What's Masculine and Feminine

Why is innocence, beauty, passiveness, and politeness conisdered to be feminine?

If a guy screams like a wuss, why is he "screaming like a girl?" If a guy sits with his legs crossed and his hands on his knees, wears clothes that are a bit tight, has a high pitch laugh, he is not seen as "100% man." He has "feminine" characteristics.

Why are men associated with strength, courage, evil, and wealth?

Is it just the natural order of things? Women give birth, therefore they must be protected by men, who must be strong? Men have more muscles to protect and women have beautiful figures to please men.

If I am assertive and certain about what I want or need, I am considered masculine.

Has anyone else felt this way?

Masculine and feminine are just words, little more.

They simply describe the gender roles our society expects from us.

Gender roles...a whole other topic there.

How did society come up with gender roles? That is my question. What made man the protector and bread winner an the woman the pretty housewife? Gender roles vary from time to time, but man has always been the bread winner.

I think it has a lot to do with genetics. In most mammal societies, males are genetically made bigger, tougher and more competitive (they compte for leadership and females). Females on the other hand, they serve practical purposes (like hunting for lions) and making babies.

Our gender roles are exagerations of genetic predispositions. Male competition leads to thinking strength and virility are important, female qualities are thought of as the opposite.

As with all culture, this differs from society to society, but I think the basis for this culture are genetic predispositions (there are some exceptions, I think tibetan wives can have 2 husbands)

But what about those tribes out in the middle of nowhere where gender roles are the complete opposite? I read of this one tribe in New Guinea or somewhere around there where men competed to look more beautiful. Are these groups "evolving" on their own? What about male birds that compete to have the most attractive nest by collecting shiny objects? Why does the male peacok have all the beautiful feathers?

if you think about it, alot of men in our society also compete to be "pretty". they work out to get big muscles, even if they dont use them. they wear stylish clothes and pay hundreds for shoes.

in the animal world, it's usually the male which is more beautiful. in spiders, the male is much smaller and weaker, in some fish species the male is just a sperm packet that attaches to the female. humans are really the only creature in which the female is the weaker sex.

"]the male is just a sperm packet that attaches to the female. "

quote:

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humans are really the only creature in which the female is the weaker sex.

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Really? I wonder why...

women weaker? definately not. less dominant does not imply weakness IMO. gender roles have formulated through thousands of years of practices within society. just ignore them. they are silly.

Males in nature who look beautiful are merely competing. That's a basic male trait, for most mammals anyway, some compete in terms of beauty, others in terms of strength/ability.

In humans its a mix of both, as well as social skills, social skills are a huge part of males competition.

I believe it's all about evolution... Adam was created first. Eve was created to please man. Thus making man the "bread winenr", or hunter, and woman the nurturer.

I think the very first post in the thread summed it up fairly well. I've never had a problem understading or interepreting gender roles, I just accept them .

i would tend to agree with star really. gender roles will exist as long as there are genders. They don't matter, they just are.

OK, the creation is something you can't base your argument on. It's something hard to prove. (And as far as I know, Eve was created to be Adam's mate, not to please him. There is a difference.)

I don't think anyone misunderstands gender roles. I just can't and won't accept them. I am a women, so I must be passive? I wish I could ignore them. But I can't. I don't know why, but it really drives me up a wall. At times, women I know act so pathetic because of the way they are raised.

What really burns me up inside is women being abused by their boyfriends or husbands and being hopeful that he will turn around and apologize because maybe he will pity her or feel regret. What if a woman hit a man? She would never hear the end of it. The relationship won't last whereas an abusive relationship lasts as long as the woman permits it.

Yep, I'm on a mission to empower women. I started with myself.

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attolia - eve was created because adam wanted/needed a companion.

"it doesnt really matter whos got the penis."

It matters a lot. If women didn't have the ability to give birth or had more control, it would definitely matter.

A well-known feminist organization have concluded that giving women more control over their bodies would make them more equal to men.

"Women want to be protected." I've heard this oh so often. Everyone is fed this belief and then grows up believing it. Give me something other than an accepted belief.

Woman have been gaining more rights and more control over themselves and their decisions that they can survive on their own. Times have changed and certain beliefs need to change too.