Masculinity, Femininity, and Anxiety
Rules and expectations based on (assumed) sex.
Gender is a binary in US (not everywhere).
The rules “work” for some, but harm many others.
 BEM created a scale to measure gender
 Bem, Sandra. 1974. “The Measurement of Psychological Androgyny.” Journal of
Consulting and Clinical Psychology 42: 155-162.
 Rate yourself on each item, on a scale from 1 (never or almost never true) to 7
(almost always true). When you have completed the inventory, transfer your
ratings to the inventory score sheet.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
self reliant
yielding
helpful
defends own beliefs
cheerful
moody
independent
shy
conscientious
athletic
affectionate
theatrical
assertive
flatterable
happy
strong personality
loyal
unpredictable
forceful
feminine
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
28.
29.
30.
31.
32.
33.
34.
35.
36.
37.
38.
39.
40.
reliable
analytical
sympathetic
jealous
leadership ability
sensitive to other's needs
truthful
willing to take risks
understanding
secretive
makes decisions easily
compassionate
sincere
self-sufficient
eager to soothe hurt feelings
conceited
dominant
soft spoken
likable
masculine
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54.
55.
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
warm
solemn
willing to take a stand
tender
friendly
aggressive
gullible
inefficient
acts as a leader
childlike
adaptable
individualistic
does not use harsh language
unsystematic
competitive
loves children
tactful
ambitious
gentle
conventional
 Add up your ratings in column 1 and divide total by 20. This is your masculinity
score.
 Add up your ratings in column 2 and divide total by 20. This is your femininity
score.
 Add up your ratings in column 3 and divide total by 20. This is your androgyny
score.
 If your masculinity score is above 4.9 (the approximate median for the masculinity
scale) and your femininity score is above 4.9 (the approximate femininity median),
then you would be classified as androgynous on Bem’s scale.
 And yet—these are HUMAN traits that we have falsely divided into a binary
associated with sex.
 Involves
 Glorifying differences
 Punishing similarities
 Ranking one group over the other
 Making masculinity:
 Dove for men:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tLc9Mhi9l0
 Dodge Charger:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b7
k0JCzEusM
 Making femininity:
 Skinny girl cocktails:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9j
0XYXZQTLY&nohtml5=False
 Totino’s actitivity pack:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A8
WIBv3erj8
Wade, Lisa and Myra Marx Ferree. 2015. Gender: Ideas, Interactions, Institutions. New York: WW Norton
 Sex segregation at work
 Unequal division of household labor
 Different health outcomes
 In schools– anxiety for kids
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjJQBjWYDTs
 Easier to go with the flow.
 Hard to interrupt in a meaningful way.
 Ideas?