Differences Between Masculinity And Femininity

1. Masculinity and femininity are concepts that are difficult to define. One problem is trying to keep them separate from the concepts of male and female, which is not easy. The lines between these concepts is blurred for many of us, because we are raised associating femininity with females and masculinity with males. Femininity and masculinity are in many ways societal constructs and many of us will find that we define them the way that society would. When I think of the concept of masculinity some of the properties that come to mind are strength, aggressive, assertive, athletic, and nonverbal. Some of the properties of femininity are emotional, soft, caring, empathetic, and verbal. These are properties that came to mind automatically, without much consideration or thought. They are the properties that I was taught to use when defining femininity and masculinity.

However, when looking at these words they are not things that I necessarily would use to define

My parents did not raise my brother and I to behave in a certain way based on our biological sex. I played with dolls, like many girls do, but I also played with toy trucks. I loved playing in the dirt and was impossible to keep clean, while my brother hated getting dirty. We both learned to cook and do laundry and we also both learned how to use tools. These experiences have a very big effect on my perception and make me view the concepts very differently than a person that was raised with traditional gender roles. I also cannot tell you what the requirements of masculinity and femininity are, but I can for male and female. While there are certain traits that I may consider to be more feminine or more masculine, but they are not actual requirements of either concept. A car must have doors, but something or someone does not have to have strength or body hair to be