WHAT IS IDENTITY?

Identity is the fact of being who or what a person or thing is. Personality traits, abilities, likes and dislikes, your belief system or moral code, and the things that motivate you are what make up your identity. Knowing and understanding your identity gives you a sense of belonging which heavily contributes to your confidence and wellness. It can also help you understand the world around you as well as the challenges we face in the world.

WHAT IS FEMININITY ?

“Femininity is a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles generally associated with women and girls. Femininity can be understood as socially constructed, and there is also some evidence that some behaviours considered feminine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors.”

Over history, widely influential cultural systems, such as the religions Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, have explicitly directed that women’s primary social role is to be obedient wives and devoted mothers which is now the very heavy stereotype in the media and in the workplace. Thankfully, in recent years, due to feminist movements, women have been given more space and less expectations on what they can/cannot do.

WHAT IS MASCULINITY?

“Masculinity is a set of attributes, behaviours, and roles associated with men and boys. Masculinity can be theoretically understood as socially constructed, and there is also evidence that some behaviours considered masculine are influenced by both cultural factors and biological factors.”

In many Western cultures, the dominant masculine construct has been created for men by men. It is part of the day-to-day interactions that must be navigated by young boys as they grow into adulthood, and by men throughout their lives. 

What all of these traits share is the fact that they are all human traits that are found to different degrees in all people regardless of their gender. Most of us express and experience some combination of traits from both feminine and masculine.