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At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2001

The riddle of femininity: the interplay of primary femininity and the castration complex in analytic listening.

This study elucidates the application of an analytic attitude to questions of gender and sexuality. The paper reports on a study group's exploration of the relative heuristic use of two important organising concepts in analytic work with female analysands: primary feminity and the phallic castration complex. A tendency to cling to one position over the other skews analytic listening. Two cases are presented of women struggling to consolidate positive feminine identifications and, to that end, working through conflicting feminine identifications and defences against a resolution of the awareness of gender differences. Analytic listening requires a view of each psychic construction as a layer to be understood in its own right yet as a cloak soon to reveal the next layer--a different construction. The study includes observations on perverse fantasies in women.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

[Tainted femininity--traces of traditional menstruation myths in product advertising of feminine hygiene products].

OBJECTIVE: Does the portrayal of menstruation in menstrual product advertisements reflect cultural myths about menstruation? METHODS: We analyse the reception of menstruation in contemporary and historical menstruation product advertisements. RESULTS: In menstrual product advertisements, menstruation is depicted as an unclean attribute, discrediting an ideal femininity and creating the need to conceal it. CONCLUSION: This tendency to taboo menstruation in menstrual product advertising contributes--by conveying a negative definition of femaleness--to a negative self-perception, particularly in young women.

Advertising↗
PubMed1989

Masculinity, femininity, and multiple regression: comment on Zeldow, Daugherty, and Clark's "Masculinity, Femininity, and Psychosocial Adjustment in Medical Students: A 2-Year Follow-Up".

Inappropriate applications and interpretations of multiple regression analyses by Zeldow and his associated (Zeldow, Clark, & Daugherty, 1985; Zeldow, Daugherty, & Clark, 1987) are discussed as are several general interpretive and statistical issues. To perform and interpret multiple regressions, several characteristics of this statistical approach must be taken into account. Of critical importance is the order in which variables are entered, the choice of regression approaches, the direction of an effect upon entering the model, and the manner in which the interpretation of interaction effects varies as a function of the presence or absence of main effects. Because Zeldow et al. (1985, 1987) did not consider these factors, their regression analyses were not run as stated and are difficult to interpret. Five hypothetical outcomes in androgyny research and an example involving actual data are presented.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed1984

Gender identity and its implications for the concepts of masculinity and femininity.

In this chapter, I have suggested that although the terms masculine and feminine and masculinity and femininity have rarely been defined, they appear to have two types of meaning both for psychologists and for the community at large. First, masculine and feminine have an empirical meaning, being used as labels to identify specific objects, events, or qualities that in a given culture are perceived as more closely associated with males or with females. Second, these adjectives and, even more exclusively the nouns masculinity and femininity, are used as theoretical constructs that refer to a fundamental property or aspect of the individual's self-concept that is not directly observable. Masculinity and femininity in this second sense are conceived as bipolar opposites, almost all men having a firm sense of their psychological masculinity and almost all women having a similar sense of their femininity. The implicit assumptions on which conventional theories of masculinity-femininity are predicated imply that all gender-related phenomena contribute to a bipolar femininity-masculinity factor so that assessment of an individual's masculine and feminine qualities (in the empirical sense of these terms) can be used to infer his or her position on the hypothetical masculinity-femininity continuum. Constructs such as sex-role identification and sex-role orientation are based on the same assumptions. More recently it as been proposed that masculine and feminine qualities and their accompanying self-images of masculinity and femininity constitute instead two separate, statistically independent dimensions. However, most investigators nominally advancing this two-factor model and tying the measurement of masculinity and femininity to instruments containing separate scales of masculine and feminine attributes have in fact employed unidimensional bipolar models, based on such concepts as sex-role identification, sex typing, or gender schema. The empirical data, however, support neither the one-factor nor the two-factor model of gender-differentiating phenomena, suggesting instead that they are multidimensional. To the extent that the concepts of masculinity-femininity (and other similar unidimensional constructs) or of masculinity and femininity are intended to represent the structure of gender-relevant characteristics, these constructs lack validity. I proposed, however, that masculinity and femininity, as they refer to an individual's self-concept, be retained and reconceptualized as gender identity: a basic phenomenological sense of one's maleness or femaleness that parallels awareness and acceptance of one's biological sex and is established early in life.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)

Assertiveness↗
PubMed2007

Black and White women's perspectives on femininity.

The authors explore how Black and White women view three aspects of normative femininity, and whether self-rated femininity is related to feminism. Through telephone surveys, a nationally representative sample of women (N=1130) rated themselves on feminism and items derived from Collins' (2004) benchmarks of femininity: feminine appearance, traits, and traditional gender role ideology. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed both groups conceptualized femininity as including the same dimensions, although Black women rated themselves higher on items related to feminine appearance. Among White women, traditional gender ideology was negatively related to feminism; among Black women, wearing feminine clothes was positively related to feminism. Results are discussed in terms of possibilities for resistance to the hegemonic concept of femininity that both groups share.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Constructions of various femininities among the oldest old women.

This study forms part of the Umeå 85+ Study, and the aim was to explore various gendered constructions of femininities among the oldest old women. Femininities are seen as various ways of shaping oneself as a woman in relation to the impact of historical, social, and cultural circumstances. Thematic narratives were analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Through interpreting these narratives in the light of gender theories, we were able to discern four femininities: "being connected," "being an actor," "living in the shadow of others," and "being alienated." The oldest old women displayed complex outlooks on femininities, and no femininity was interpreted as being in the center related to the other femininities. Further research is needed in order to disclose the complexity of femininities related to factors such as social class, ethnicity, and financial situation among the oldest old, and to acquire a greater knowledge of various femininities.

Activities of Daily Living↗
PubMed1994

Masculinity, femininity, and marital satisfaction: an examination of theoretical models.

This study sought to investigate the relationship between masculinity, femininity, and marital satisfaction. A number of polynomial multiple regression analyses were performed in an effort to determine the validity of six theoretical models linking sex roles to marital satisfaction. These are the femininity model, masculinity model, sex-typed model, additive androgynous model, interactive androgynous model, and curvilinear model. The sample was composed of 117 couples who completed the Bem Sex-Role Inventory (Bem, 1974) and the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (Spanier, 1976). For men, the results showed that marital satisfaction was related to (a) their self-described levels of femininity and masculinity, (b) the level of self-described femininity of their wives, and (c) the presence of feminine qualities as well as a limited optimal level of masculine qualities which they perceived in their wives. For women, marital satisfaction was associated with (a) the number of self-described feminine qualities and (b) the level of masculinity, as well as an optimal level of femininity, which they perceived in their husbands. Furthermore, small actual-ideal discrepancies in levels of masculinity and femininity ascribed to partners constituted reliable predictors of marital satisfaction for both men and women.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

The display of masculinity, femininity, and gender diagnosticity in self-descriptive photo essays.

Thirty-seven college men and 57 college women assessed on Gender Diagnosticity (GD), Masculinity (M), and Femininity (F) created self-descriptive photo essays, which were then rated by six judges on 38 personality characteristics, including masculinity and femininity. Lay judges reliably rated men and women's masculinity and femininity from photo essay information. Men's GD strongly correlated with their judged masculinity and femininity, M with judged extraversion, and F with judged warmth and nurturance. However, women's GD correlated most strongly with their judged maladjustment and athleticism, M with dominance and extraversion, and F with adjustment and physical attractiveness. Naive judgments of men and women's masculinity-femininity were strongly linked to other judged personality characteristics, and physical attractiveness was correlated with judgments of women's but not men's masculinity and femininity. The results show that masculinity and femininity make sense to laypeople, are readily judged from multidimensional information, and that for men, GD predicts lay judgments of masculinity and femininity better than M and F do.

Female↗
PubMed1999

Gender differences in the responsiveness of the sex-dependent isoforms of hepatic P450 to the feminine plasma growth hormone profile.

Most of the constitutive hepatic P450 isoforms expressed in the rat exhibit dramatic gender differences. Whereas only male hepatocytes contain CYP2A2, 2C11, and 3A2, only female hepatocytes express CYP2C12 and 3- to 4-fold greater levels of CYP2C7. This sexually dimorphic expression of hepatic P450 isoforms is regulated by the gender-dependent secretory GH profiles, i.e. episodic in males and continuous in females. In the case of the feminine GH profile, the continuous presence of the hormone in the circulation completely suppresses male-specific CYP2A2, 2C11, and 3A2, while stimulating full expression of female-dependent CYP2A1, 2C7, 2C12, and non-P450 testosterone 5alpha-reductase (type 1). The gender-dependent expression of the P450s can be reversed by exposing male rats to the continuous feminine plasma GH profile and females to the episodic masculine GH profile. Under these conditions, females will now express the male-specific isoforms and suppress the female-dependent forms, whereas the opposite will occur in the males. Nevertheless, it is not clear whether the levels of expression or suppression are comparable in male and female rats exposed to the same sex-dependent GH profiles. In the present study, we have renaturalized the circulating feminine GH profile in euthyroid-maintained, hypophysectomized female and male rats at six concentrations ranging from 3-100% of normal. Continuous monitoring of GH levels revealed indistinguishable plasma profiles in females and males at each dosage administered. In the case of females, restoration of the feminine-like plasma GH profile at a concentration that was 3% of the normal level restored expression levels (i.e. mRNA, protein, and/or catalytic activity) of female-dependent CYP2C12, 2A1, and 5alpha-reductase to 50% or greater of normal and fully suppressed expression of male-specific CYP2A2, 2C11, and 3A2. Twice the dosage of the hormone (6% of normal) was required to restore female-predominant CYP2C7 to 50% of normal in hypophysectomized female rats. In contrast, we found that all of the measured isoforms were significantly less responsive to the inductive and suppressive effects of the feminine-like GH profile when administered to male rats. While suppression of the male-specific isoforms (i.e. CYP2A2, 2C11, and 3A2) in male rats required concentrations of GH in the feminine profile 2-3 times greater than were effective in female rats, no dosage of the hormone was as effective in inducing female-dependent P450s (i.e. CYP2A1, 2C7, and 2C12) in males as in females. Clearly, the continuous feminine GH profile was more effective at inducing and suppressing gender-dependent isoforms of hepatic P450 when restored to female rats, where it is normally secreted, than in males. As GH profiles appear to be the sole factor responsible for regulating the sexually dimorphic expression of hepatic P450 isoforms in adult rats, the differential responsiveness of male and female rats to the feminine GH profile are likely to be inherently induced by irreversible imprinting during a critical developmental period.

3-Oxo-5-alpha-Steroid 4-Dehydrogenase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Variation in feminine hygiene practices as a function of age.

OBJECTIVE: To examine variation in feminine hygiene practices as a function of increasing age. DESIGN: A nonexperimental, descriptive research design with study sample stratified by age. PARTICIPANTS: Women over 18 years of age. Of 713 women who completed and returned the feminine hygiene practices questionnaire, 180 were younger than 41 years, 171 were 41-48 years, 184 were 49-57 years, and 178 were 58 years or older. All participants were members of a California professional home economics organization. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: A 40-item feminine hygiene practices questionnaire dealing with body cleansing practices, feminine products usage, and both general and specific menses collection and protection practices. RESULTS: Significant age-related differences were found in several areas of body cleansing and feminine products usage, including sponge bathing and use of feminine and deodorant spray, wet wipes, and panty liners. In all age groups, 20-30% of women reported douching, even in the face of continued reports of the dangers in this practice. In addition, reduced numbers of women (n = 245) in all age groups reported washing hands before using tampons or pads, although more (n = 314) reported washing their hands afterward. CONCLUSIONS: Continuing education about proper feminine hygiene practices, especially regarding douching and handwashing before and after genitourinary contact, will be important across all age groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1996

Friendships, femininity, and reaction to affective arousal.

This study examined relations between college women's scores on femininity and their same-sex friendships and how these women's perceptions were influenced by induction of success or failure. 200 undergraduate women described themselves and their best friends on the dominance and submissiveness scales of the Interpersonal Adjective Scales and also completed the Behavioral Self-report of Femininity and a biographical information sheet. Mean ratings of dominance were above average both for self and best-friend ratings, but these two dominance ratings were not significantly correlated. However, women viewed themselves as similar to their best friends on submissiveness characteristics. Highly feminine women described themselves as more dominant than less feminine women. Highly feminine women also experienced less anxiety and fatigue as measured by the Profile of Mood States in response to failure induction than less feminine women. Both sets of results are contrary to expectations, but the behavioral definition of femininity was different from that used earlier.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Gender and masculinity-femininity ratings of tracheoesophageal speech.

UNLABELLED: Tracheoesophageal (TE) speech is frequently characterized as low pitched and hoarse. In laryngeal speakers, these features are most often associated with males. Because lower pitch and hoarseness are anticipated for male and female TE speakers, one might predict that females are at risk for being perceived as male. The purposes of this pilot study were to assess the reliability and accuracy of listeners' perceptions of TE speaker gender and to evaluate the relationship between gender ratings and masculinity-femininity ratings. Twenty-five naïve listeners rated the gender and the masculinity-femininity of 12 TE speakers from audio recordings of a reading passage. Listeners were able to reliably rate gender and masculinity-femininity. They accurately identified speaker gender at a high rate that was comparable for males and females. However, female speakers, despite being accurately identified as female, were at an elevated risk of being rated as masculine or neutral on the masculinity-femininity scale. LEARNING OUTCOMES: As a result of this activity, the participant will be able to: (1) describe the reliability and accuracy of listener perceptions of the gender and the degree of masculinity-femininity of TE speakers; and (2) discuss the relationship between TE speaker gender identification and masculinity-femininity ratings for males and females, respectively.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

Masculinity, femininity, and transsexualism.

This study examined the relationship between sex role and gender identity in a Polish transsexual population where, unlike in Western countries, male-to-female (MF) transsexualism is much less common than female-to-male (FM) transsexualism. One hundred and three FM (82 primary, 21 secondary) and 29 MF (16 primary, 13 secondary) transsexuals plus 135 control males (CM) and 303 control females (CF) completed a Sex Role Inventory, which measures sex-role identification, that is, the degree to which one self-identifies with masculine and feminine characteristics. Data obtained from primary transsexuals revealed that, on a femininity scale, MF transsexuals scores exceeded not only CM but also CF. On a masculinity scale, MF transsexuals rated themselves significantly lower than CM, but at a level comparable to CF. The comparison of FM transsexuals and controls showed that, on a masculinity scale, transsexuals scored higher than CF but were not different from CM. On the femininity scale, FM transsexuals rated themselves in between the two control groups: lower than CF but slightly higher than CM. The relations of secondary transsexuals' scores to CF and CM scores, on both masculine and feminine scales, were in the same direction as the primary transsexuals' scores. Secondary transsexuals rated themselves very similarly to their primary counterparts (the exception was a much higher score of MF-primary transsexuals than MF-secondary transsexuals on the femininity scale). Our study revealed that transsexualism does not imply a simple inversion of sex-role patterns: transsexuals differ not only from nontranssexual individuals of the same anatomical sex but also from those of the opposite sex. Moreover, MF transsexualism is not a mirror image of FM transsexualism: it constitutes a more extreme condition in the identification with feminine versus masculine personality traits. These differences seem to be universal for different countries and regions. The diagnostic value of our findings is discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Masculinity, femininity, and psychosocial adjustment in medical students: a 2-year follow-up.

As part of a longitudinal study of medical students, relations between masculinity and femininity and psychosocial well-being were investigated over a 21-month interval. Of a class of medical students, 82% (N = 99) completed measures of masculinity and femininity during orientation and, 21 months later, completed a broad array of measures of psychological well-being, interpersonal functioning, humanistic attitudes toward patient care, and alcohol consumption. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses with interaction terms revealed main effects of masculinity on self-esteem, extraversion, and confidence, and main effects of femininity on hedonic capacity, interpersonal satisfaction, sharing of personal problems, and alcohol consumption. Little evidence for additive or balance androgyny formulations was found. Findings for masculinity were consistent with earlier findings from this study and others, but they were weaker in magnitude. Findings for femininity were surprisingly robust and enrich the construct validity of this measure. Measures of impaired mood and of alcohol and drug impairment were also studied in relation to masculinity and femininity. Both variables contribute to the prediction of depressed mood; femininity also contributes to the prediction of drug involvement. Neither scale has sufficient sensitivity or specificity to be used by itself as a test of impairment.

Adult↗
PubMed1976

Primary femininity.

In Freud's theory of the origins of femininity in females, there is a stage unaccounted for in the chronology of the little girl's development: the first many months of life are not considered. We know by now that castration anxiety, penis envy, and the traumas and frustrations of oedipal conflict are easy to demonstrate; but if the first stage in female development is different from Freud's description-if a fundamental, fixed sense of being rightfully a female is established in earliest childhood-then our psychology of women needs repair. The factors that make up this stage, with examples, are reviewed: (1) a biological "force": the effect of circulating fetal sex hormones on the brain of the fetus; (2) sex assignment: the announcement at the time of birth to the parents that they have had a boy or a girl (or a hermaphrodite); (3) parental attitudes: the effects of the sex assignment on parents, then reflected back onto the infant; (4) "biopsychic" phenomena: early postnatal effects caused by certain habitual patterns of handling the infant-conditioning, imprinting(?), or other forms of nonconflictual learning; (5) developing body ego: sensations, especially from the genitals, that define the child's dimensions. I suggest that one can divide the development of femininity in females into two phases, both of which lead to adult femininity, but each of which contributes in a different manner. The first, nonconflictual in origin, contributes a sense of femaleness and some of what allows for one's looking feminine; the second, the result of conflict, especially oedipal, produces a richer and more complicated femininity, not merely one of appearances, but one enriched by desires to perform with the substance, rather than just the façade, of femininity.

Child↗
PubMed1996

Freud and feminine subjectivity.

I have delineated a factor, subjectivity, to account for the difficulty in the psychoanalytic understanding of feminine sexuality, particularly the nature of feminine sexual pleasure. This factor has been unappreciated hitherto by psychoanalysts. Subjectivity is a notion that refers to the capacity of a person to posit him- or herself as an independent agent who determines or controls his or her own thoughts and actions. The construct feminine sexual pleasure, and by extension feminine subjectivity, was difficult for Freud and others to posit because of the implicit association among several mental phenomena. Subject, active, and libido (i.e., the source of active sexual pleasure) were, and to some extent still are, considered masculine attributes; whereas object, passive, and, by implication, the absence of an independent actively desirous state were considered feminine attributes. Freud's difficulty in accepting aggression in the mental life of women interfered with his gaining an implicit understanding of feminine subjectivity.

Adolescent↗