Has Femininity Really Changed Over the Years?

By: Allyson Wiggs

Over the years, women in the United States have overcome many obstacles. Women used to be treated very poorly and had very little rights. Many years ago, women were never considered for jobs and if they were considered, which was rare, then they would be paid much less than a man would be paid. The woman’s job was to stay in the house and cook, clean, and take care of the children, while the man was out working and making money for the family. [1] This concept seems so shocking now because the man and woman are very equal in today’s society when it comes to working and making money.

Women’s roles were not the only thing that used to be completely separate from men. Women were thought to be “feminine,” while men were thought to be “masculine.” This term, “feminine,” was thought to define a woman’s personality. Women were thought to not be social. They were expected to keep to themselves and not mingle with the others. Women were thought to be the complete opposite from men and none of their personality traits could coincide with a males. They way women ended up being judged was by how restrained they were. The more restrained a woman was, the more feminine she was.[2] This is surprising to me because in today’s society woman are not thought to be introverted. Women are thought to be “social butterfly’s,” who go out with their friends and gossip about many different things.

Although it is clear that women’s femininity has come a long way, I sometimes wonder if it has really come that far. I wonder this because women are still expected to behave a certain way. For a woman to be considered feminine, she must follow a strict set of guidelines. A woman should always look presentable and there should never be a time when a woman is not fixed up. A woman should love her body, no matter how it looks. A woman should never judge someone else because it shows they are not confident. A woman should speak politely and walk elegantly. A woman should be gentle and love herself.[3] All of these things that a woman “should” do, are not easy to make happen on a daily basis. A woman’s femininity should not be judged if she is having a rough day and doesn’t put on makeup. It should also not be judged if she is trying to work out and get in shape because that doesn’t mean she isn’t comfortable with herself, it just means she is trying to better herself.

Overall, a woman should not have to show affection, passion, love, and sensuality to be considered feminine.[4] A woman should be able to behave in any way she wants without being judged. In all honesty, I don’t know which is worse – that a woman must be the complete opposite from a man or that a woman must follow a set of guidelines to be feminine. While femininity has went from one extreme to another, I do not think it has really improved it has only changed to another negative view on women.

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[1] Rosen, Ruth. "Feminism Has Come a Long Way - or Has It?." The Nation, 02 21, 2013. http://www.thenation.com/article/173036/feminism-has-come-long-way-or-has-it?page=0,0 (accessed January 31, 2014).

[2] "Masculinity and Femininity: A Changing Perspective Over Eighty Years." junkworthdiscussing (blog), http://junkworthdiscussing.blogspot.com/2007/11/masculinity-and-femininity-changing.html (accessed January 31, 2014).

[3] "10 Steps to Becoming a Feminine Woman." The Proper Lady (blog), 01 12, 2013. http://www.theproperlady.com/2013/01/10-steps-to-becoming-feminine-woman.html (accessed January 31, 2014).

[4] “12 Top Feminine And 12 Top Masculine Traits That Could Change Your Life,” accessed January 31, 2014, http://ryzeonline.com/12-top-feminine-and-12-top-masculine-traits-that-could-change-your-life/.