The Body And Reproduction Of Femininity - 1559 Words

In the western world, concepts of gender have historically been divided into two parts: masculinity and femininity. At birth we are labelled male or female and treated accordingly by our parents and society. Masculinity is seen as strong, confident and dominant and femininity is seen as being white, thin and young. Hegemonic femininity is seen as the model of what it means to be a female and society sets this standard that all women are meant to embody. These specific characteristics â€Å"represent† what it is to be feminine. Candace West and Don H. Zimmerman, in their article â€Å"Doing Gender† and in Susan Bordo’s article â€Å"The Body and Reproduction of Femininity† respectively, show how femininity is a social construct that is reflected through various social interactions. There are five main concepts discussed in West and Zimmerman’s article. These concepts include accountability, the idea that gender structures interaction, gender being â€Å"unnatural† and gender as a routine accomplishment. There are also concepts drawn from Bordo’s article, which is culture helps shape femininity. These all contribute to the notion of how femininity is a social construction and how it is displayed in many different forms. One relevant concept in West and Zimmerman’s article â€Å"Doing Gender† is accountability. It is believed that individuals who participate in gender do it for acceptance and evaluation of other individuals. West and Zimmerman state that societal members orient to the fact thatShow MoreRelatedThe Terror of Obesity1584 Words   |  7 Pages Human body has always been a profound symbol. In modernist writing, body, as it was, is a gendered theme. Female body has long been viewed in subtle connection with primitivism and sensuality. 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