User:Ilfinestrino/sandbox

Female masculinity, “offers an alternative mode of masculinity that clearly detaches misogyny from maleness and social power from masculinity” (Gardiner p.609). There are various levels pertaining to the formation of female masculinities however, this will focus on penis envy, female masculinity as a “defense mechanism” and the correlation between homosexuality and female masculinity.

The social power of masculinity is shown through penis envy. Penis envy, “Originates from the anger and disappointment that all little girls experience when they recognize that their genitals are inferior to male genitals” (p. 599). Freud declared this definition which says that the self perception of females and their natural genitals is that they have less power than a male which is involuntary. Those lacking a penis have a downward outlook on their being in many contexts including sexual and psychological. This is/was seen as an explanation for more masculine females. Female masculinity is seen as being an act of social and biological revolt. People believed that if a women wanted to be masculine then she must want a penis which equates to her lack of confidence and assurance.

This also ties into the “behavior” of masculinity as being a defense mechanism. Females may feel truth in the social construct that they are weaker, dependent and emotional which causes them to perform masculinity in hopes of being more respected and less objectified. If they perform this act in a well-rounded manner (well-rounded because if a female is too masculine then they are “aggressive” and “butch”) then the belief is that society will respect their chosen patterns. Female masculinity does not just link to outward appearance but also to personality. This is a common misconception that is overlooked. As stated above, if a women is “too aggressive” then she is seen as a “bitch” but when performing masculinity it is seen as a trait of admiration.

Female masculinity is largely correlated with homosexuality. According to Stoller, “gender and sexual orientation as interdependent psychological structures that defend a core "true self" that is always heteronormative, even in homosexuals and lesbians” (p.600). Some women use their imaginative penis to make themselves feel comfortable in their homosexuality. Therefore, the imagined penis is a sign of that the viewing of the female and the viewing of female homosexuals has negative connotation. Those lacking a penis use their minds to create their explanation of why they are homosexuals instead of accepting that they could be a lesbian without a penis.

This is all also in the context of the binary which is not conducive to the reality of female masculinity. When we view all of these concepts we are not thinking of gender non-conforming individuals. This a different paradigm than what is usually expected with text and discourse surrounding female masculinities. Deciphering this from a post-structuralist point of view requires in depth examination of contexts and psychoanalysis  while having remembered the fast paced social reforms of our society. Female masculinity also applies to agender, non-gender conforming, gender fluid individuals.