Monday, March 29, 2010

XX


This entire week is going to be dedicated to the Female of our species. We are going to cover everything from breast size to their hopes and dreams. Enjoy. Oh yes this article is a re-gendered version of the male one. That was done to illustrate the similarity of experiences between the genders.

So where to we start? I think we should start with what makes a female. Technically a female human must have ovaries at birth. This does not take into account the social aspects of what defines a human female. This is what we are going to explore.

You've heard the adage you're born female, you become a woman. This is absolutely true. From birth females are bombarded with images of what a proper woman should be. The pressures are from our parents, media, and other children. It is impossible to escape the gender molding. This is not necessarily a bad thing as for a lot children being "normal" is a major priority.  Without these norms we would not have that social safety.

Eventually all females go through puberty, and develop all the secondary sex characteristics normally associated with being a woman. These include breasts and wider hips. In general, by end of puberty, around age 16, females have developed their idea of self. This includes their idea of where we fit into their gender and how that gender identity fits into their sexuality. 

For heterosexual women, falling into a submissive/feminine social role comes easily. This is an effect of the intragender and romantic interactions that have allowed for a assisted growth of self.  Those heterosexual women who fall into a more dominant and or masculine gender role may have difficulty adjusting to the expected roles of her gender.


For homosexual women this development is often retarded by a lack of proper role models and romantic relationships. Therefore it is often a lot harder for them to develop a solid and polar gender role, like their heterosexual counter parts. This often leads into the same issues of heterosexual women with a dominant/masculine identity in terms of social guidelines.

Some of the social traits traditionally expected of women include: physical weakness, mental strength, emotional expressiveness if not instability, modesty, financial insecurity, domestic excellence, physical attractiveness, and sexual discrimination. In recent years these have changed. All of these are in comparison to the male human and do alter with age. More than with males these requirements have become flexible. Many social changes in the past 50 years have made it more acceptable to break these guidelines.

As a product of the expectations placed on females, most women have not reached their sexually potential and often do not feel empowered enough to explore their own sexuality. In the next article we will explore that, and find ways in which women can express their sexuality without fear.