Does Femininity Need a Makeover? Karen L. Blair Psychology Today — Inclusive Insight
About This Post
Introduces a special issue of Psychology & Sexuality on Critical Femininities — an emerging field that challenges us to rethink femininity as diverse, powerful, and worthy of respect rather than inherently subordinate to masculinity.
Key Takeaways
- Femme Theory argues femininity is not inherently inferior — it is made subordinate by how society treats it
- Femmephobia doesn't just devalue femininity; it regulates what counts as "acceptable" femininity (e.g., lady-like, prim, proper)
- Traits like vulnerability and yielding can be understood as forms of feminine power, not weakness
- For parents: Research in this issue covers tween behaviors and breastfeeding stigma — showing how femmephobia shapes family life from infancy through adolescence
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Does Femininity Need a Makeover? — Psychology Today
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