Purushu Arie was founded as a fashion blog in 2009 while Purushu was studying fashion design at NIFT New Delhi. In 2017, Purush Arie's blog evolved into India's 1st exclusively ungendered clothing label. Purushu spoke about gender neutral revolution through fashion at TEDxChennai in March 2018. Purushu's signature silhouettes include tailored lungis and saris. Purushu Arie designs with the ethos of sustainable intersectional inclusivity that defies gender, caste, & class status quo.

Hegemonic Masculinity and Emphasized Femininity

Today, cultures are greatly influenced by each other. Societal norms like hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity has made us believe that women and men are opposite of each other in many ways. The truth is that men and women are more alike than different. Let’s begin with understanding gender – masculinity vs femininity.

 

MASCULINITY

Masculinity is a culturally idealized gender notion referring to behaviour, appearance, role and other traits of a man. Masculinity norms stress on values such as courage, mastery, aggression, mechanical skills and toughness in body and mind.

 

FEMINITY

Like masculinity, femininity again is a culturally idealized gender notion referring to behaviour, appearance, role and other traits of a woman. Femininity stresses on traits like gentleness, empathy, poise and sensitivity among others.

 

HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY

Hegemonic masculinity perpetuates the dominant social position of men, and the subordinate social position of women. Hegemonic masculinity establishes the idea is that any individual who doesn’t align with the notions of masculinity is inferior. It aims for men to be exclusive and hierarchically differentiated. Though it’s about male dominance, not all men share the concept of hegemonic masculinity. However, being a social construct most men are affected by it whether they share the idea or not. Men exposed to hegemonic masculinity ideas demand all the power in a relationship and have a my-way-or-highway attitude.

hegemonic masculinity

Gucci ad propagating hegemonic masculinity – Dominance of men over women

EMPHASIZED FEMININITY

Emphasized femininity is the idea that women must conform to the needs and desires of men. It establishes the idea that the ultimate reason for a woman’s survival is to provide man with sexual validation, carry his babies and serve his household. Girls who’re raised with emphasized femininity ideas grow up to become submissive women and do not seek power in a relationship. They often find it unattractive for a man to treat them equal or seek their opinion in making decisions since the idea is planted deep in their head that it’s a man’s role to lead and woman’s to follow.

emphasized femininity

Emphasized femininity reducing women as sex objects confined to kitchen

 

PROPAGATION OF HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY AND EMPHASIZED FEMININITY

Hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity is naturalised in the form of the hero and heroines presented to you through books, advertisements, films and television. Young girls are exposed to ideas of emphasized femininity in fairy tales which tell them that their ultimate guide to living happily ever after is by finding the prince charming. While growing up, men are expected to play with toy soldiers while women are expected to play with doll house. Hegemonic masculinity norms can be traced to society’s pressure on women to be groomed and look desirable. This is opposite of what’s seen in most animals where male species work on their looks to attract females. Ideas of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity have directly resulted in oppression of every genders for several centuries now.

hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity

Propagation of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity through advertisements.

HOW HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY AFFECTS MEN

Hegemonic masculinity ideas not only affect cis-women and trans, but also other cis-men. Hegemonic masculinity disowns men who treat women as equals. When men treat women as equals, hegemonic masculinity perceives it as a threat to man’s dominant societal role. Hegemonic masculinity can be identified in a man’s homophobic attitude. One of the fundamental elements of masculinity is the idea that women’s role is to provide men with sexual validation and homosexuality dismantles the very foundation of the notion. Homophobia is also underlined by the fear that gay men will objectify men the same way hegemonic masculinity objectifies women. Homophobia also rewards hegemonic masculinity in form of reduced anxiety about their own manliness, thereby reaffirming their heterosexual identity.

Hegemonic masculinity homophobia

Hegemonic masculinity & Homophobia

 

REJECTION OF MASCULINITY AND FEMININITY

Courage, aggression, toughness, sensitivity, gentleness and empathy are traits which any human being can possess regardless of gender.

hegemonic-masculinity

 

CHALLENGING HEGEMONIC MASCULINITY AND EMPHASIZED FEMININITY

WOMEN EMPOWERMENT: Since 20th century, fight for gender equality has directly challenged the status quo of hegemonic masculinity and emphasized femininity. The much deserved freedom and elevation of social status of women has been instrumental in dismantling masculinity and femininity norms.

METROSEXUAL MAN: The metro sexual man defies the traditional masculine norms by not shying away from what’s perceived as feminine – be it fashion choices like skinny jeans, grooming habits like waxing or taking significant role in household activities and parenting. He’s isn’t threatened to see his wife earn as much as he does. Abandonment of ideas of what’s masculine and feminine among Metrosexual men has played a crucial role in opposing hegemonic masculinity.

LGBTQ RIGHTS: Looking beyond gender binary, acknowledging a third gender and increased LGBT activism has directly questioned the sexual roles as perceived by hegemonic masculinity. Several men from homosexual community have challenged the rigidity of hegemonic masculinity by acknowledging their own “effeminacy” to make a point that men need not always align with what conventional masculinity norms demand. Similarly many lesbian women openly flaunt authoritative persona to defy the conventional emphasized femininity.

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