Argues that the 1848 and 1963 feminist social movements are one rhetorical movement and that feminism as a rhetorical movement is typified by an ideological conflict between the concepts of "womanhood" and "personhood," summed up by the term "consciousness raising." (PD)

Notes that men experience gender role transitions over the life span and redefine their thoughts and feelings about masculinity and femininity. Defines 30 gender role transitions that men may experience. Discusses factors activating gender role transitions. Defines fears of femininity as inhibitors to gender role transitions; discusses concepts…

Parents of firstborn male and female infants completed questionnaires concerning their perceptions of their infants. One question focused on how important it was for their children to become either very masculine or very feminine. It was predicted that the less parents stressed the importance of gender appropriateness, the less they would view…

The relationships among self-reported social desirability, biological sex, and sex-role orientation are examined. The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) consists of 60 personality characteristics divided equally into three subscales labeled Femininity (F), Masculinity (M), and Social Desirability (SD). One hundred and twenty-six undergraduates were…

Shows how adolescent femininity is constructed in 34 adolescent romance novels written from 1942-1982. Most feature the "good girl" characterized by filial obedience and adherence to male-dominated romantic conduct, although sixties and seventies novels showed strain in gender relations. Narrative versions of femininity are fictional…

In a survey of 508 undergraduates, males reported significantly lower levels of emotional intimacy in same-sex friendship than females. Masculinity, defined in terms of "instrumental" qualities, had little effect on the degree of reported intimacy, while femininity, defined in terms of "expressive" qualities, was positively…

The Gough Femininity Scale was administered to undergraduates at an urban community college over an 11-year period. Means for male and female students remained relatively the same, which may suggest that although sexual behaviors have changed, psychological attitudes and traits have not. (CJM)

This investigation replicated a previous finding that women choose careers consistent with their own judgments of the model of femininity held by significant men in their lives. (Author)

Examines the relationships among gender, gender identity, and coping in late adolescents. Females endorsed greater use of emotion-focused coping strategies than males. Late adolescents who were high in masculinity endorsed higher levels of problem-focused coping strategies. Overall, gender identity made an important and independent contribution to…

Study sought to gain insight into what forum girls use to learn about the adolescent experience, and to examine views of their sexuality and femininity. Interviews were conducted with groups of girls ages 13-16 years, from diverse backgrounds. Discussions revealed a displacement of female sexuality. Responsible adults should challenge distorted…

Examines how the repressed feminine principle affects the four major discourses in Umberto Eco's "The Name of the Rose." Discusses the historical relationship between the masculine and the feminine in language and religion. Uses that historical frame to guide a close textual analysis of dialectical interplay between the masculine and the…

Examines the sex role attributes of American-Indian women as compared to a predominately White normative group using the short form of the Bem Sex Role Inventory. Results indicate a significant difference on the masculine subscale between the two groups with American-Indian women having higher scores. Provides implications for mental health…

This study compared gifted elementary and middle school students to nongifted students to assess differences in levels of masculinity and femininity across grade levels. The following hypotheses were tested: in grades three through eight gifted females will have greater levels of masculinity than nongifted females and the differences between…

Toddlers (41 girls and 35 boys) between 18 and 37 months of age were given four gender discrimination tasks each consisting of 6 pairs of color drawings. Three of the tasks employed color drawings of preschool girls and boys holding either a sex-typical toy, a sex-atypical toy, or no toy. The fourth employed pictures of sex-typical masculine and…