Representing Femininity in Media
Representing Femininity in Media
Key Term: Femininity
Definition: Femininity refers to socially constructed norms that define attributes, behaviors, and roles typically associated with women.
Characteristics:
It is fluid and plural, suggesting that there is not a single way to experience or express femininity.
Better understood as 'femininities', allowing recognition of diverse experiences and expressions among different individuals.
Hegemonic Gender Order
Definition: Refers to the overarching gender hierarchy in society.
In this order, femininity is positioned relative to masculinity, where traditional masculine norms often dominate and shape perceptions of femininity.
Emphasized Femininity
Definition: A form of femininity that supports hegemonic masculinity.
Core Traits:
Compliance: Adhering to traditional roles and expectations.
Nurturance: Emphasizing caring and nurturing roles often stereotypically assigned to women.
Heterosexuality: Aligning femininity with heterosexual norms and dynamics.
Features of Emphasized Femininity
Emotional Labor: The management of emotions to fulfill the expectations of others, particularly in service professions.
Beauty Norms: Standards and expectations regarding physical appearance, often tied to societal ideals of beauty.
Consumer Culture: Reflects how femininity is often commodified within consumerist frameworks.
Non-Emphasized Femininities
Definition: Forms of femininity that do not support hegemonic masculinity but do not necessarily conflict with it either.
Characteristics:
Resistant: These forms offer alternative perspectives and challenge traditional norms.
Example: Furiosa from Mad Max, representing a non-traditional, resistant femininity.
Resistant Femininity
Definition: A type of femininity that actively challenges patriarchal structures.
Often manifests in political or activist forms, promoting social change and gender equality.
Example: June Osborne in The Handmaid's Tale
Representation: June serves as a character emblematic of resistant femininity within a dystopian context, highlighting struggles against patriarchal oppression.
Pariah Femininities
Definition: Femininities involving behaviors that society codes as masculine and are often stigmatized.
Features:
Traits such as assertiveness and sexual agency that run contrary to traditional feminine ideals.
Notable Work: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Recognition: This book has gained significant acclaim, with 32 million copies sold worldwide, illustrating its widespread impact on readers' perceptions of femininity and gender roles.
Professional Femininity
Characteristics:
Rationality and competence are emphasized in professional settings, often reflecting values associated with masculinity.
Emotional control is highlighted as a necessary trait for women in leadership or professional roles.
Feminine Apologetic
Definition: A compensatory form of femininity that seeks to balance traditionally masculine contexts, especially seen in sports and leadership roles.
Postfeminist Femininity
Characteristics:
Emphasizes choice and empowerment for women.
Self-surveillance as women monitor themselves and their adherence to societal expectations.
Intersectionality
Definition: The concept that race, class, and sexuality intersect to shape individual experiences of femininity.
Highlights the issue of unequal representation among different groups and how these dynamics affect the lived experiences of women.
Comparative Table
Lists and contrasts the various forms of femininity: Emphasized, Resistant, Pariah, Professional, and Apologetic.
Key Takeaways
Femininity is not monolithic; it is plural and encompasses various forms and expressions.
Emphasized femininity tends to support and reinforce existing gender hierarchies.
Alternative forms of femininity actively challenge established norms and contribute to ongoing dialogues about gender and identity.