gender identity Flashcards
Identify one sociologist in relation to gender identities and what they say
Connell argues
there are two types of dominant gender identities
a) Hegemonic masculinity
b)Emphasized femininity
What are hegemonic masculinities
the traditional form of masculinity and is based on physical and mental characteristics. men are encouraged to adopt a particular body shape that emphasises physical strength and mental characteristics e.g ideas about men being leaders , unemotional , providers etc
what is Emphasised femininity
Female identities were traditionally defined by how they could accommodate the interests and needs of men
They are passive , caring , emotional , submissive
Kitchen (2006) calls this a Complicity femininity because it is defined by male needs and desires
what are subordinate male identities
they are seen as lesser forms of masculinity
- these are men who feel they should be hegemonic but are unable to display/achieve this because of disabilities.
what are subversive masculinities
an alternative masculinity that challenges and undermines hegemonic masculinity e.g a serious student who works hard at school unlike the hegemonic male who wouldn’t
what are complicit masculinities
newly feminised masculinities e.g ‘the new man’ men who are feminised and believe in equality , do housework and take care of children
what are marginalised masculinity
men who have been unemployed for a long period of time and cannot provide for their family like hegemonic men. they feel as though they have been pushed to the margins
what are contingent femininities
identities that are framed and shaped by male beliefs , behaviours and demands . just like Emphasised femininities
Assertive feminine identities
the changing position of women in many societies. they involve women breaking free from traditional ideas about femininity without completely setting themselves apart from men
e.g ‘girl power’ -> they view sex as fun and the importance of female friendships
modernised femininities
they relate to an older age group , these locate new found economic and cultural power within family relationships.
e.g ageing femininities which assert the right of elderly women to be fashionable , active and sexual beings
autonomous identities
they involve competition with men of female terms. they are the opposite of contingent femininities
What are the alternative masculinities according to Schauer (2004) (apart from hegemonic masculinity)
1) Subordinate masculinities
2) Subversive masculinities
3) Complicit masculinities
