I would like to think so.

I like to feel and look like a woman, be attractive to men and don’t feel insulted if a man opens a door for me or comments about my hair.

I also like men to be masculine and my view of masculinity may differ from another. Men don’t have to be an ‘Adonis’ to be masculine for example.

What do we mean by feminine?

Is it the traditional view of women being submissive in need of protection or is it a woman who feels confident and comfortable in her own skin - in who she is whether she be a high powered career woman or a stay at home mother?

Please don't let this discussion degrade into a ‘them versus us’ discussion. What do other women think? Men please feel free to add your comments – they will be welcome too. :)

Is femininity defined by biology or by social conditioning?

I tend to think biology plays a part but also accept that we are very much influenced by societal values and norms. What role does the media play in defining femininity (or masculinity for that matter)?

What do you think?

'Is femininity defined by biology or by social conditioning?'

Neither. It is obvious femininity just like masculinity is by design. Only dreamers would dispute that.

pelican
"What do we mean by feminine? 'Is femininity defined by biology or by social conditioning?"
1. It defined by biology, by social conditioning, by women and by men!
2. various people from various civilization mean very different things by feminine. I want to know what the men and women mean by feminine in countries where women cover their body except from their eyes and have limit rights to express their selves, their abilities, their creativities etc.
It is a sad story to remember women's role and feminine in human history.

Antonios Symeonakis
Adelaide

Hi pelican,

You should feel and look any way you want, be it feminine or masculine, or anything else. The media does play a big role, because it portrays gender roles stereotypically. So it is up to us to define these roles ourselves, to play with them and bend them. HAVE FUN!

Hi Pelican :)

"function follows form"... or..design.

Females are the complement of males,and vice versa. Like a jigsaw...together the make up the full picture.

If we look at the way life pans out in history, based on a traditional society with no government other than that of the 'group/village/tribe' then.. I don't think too many would dispute the reality as demonstrated by the recent front page of the herald "LOST TRIBE found".

The males were out with their bows and arrows.. 'protecting' the village from the pesky flying monster. No women.. just men. The women were looking after their offspring and taking them presumably to safety while the males fought off 'the monster'.....

Now.. fast forward to 2008.. we have 'central government, rule of law, the UN' etc.. none of which actually change the basic biological differences between males and females. So.... such political structures might make it easier for females to explore different ways of interacting in the community, but it does not change how things would be if all those structures were suddenly removed.

FEMININITY...given that humans are capable of love, not just instictive reproduction, it seems to me that the way we manifest our biological differences should enhance this value rather than degrade it. I guess this means how we dress, speak and act? Same goes for we blokes.
We can use our clothes, speech and body language to reduce our existence to 'MTV/pornography/animal lust' level, or.. to strengthen those things which make a society outlast the next STD infested one night stand.

Serious?. What makes you think feminism = Hairy Lez-bollah?. The question isn't about feminimity (iminimity...eminiminimity...whatever) IMO, it's about everyones perception of feminism. You can have pro-female females without them necessarily being Yetti-esque Lez-bollah.