Feminization (sociology)
Encyclopedia
In sociology
, feminization is the shift in gender role
s and sex roles in a society, group, or organization towards a focus upon the feminine
. This is the opposite of a cultural focus upon masculinity
.
Scholar Ann Douglas chronicled the rise of what she describes as sentimental "feminization" of American mass culture in the 19th century, in which writers of both sexes underscored popular convictions about women's weaknesses, desires, and proper place in the world.
It can also mean the incorporation of women into a group or a profession that was once dominated only by men.
Potential examples of feminization in society can include:
Feminization:
Sociology
Sociology is the study of society. It is a social science—a term with which it is sometimes synonymous—which uses various methods of empirical investigation and critical analysis to develop a body of knowledge about human social activity...
, feminization is the shift in gender role
Gender role
Gender roles refer to the set of social and behavioral norms that are considered to be socially appropriate for individuals of a specific sex in the context of a specific culture, which differ widely between cultures and over time...
s and sex roles in a society, group, or organization towards a focus upon the feminine
Feminine
Feminine, or femininity, normally refers to qualities positively associated with women.Feminine may also refer to:*Feminine , a grammatical gender*Feminine cadence, a final chord falling in a metrically weak position...
. This is the opposite of a cultural focus upon masculinity
Masculinity
Masculinity is possessing qualities or characteristics considered typical of or appropriate to a man. The term can be used to describe any human, animal or object that has the quality of being masculine...
.
Scholar Ann Douglas chronicled the rise of what she describes as sentimental "feminization" of American mass culture in the 19th century, in which writers of both sexes underscored popular convictions about women's weaknesses, desires, and proper place in the world.
It can also mean the incorporation of women into a group or a profession that was once dominated only by men.
Potential examples of feminization in society can include:
- The feminization of education - Majority female teachers, and a female majority of students in higher education.
- The feminization of television - Television network programming decisions.
- The feminization of povertyFeminization of povertyFeminization of poverty describes a phenomenon in which women represent disproportionate percentages of world’s poor. UNIFEM describes it as "the burden of poverty borne by women, especially in developing countries"...
– Less income for females than males in the labour market, and female single-headed households seem to face poverty more severely than other women.
See also
- Atypical gender roleAtypical gender roleGender role is a term used in the social sciences and humanities to denote a set of behavioral norms associated with a given gendered status in a given social group or system...
- EmasculationEmasculationEmasculation is the removal of the genitalia of a male, notably the penis and/or the testicles.By extension, the word has also come to mean to render a male less of a man, or to make a male feel less of a man by humiliation. This metaphorical usage of the word is much more common than the...
- Sociology of genderSociology of genderSociology of gender is a prominent subfield of sociology. Since 1950 an increasing part of the academic literature, and of the public discourse uses gender for the perceived or projected masculinity or femininity of a person...
- Cuteness in Japanese cultureCuteness in Japanese cultureSince the 1970s, cuteness, in Japanese the noun , has become a prominent aspect of Japanese popular culture, entertainment, clothing, food, toys, personal appearance, behavior, and mannerisms...
Feminization:
- Feminisation of the workplaceFeminisation of the workplaceIn response to the pressure from feminism and cultural trends highlighting characteristics in workers which have culturally been associated with women, feminisation of the workplace is a label given to the trend towards greater employment of women, and of men willing and able to operate with these...
- Feminization of laborFeminization of LaborThe feminization of labor is a term used to describe emerging gendered labor relations born out of the rise of global capitalism. For instance, manufacturing jobs are now considered women's work.-Globalization and female labor:...
- Feminization of migrationFeminization of migrationThe Feminization of migration is a recent trend in which gendered patterns are changing and a higher rate of women are migrating for labor or marriage. The percentage of female migrants world-wide has risen from 46.7 percent in 1960 to 49.6 percent as of 2005, according to United Nations statistics...