Masculinity describes the degree to which society focus on assertiveness and achievement. When in contrary, femininity describes the focus of society to quality-of-life issues, such as caring for others, group solidarity and helping the less fortunate are valued. In other words, society still recognizes a gap between male and female values. This dimension is frequently viewed as taboo in highly masculine societies.

DEFINITION:

Femininity– The qualities or attributes regarded as characteristic of women or girls, Or the quality or nature of the female sex : the quality, state, or degree of being feminine or womanly.

Masculinity– The social expectations of being a man. The term ‘masculinity’ refers to the roles, behaviours and attributes that are considered appropriate for boys and men in a given society. Masculinity is constructed and defined socially, historically and politically, rather than being biologically driven.

 HOW IDENTITY CAN BE INFLUENCED:

Identity formation and evolution are impacted by a variety of internal and external factors like society, family, loved ones, ethnicity, race, culture, location, opportunities, media, interests, appearance, self-expression and life experiences.

An example of how identity can be influenced is Andy Warhol’s image of Marilyn Monroe. The image shows how the media and public viewed her and her actual personal life was. The central image on a gold background evokes a religious tradition of painted icons.