Masculine Characteristics Research Articles

Performing Gender: Female Masculinity in D. H. Lawrence’s The Rainbow

This paper analyses Ursula, the female protagonist of D. H. Lawrence’s the novel The Rainbow, who reflects her masculinity. Many feminist critics have perceived this novel as man-centered. In response to this analysis of the novel, the paper tries to look at the novel from the perspective of Judith Halberstam’s theoretical concept of female masculinity, especially Ursula as a masculine woman who acts like a man. Female masculinity is not an identity but a site for identification where different identities can flourish, but masculine women possess confidence, assertiveness, and independence. Lawrence gives justice to women’s role by presenting Ursula as a new woman who seeks her individual identity in the traditional world. Through the reading of the novel as its theoretical tool, the research concludes that females can be as males and males can be like females. She acts like a man and that means she has masculine qualities. The novelist portrays Ursula as a woman with masculinity because she can flourish different identities of her life. She plays the role of an independent woman, a liberated woman, a Lesbian woman, and a new woman, etc. She behaves like a tomboy who refuses to accept the Victorian conventions of society. So, she is a masculine woman rather than a feminine woman. This paper emphasizes how a woman can perform like a man; this suggests masculinity is not the private property of a male; it is a social position that can be practiced in an individual way.

Facial Feminization Surgery: Key CT Findings for Preoperative Planning and Postoperative Evaluation.

Facial feminization surgery (FFS) is an increasingly performed component of gender affirmation surgery for transgender women. Preoperative facial CT is performed to plan the adjustment of the patient's masculine characteristics to feminine, and to plan operative navigation around specific readily identifiable anatomic structures. In the upper face, surgery is performed to reduce the prominence of the brow and increase the nasofrontal angle; the radiology report should indicate the frontal sinus and supraorbital foramen anatomy. In the midface, rhinoplasty is performed to increase the nasofrontal and nasolabial angles; the radiology report should indicate presence of a dorsal hump and septal deviation or spurring. In the lower face, prominence of the chin and squareness of the jaw are adjusted via genioplasty and mandible contouring, respectively; the radiology report should describe the location and potential anatomic variations of the inferior alveolar nerve and mental foramina, as well as presence of dental abnormalities that directly inform the surgical approach. CT may also be performed if there is clinical suspicion for postoperative complications such as hardware fraction or osteotomy through the supraorbital or mental foramen. Familiarity with these findings will facilitate improved communication between radiologists and surgeons, thereby contributing to the care of transgender women.

ЭКФРАСИС В СТИХОТВОРЕНИИ С. ПЛАТ «ЗАКЛИНАТЕЛЬ ЗМЕЙ»

The article studies singularity of the ekphrasis in the poem «Snakecharmer» by the American poetess Sylvia Plath inspired by the same-name picture by the French painter Henri Rousseau. Plath gives new meanings to the painting and creates her own version of cosmogonic and eschatological myth entering into a dialogue and a contest with the previous cultural tradition. Verbally transformed Rousseau’s images manifest their multi-layered ambivalent character. The main character in the picture by H. Rousseau is depicted with masculine features in the poem. The gender metamorphosis happening to the Snakecharmer is analysed in the context of the whole writer’s biography of S. Plath. It is concluded that the central figure, symbolically embodying the idea of creativity as it is, has androgynal nature. The narrative structure of the poem is defined by the root principle of the ekphrastic conception of «Snakecharmer» – the principle of dialectical unity of polar beginnings: orderliness and chaos, the Apollonian statics and the Dionysian dynamics, scenic formalization and musical fluidity.

Maskulinitas dan Feminitas dalam Al-Qur’an (Implikasi Sosial Atas Karakter Negatif)

This paper presents an argument that the negative feminine and masculine characters possessed by every human being harm social aspects. This argument was obtained because there was a paradigm shift from a traditionalist view to a new concept that was born in the 1970s. The traditionalist paradigm explicates that masculine and feminine characters are seen as contradicting the dimensions of the character's personality, attractiveness, and roles that differentiate men and women. On the other hand, a concept that was born starting in the 1970s emphasized the opposite. For instance, Alfred B. Heilburn categorized masculine and feminine characters as having positive and negative sides. It was also upheld by Sachiko Murata who exposed that both masculine and feminine characters exist in every human being and both have good and bad characters that are not limited to men and women. Uniquely, masculine and feminine concepts, as well as positive and negative characters, are also contained in the Qur’an. Therefore, the Qur’an frees humans to choose masculine or feminine characters as well as positive or negative characters to represent their personality. After tracing verses in the Qur’an about masculine and feminine, both positive and negative, the researcher found that masculine and feminine characters that were considered negative have detrimental implications for personal and social life. Based on this description, the paper tries to examine and explore these social impacts by using the thematic method of the Qur’an and analyzed by the theory proposed by Sachiko Murata.

Gender Role Characteristics and Entrepreneurial Self-Efficacy: A Comparative Study of Female and Male Entrepreneurs in China.

This study, based on Bem’s (1974) gender schema theory, investigates gender differences in and the relationship between gender role characteristics and entrepreneurial self-efficacy (ESE) of 261 female and 265 male entrepreneurs in China. The results show that male and female entrepreneurs did not differ significantly in ESE or in masculine gender role characteristics, but differed significantly in feminine gender role characteristics. Examining four different stages in the entrepreneurial life cycle, we find that for female entrepreneurs, feminine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the searching and planning stages of entrepreneurship, and masculine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the searching stage. For male entrepreneurs, feminine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the searching and planning stages, and masculine characteristics had a positive influence on ESE in the marshaling and implementing stages. In addition, one feminine characteristic, “Friendly,” showed a positive association with male entrepreneurs’ ESE in the marshaling stage. Overall, the feminine gender role factor of “Friendly” and the masculine gender role factor of “Compete” played a greater role on ESE than other characteristics. Implications of the findings are discussed. This study contributes a new perspective to extant research on entrepreneurial self-efficacy and female entrepreneurship.

“It's all window dressing:” Canadian police officers' perceptions of mental health stigma in their workplace

PurposeThis study will provide a preliminary, general overview of Canadian police officers' perception of stigma toward mental illness in their workplace culture and its impacts.Design/methodology/approachThis study uses a mixed methods approach with two nationwide datasets: a self-report survey (N = 727) and 116 semi-structured interviews with police officers from 31 police services. Results are grounded in theories of stigma, masculinities and organizational culture.FindingsResults indicate that most officers believe stigma toward mental illness in their workplace remains, despite senior management messaging and program implementation. Reporting mental illness was often seen as high risk, both personally and professionally. Policewomen, constables and those on leave reported statistically significant higher levels of perceived stigma and risk. Features of traditional masculinity were commonly reported, influencing the way individuals viewed themselves (self-stigma) and organizational response (structural stigma). Those with lived experience reported the highest levels of self and structural stigmatization, which often negatively impacted their recovery.Originality/valueThis study strengthens our understanding of how organizational culture and structure combine to contribute to the persistent presence of stigma in some Canadian police services (with implications for male-dominated occupations generally). Gender, rank, years of service and lived experience are additional areas of limited scholarship addressed by this study. The findings have important implications for effective program and policy evaluation and development.

Investigating Age and Gender Stereotypes

This research focuses on the presence of stereotypes regarding age and gender, using as case study the book Cities for people, by Jan Gehl. Recognized worldwide as one of the most important supporters for the rapprochement of the public urban space towards its citizens, Jan Gehl dedicated most of his career to the importance of the human factor in the planning of cities. This study represents a content analysis of the ways in which the characters from the Cities for people book are being presented according to gender and age. The research represents a quantitative analysis of all the images in the book, comprising individuals or groups of people (collective characters) involved in different types of actions. The results of the study highlight an a relatively equal presence of both genders (48.8% feminine characters and 51.2% masculine characters). Most of the images present individual characters, which gives us the opportunity to clearly see their general image, socio-demographic characteristics (relative age and gender) or carried actions. However, there is a significant percentage of nearly 21% of the images in which the characters are presented as part of a crowd, as collective characters, which causes an increased degree of un-individualization. Even in these cases, non the less, there can be frequently observed a relatively homogeneous mass of people, most of them male adults. The biggest discrepancy highlighted by the study of the images of this book is with regard to the distribution of the main age categories (children, adolescents, adults and seniors). When it comes to these categories, Cities for people gives a greater attention to the adults, a category of people which is present in nearly 50% of the images. The other 50% is divided between children, adolescents and seniors, the most disadvantaged of them being, surprisingly, the children’s category (present in only 12.1% of the images).

Psychologic specifics of the communicative component of gender tolerance in juniors age

The article is devoted to the definition of psychological features of the manifestation of the communicative component of gender tolerance in youthful age, due to transformations in the social, economic and political life of society. Youth is in the final stages of transition to adulthood and encounters a significant number of new situations, people, conventions, standards, and rules that require them to activate adaptive and communicative processes. The formation of the communicative component of gender tolerance contributes to: the development of personal self-control; ability to act together with different people; creating psychologically comfortable conditions for joint activities; achievement of interpersonal and intergroup mutual understanding in collective and provides creation of psychological and pedagogical conditions of successful formation of tolerant relations at communicative interaction in a society and decrease in level of conflict in general. The target of the study was to determine the psychological characteristics of the communicative component of gender tolerance in adolescence. The tasks of the study were to select and conduct methods to determine the level of formation of the communicative component of gender tolerance of youth; identification of areas of predominant manifestation of communicative tolerance in accordance with the gender s (and / or gender); study of the influence of gender personality traits on the level of formation of the communicative component in youthful age. In the process of empirical research were used: the method of "Diagnosis of general communicative tolerance" (author V.V. Boyko); method "Psychological sex" (author S. Bem). The correlation analysis method was used to establish the relationship between the indicators of the communicative component of gender tolerance and the level of gender identity in youthful age. The correlation analysis of the influence of gender identity on the formation of the communicative component showed that both young girls and boys with androgynous qualities are more prone to tolerant attitudes in the process of interpersonal communication. Whereas subjects with pronounced masculine qualities have significant difficulties in establishing communicative contact. Accordingly, in subjects with a low level of formation of the communicative component, low rates of gender tolerance are found.

Is It Time for a Revolution in Work‒Life Balance? Reflections from Spain

The COVID-19 crisis has taken the world by surprise, and its effects are widening pre-existing inequalities such as socioeconomical, educational, and digital divides. The gender gap is no exception, and research shows that lockdowns are strongly impacting women, who, on the whole, are more vulnerable to the effects of a crisis. This study analyzes the impact of the COVID-19 lockdown in Spain on families, from a gender perspective. To this end, 663 participants related to the STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) fields were recruited to participate in the research through their connection with the Equality Office of the major technical university of Spain, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, which offers most engineering and architecture degrees. The results indicate that the great myths of gender inequality are still alive in Spain, and that a crisis of this nature can perpetuate them. However, the crisis also presents an opportunity for change. Will the STEM careers be prepared to take advantage of this opportunity, or will this crisis end up perpetuating their markedly masculine character? Are we ready for a revolution? The COVID-19 crisis and its learnings about the importance of care can open the path to change.

How gender stereotypes shape venture growth expectations

Drawing on gender role theories and related evidence of the influence of stereotypes on individual judgments and behaviors, this study examines how masculine stereotyping of entrepreneurs might affect business owners’ expectations of their firms’ growth. In particular, it explores several moderating effects: individual-level factors, such as the gender traits that business owners ascribe to other entrepreneurs and their own gender identity, as a psychological construct, as well as the industrial context in which the businesses operate. An empirical analysis of business owners in 10 countries reveals that women entrepreneurs who identify with feminine traits and ascribe strongly masculine characteristics to entrepreneurship expect their businesses to grow at a lower rate. The influence of stereotypes is relevant only in industries in which the representation of women entrepreneurs is low though, presumably because gender salience, as amplified by women’s minority status condition in the industry, triggers stereotype threats.

Facial Hair Transplantation with Follicular Unit Excision: Effective Technique in the Micrograft of Beard and Mustache

<i><b>Introduction:</b></i> Facial hair transplantation has been increasingly requested by patients and used to improve appearance and highlight masculine features with natural results. Herein we describe our experience in facial hair transplantation, its pre-surgical assessment, the technique used, the subsequent follow-up, and possible complications. <i><b>Methods:</b></i> A pre-operative evaluation was carried out to assess the recipient and donor areas. The follicular unit excision (FUE) technique was used to extract the follicular units (FUs) from the donor areas, which could be the occipital region and the beard itself. FUs of 1- and 2-hair follicles were implanted with the help of implanters. Possible complications included post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation, incorrect placement in the direction or angle of the FUs, or folliculitis in the implanted area. <i><b>Conclusion:</b></i> Currently, hair transplantation to the facial area has very good results when performed by physicians with good training and experience in the technique.

Gender-affirming hormones and surgery in transgender children and adolescents

Summary The Endocrine Society Clinical Practice Guidelines on the treatment of gender incongruent people recommend the use of gender-affirming cross-sex hormone (CSH) interventions in transgender children and adolescents who request this treatment, who have undergone psychiatric assessment, and have maintained a persistent transgender identity. The intervention can help to affirm gender identity by inducing masculine or feminine physical characteristics that are congruent with an individual's gender expression, while aiming to improve mental health and quality-of-life outcomes. Some transgender individuals might also wish to access gender-affirming surgeries during adolescence; however, research to inform best clinical practice for surgeons and other medical professionals is scarce. This Review explores the available published evidence on gender-affirming CSH and surgical interventions in transgender children and adolescents, amalgamating findings on mental health outcomes, cognitive and physical effects, side-effects, and safety variables. The small amount of available data suggest that when clearly indicated in accordance with international guidelines, gender-affirming CSHs and chest wall masculinisation in transgender males are associated with improvements in mental health and quality of life. Evidence regarding surgical vaginoplasty in transgender females younger than age 18 years remains extremely scarce and conclusions cannot yet be drawn regarding its risks and benefits in this age group. Further research on an international scale is urgently warranted to clarify long-term outcomes on psychological functioning and safety.

What’s Hegemonic about Hegemonic Masculinity? Legitimation and Beyond

Raewyn Connell’s theoretical concept of hegemonic masculinity has been profoundly influential in feminist sociology. Despite the rich literature inspired by her theory, conceptual ambiguities have compromised its full potential. In this article, I critique a pessimistic tendency in the interpretation and application of hegemonic masculinity, which focuses on its regressive role in reproducing/legitimating heteronormative patriarchy while overlooking its progressive potential. I propose that revisiting Antonio Gramsci’s theorization of hegemony can help us understand hegemonic masculinity by its mechanism of domination—force accompanied by consent—rather than via certain pregiven masculine qualities. This reformulation of hegemonic masculinity not only pushes us to maintain a relational understanding of masculinities in empirical research, but also brings attention to Connell’s vision for social change.

Facial Masculinity Increases Perceptions of Men\u2019s Age, But Not Perceptions of Their Health: Data From an Arab Sample

Masculine characteristics in men’s faces are often assumed to function as health cues. However, evidence for this assumption from empirical tests is mixed. For example, research on Western women’s face perceptions found that masculinized versions of men’s faces were perceived to be older, but not healthier, than feminized versions. Since research on this topic has focused on Western women’s face perceptions, we investigated the effects of masculinizing face images on Arab women’s perceptions of men’s health (study 1, N = 211) and age (study 2, N = 209). Arab women perceived masculinized versions of male face images to be older, but not healthier, than feminized versions. These results add to a growing body of evidence challenging the assumption that male facial masculinity functions primarily as a health cue.

Fatherhood and Smoking Problems in Indonesia: Exploration of Potential Protective Factors for Men Aged 18-49 Years from the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence.

Background: Despite the sustained high prevalence of smoking among Indonesian adult men, little is known about possible protective factors in this group. This study examined the relationship between key characteristics of masculinity (e.g., fatherhood status, being the main breadwinner or sole provider for the family) and current smoking behaviours (smoking status and cigarettes smoked per day (CPD)) among Indonesian men aged 18–49 years. Methods: In total, 2540 Indonesian men aged 18–49 participated in the United Nations Multi-Country Study on Men and Violence, 2012. Fatherhood status was categorised into three groups: nonfathers, new fathers and more experienced fathers. The association between fatherhood status and current smoking, as well as fatherhood status and cigarettes smoked per day (CPD), was estimated by employing logistic and zero-inflated negative binomial regressions, respectively. Results: Socioeconomic factors were associated with smoking behaviour among Indonesian adult men. The odds of smoking among new fathers and more experienced fathers were 2.3 (95% CI: 1.09–4.79) and 1.5 times (95% CI: 1.08–2.17) higher compared with nonfathers, respectively. Men who had a shared income with their partner or received income from their parents smoked 13% (95% CI 0.79–0.95) and 11% fewer CPD (95% CI 0.79–0.99) compared with men who were the main breadwinner, respectively. Conclusions: In this study, fatherhood represents an aspect of traditionally masculine roles, offering a new perspective for looking at smoking problems in Indonesia. Other key aspects of traditional masculinity characteristics, the breadwinner role, occupation and sources of family income had significant associations with smoking status and CPD. Men smoked fewer CPD as fathers and when sharing the financial responsibility for their family equally with their spouse.

Anatomy of Flank Adipose: The Y Configuration and Hip Extension and Their Effects on the Perception of Gender.

Anatomy of Flank Adipose: The Y Configuration and Hip Extension and Their Effects on the Perception of Gender.

An Intersectional Mixed Methods Approach to Understand American Indian Men's Health.

This study used a parallel convergent mixed methods design with TribalCrit theory and intersectionality as analytical frameworks to identify how American Indian men's identities intersect with broader structures and systems to shape their eating and physical activity choices and behaviors, and to elicit recommendations for a men's lifestyle intervention. AI men were recruited in Minneapolis, Minnesota and Portland, Oregon between March and December 2017 and in Phoenix, Arizona in December 2019 to participate in a survey and focus groups. The survey included demographic questions and questions about physical and cultural activities men engage in, perceived social support for lifestyle behaviors, masculine characteristics, and values important to American Indian men. The 6-item Kessler Psychological Distress Scale was used to assess psychological distress. Focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed for a phenomenological analysis. Descriptive statistics and correlations were computed for survey data. We conducted 15 focus groups with 151 adult American Indian men in three urban sites. The mean age of participants ranged from 36-51 across the sites; 7%-32% were college graduates; 13%-22% were currently married and 28%-41% were working full time. The most important values reported by participants were being: strong mentally and emotionally, a good parent, responsible, spiritual, and a good spouse or partner. On the K6 psychological distress scale, 63%-70% scored ≥5 but <13 (moderate mental distress), and 8%-15% scored ≥13 indicating severe mental distress. Younger age was significantly correlated with higher mean K6 score (p < .0001). Colonizers and missionaries that settled in the U.S. imposed cultural and gender hegemony which enforced a patriarchal capitalist system that have had long-lasting and deleterious effects on American Indians, particularly American Indian men.

Two Englands? Blokishness, masculine habitus and the North-South divide in the advertising industry

PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to analyse the position of women in the advertising industry with the lens of organisational theory and Bourdieuian concept of habitus, to explore whether women are expected to embrace masculine characteristics to succeed and whether advertising industry can be seen as a masculine habitus.Design/methodology/approachQualitative interviews were conducted with 37 women working in the advertising industry in England. The data was analysed using thematic analysis.FindingsWomen report masculine expectations as a condition to succeed in their careers and show large internalisation of masculine habitus. While women recognise that the position of men is better, they do not report challenging organisational structures that enforce masculine expectations of them, and they generally report having to communicate and behave like men to succeed. Women in the north show more work satisfaction and report less sexism and career barriers.Practical implicationsEmployers wishing to present their brand as inclusive should consider the impact of organisational structure and design internal policies that promote inclusivity.Social implicationsAdvertising industry has a mass reach, similar to one of the media, and reshaping organisational structure to foster inclusivity would enable more supportive and less stereotypical campaigns. Class origin and early socialisation influence communication and behaviour in adulthood, which influences career opportunities.Originality/valueTo the best of the author’s knowledge, this is the first study addressing blokishness and masculine habitus in the context of the advertising industry in England. Besides, the study identified a regional divide in work experiences, which are linked to early socialisation.

Differential Reactions to Male and Female Gender-Role Violations: Testing the Sexual Orientation Hypothesis.

Previous research has found that gender-atypical males are evaluated more negatively than gender-atypical females. According to the sexual orientation hypothesis, this asymmetry in evaluations occurs because the feminine characteristics taken on by males when they violate gender roles are more closely tied to perceived sexual orientation than are the masculine characteristics of gender-atypical females. The current series of studies were designed to confirm the existence and generality of the asymmetry phenomenon (Study 1), the preconditions for testing the sexual orientation hypothesis (Study 2), and then to test the hypothesis itself (Study 3). Study 1 found that, as predicted, adults (N = 195, females = 97) displayed more intolerance of males than of females committing gender-role violations across a wide variety of characteristics within multiple domains, although the existence of asymmetry varied somewhat depending on the domain. Study 2 revealed that, as predicted, adults (N = 196, females = 117) believed that gender-role violations indicate homosexuality more so for males than for females overall and across all four domains studied (occupation, activity, trait, and appearance). Study 3 directly tested the sexual orientation hypotheses by examining the relationship between intolerance of specific gender-role violations (scores from Study 1) and the perceived homosexuality associated with those violations (scores from Study 2). Overall, there was a positive relationship between intolerance and perceived homosexuality, indicating that the more a given gender-role violation is thought to implicate homosexuality, the more negatively/less positively people tend to react to the violation, consistent with the sexual orientation hypothesis.

“Finally, we get to play the doctor”: feminist female fans’ reactions to the first female Doctor Who

ABSTRACT This paper offers an exploration into feminist female fans’ reactions to the first female Doctor (Doctor Who’s protagonist). After 55 years of male actors, the 13th Doctor became a woman in 2017. The announcement was met with a backlash, especially from male fans. Unlike previous studies on controversial casting, which focused on the negative commentators, this study sheds light on the supporters who defend the casting while being personally attacked. This research is based on 22 semi-structured in-depth interviews with self-identified feminist female fans of Doctor Who, a minority in a fandom that is perceived as male-dominated. Interviews were conducted after the announcement and before the airing of the new series. This timing provided the opportunity for participants to project their expectations onto the new Doctor. The findings reveal ambivalent reactions: interviewees avidly defended the casting and considered it an important step towards gender equality, both in popular culture and outside of it. However, they also wished the female Doctor would maintain masculine characteristics. This article offers first-hand accounts of feminist female fans who feel excluded from their fan community and the object of their fandom, and the tactics they employ to defend themselves and the new female leading character.