Essay on Androgyny

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An individual with characteristics of Androgyny are not bound by traditional gender roles, but are more inclined to demonstrate characteristics reminiscent of both. Weiten (1997) defines (as cited in Holt, 1998) gender roles as “expectations about what is appropriate behaviour for each sex”. What really makes a male or female behave entirely in that manner? Is it the image presented? Could it be the culture, and environment surrounding the individual or is it biological. In 1973, a psychologist named Sandra Bem decided to invent a new method of testing these attributes and explored the reality behind a word that has been in use since classical methodology and early literature. Even though Androgyny has only been a concept, Bem’s …show more content…
The psychometric properties were still strong, except for all but two of the characteristics. These findings were not in conjunction with Edwards and Ashworth (1977). The aforementioned authors had knowledge of the persons they were questioning via face-to-face interaction and total awareness can impact on the validity of the results.

Hock (2009) stated that people would be more adjusted in life if “gender matched their sex”(p.207). Boys played sport, took on the dominant role in a house or workplace and women stay at home, looked after the family etc. Kagan (1964) and Kohlberg (1966), discuss (as cited in Bem, 1974) how undesirable it may be for a highly “sex-typed” individual to suppress any behaviour considered inappropriate for their gender. This is a theory that has changed psychology and the perception regarding masculine and feminine roles. Women and men are choosing roles that are opposed to the traditional expectations of their gender. More women in the workplace, male caregivers; such as nurses, personal care attendants, child care workers and stay at home fathers. Women are more inclined to be at the forefront of a business than ever before, but according to Hock (2009), males still constitute 96% of airline pilots and dental hygienists were still
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