Masculinities and femininities are socially constructed and describes one’s gender identity. This essay will discuss the quote by Foress (2020), “ The power of the gender binary in constructing masculinities and femininities cannot be
underestimated. Despite this, if we look carefully, it is easy to find representations of gender which disrupt and defy that binary” (Foress, 2020). In this essay I will explore how femininity and masculinity in society is constructed and how it can be undone.
Additionally, I will explore ways in which gender representations can defy this binary Femininities and masculinities are different from biological and that does not
determine one’s sexuality. Society creates stereotypes based on one’s biological sex and dictates what looks feminine or masculine. In society women are expected to be more feminine while men are expected to be more masculine. Society dictates how one should behave based on their biological and the minute one does something too feminine or too masculine, it is considered inappropriate or abnormal. These are enforced through culture, at home, media and public spaces. The society today is a product of a hegemonic patriarchal society where one’s sex determines their gender, and sexual orientation. With gender comes gender roles and expectation like how men should be the care givers and the dominant individuals within a home and the female should be inferior and submissive to a man.
Society creates traditions and media in order to keep masculinity and femininity dominant. In a Xhosa culture when a male reaches the age of 18 years, they have to go in for initiation. This initiation is tradition and ensures that a male is masculine, and one is not declared a man if they do not do this. With this, men are expected to be strong and to be fearless and to not tap on their emotional side. On the other hand, women are groomed to be subordinate to men and to be domesticated.
Men are groomed to be masculine at an early age and society promotes masculinity and fitness in men. Many magazines always promote fitness and how man should look with abs and muscles. This is a way of showing strength, and power in a man and the appearance of being dominant to females.
Society dictates how individuals behave in society and men are seen as dominant figures while women are inferior and respect men. Women should be domestic and feminine and women are not allowed to take on roles that are seen as masculine and dominant because of gender roles.
There are terminologies used to address queer people in a respectable manner.
Queerness is challenging a hegemonic patriarchal society and heteronormative discourse in which focusing on non-heteronormative gender identities and
sexualities. Musical artists such as Faka, Yahto Kraft break down those boundaries by moving out of the normative and be themselves. Most musical artists promote
heteronormativity and don’t consider other sexualities or gender identities.
ARTICLES:
Matebeni, Z., 2014. How not to write about queer South Africa. Reclaiming Afrikan: Queer perspectives on sexual and gender identities , pp-63.
Sanger, N. 2009. New women, old messages? Constructions of femininities, race and
hypersexualised bodies in selected South African magazines, 2003–2006. Social Dynamics. 35:1: pp 137-148.
Excerpts from Zethu Matebeni (2014), Reclaiming Afrikan: Queer Perspectives on Gender and Sexual Identities, Cape Town: Modjaji Books, 2-9.
