage. Parental attachment and other inter-familial relationships sought to encourage behavior that is conditionally accepted in the family and the society as a whole. We begin to examine the Native Americans who were portrayed as warriors and fighters of the pre-20th century and discover certain societal encouragement on gender deviations. In Roscoe's Zunni Man-Woman, effeminates, transvestites and hermaphrodites termed as "berdaches" enjoyed a social identification. "Berdaches enjoyed a certain place in the community, the support of their families, appropriate education and training, adult role models, mythological precedents, and the possibility of achieving prestige and respect"5. Even in death identities are supposedly maintained but the depiction noted in We-Wha's death revealed that "a pair of white cotton trousers were drawn over the legs, the first male attire she had worn since she had adopted woman's dress years ago"6, a fascinating question of how she is laid to rest thereby explaining the acceptance that there are only two acceptable genders. In 1948 a sexual desegregation of the military resulted to outcries of sexual discrimination after it "brought so many groups of people-working class and middle class gay and straight identified enlisted men, middle class naval officers, ministers, and town officials-into conflict, it revealed how differently those groups interpreted sexuality."7 Such fears were raised as moral problems similar to the issues raised today. For the most part, integration of the armed forces was successful. Ultra strong men however questioned their presence in relation to moral values of discipline in the military. In a separate study of twentieth centry New York City Chauncey discovered that boys were involved in at least 40 per cent of all homosexual' offences prosecuted each year which according to him justifies " an intriguing discussion of wolves' and punks,' an erotic system of intergenerational sex common among seamen, prisoners, and hoboes"8. Fear of stereotyping probably initiated the complaints but the substantial mismatch cannot explain the likelihood of other men developing the same behavioral deviation. Psychotherapeutic studies relate association with gender deviations as far back as childhood for a person to develop a certain homosexuality. For women, in the effort to achieve a degree of recognition equivalent to the male specie are often questioned on feminism with issues relating to the "loss of one's total femininity". In essence, it is a romantic sentiment nostalgic of pre-women's liberation era when men were coined as submissive creatures. To counter the questions, many responded by "reveling in rebellion, became members of Heterodoxy-a New York feminist group-being specifically required to "not be orthodox" in their opinions"9 to attain complete individual freedom. Social attitudes towards homosexuality ultimately played a certain role that men and women will adopt as an inborn and unchangeable perspective. The likelihood of rejection, ridicule and punitive measures on him as a person will just as likely drive him into the position. If he maintains his desire for a family life, he may continue to struggle against his second nature depending on whom he meets or a manifestation of non-compliance similar to Biff in the Death of a Salesman. When Freud related the "concepts of the masculine and feminine as ambiguous to ordinary people", new science could not properly explain the tangible questions of equating genetics and heredity in relation to the biological make-up of men and women; as pointed by some believers in the causes of homosexuality. No dimension of behavior is genetically influenced though a certain study relating twin brothers into homosexuality revealed support for the claim that homosexuality is genetically linked in contrast to a study also cited beforehand. At least it was noted that 50% is accountable for determining gay outcomes in children and integrates into the genetic role that support Duberman, et al's assumption that "sexual identities are a function of representations.10 The idea for most people that homosexual practice is at best a disorder and a sin that no amount of cultural conditioning can compensate seeks to question the blame on society and culture as hefty factors that contribute to such behavior. Several year ago, most logical communities shunned gays and lesbians, considered the behavior as a dysphoria. Yet , the 21st century has seen a substantial rise of gay men openly coming out to be recognized. Other studies have related the possible connections as evidence of unusual anxiety responses are also associated with an increased tendency toward homosexuality. The fact that multiple genes and environmental factors interact with each other in differing ways over time adds further to confusion. Biological traits, (in Duberman)11 are affected by multiple genes which are inherited depending on how many or which gene is superiorly passed on. Science may explain this phenomenon of genetic predisposition of psychiatric tendencies if one were to treat homosexuality as a "disease" and to study its actual causative factor. When Freud related the "concepts of the masculine and feminine as ambiguous to ordinary people", science attempted to measure femininity and masculinity as a trait congruent to intelligence. The study later resulted to construe masculinity and Femininity to be two separate personality traits. More recently M-F is attributed to be in the mind of the perceiver than they are an essential individual trait. It is neither random nor meaningless. Several factors are integrated to create an individual. We cannot therefore claim that genetics played the major role of the environment contributed in one's deviation or "normal" behavior. In a sense, homosexuality is as normal as masculinity and femininity and the perception and belief of such is greatly affected by the extrinsic factor like: culture, economic status; social integration along with the intrinsic factors of heredity, physical and psychological experience throughout a person's lifetime which is seemingly more prone to diverse opinions and experience during childhood as the early formative years. Works Cited Miller, Arthur. (1998) Death of a Salesman. USA: Penguin. Roscoe, Will, in Ladd, Edmund(1999). The Zuni Man-Woman In Life. New Mexico: University Press. Chauncey, Jr. George.( 1985 ), "Christian Brotherhood or Sexual Perversion: Homosexual Identities and the Construct of Sexual Boundaries in WWI Era," Journal of Social History 19: 189-211. Banner, Lois W. (1984). "Women of Modern America , 4th ed." USA: Muze Inc. Duberman, Martin, Vicinus, Martha and Chauncey, George Jr. (19) Hidden from History: Reclaiming the Gay and Lesbian Past. New York: Meridian. Roscoe, Will, (1998). "The Zuni Man-Woman." [www. questia. online]. http://www.questia.com/PM.qsta=o&d=3029055 06 April, 2006. Read More