What is racialized femininity?

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Feminist theorists postulate that the cultural practices and ideologies attributed to femininity illustrate a gendered power structure in which women are subordinate to men. It also theorizes that women who follow a prescriptive set of normative feminine behaviors will achieve a higher status than others who do not. Collins in 2004 identified five characteristics of dominant femininity: beauty; marriage and family circumstances; demeanor; sexuality; and race, specifically, the white race. These ideas of femininity are pervasive in our society and are disseminated through cultural institutions and social networks such as mass media, families and schools. As a result, women engage with these feminine ideas as they develop and act out the expected characteristics of their gender. This phenomenon is known as racialized femininity.

Different countries have promoted specific “official” gender or sexual ideals for the role of women. These ideals of femininity are often seen at international competitions such as beauty pageants or sporting events. There is a very fine line at times with the idea of national identity and gender expectations prescribed by a particular culture.

The history of gender in the United States is a picture of a social institution that both constrains and produces images of women throughout the centuries. Women are frequently manipulated by these gender norms even though they may be part of their creation. Many of these norms are radicalized and tied to class status so even though women are involved in their development they have no control over their economic and power implications.

Sexual roles for women have been culturally understood in relation to race and class divisions and have been linked with the main social roles for women: mothers and workers. The mainstream women’s movement has been seen by women of color as oriented to the white woman’s experience, needs and perceptions. Black women have always combined motherhood and work, so the white feminists’ struggle to obtain waged positions did not apply to them. After the emancipation of the blacks, black women wanted to bring up their own children and be present in the home. They did this as a way to resist the oppression they experienced and the expectation they would provide underpaid domestic services. However, the discrimination of black men made the goal of stay-at-home mother almost impossible for black women since their households became dependent on the wages of the women to provide some type of economic viability. This pattern has not changed. However, because the dominant American ideal continues to be a domestic mother, black women have suffered socially. The economic structure that continues to maintain white interests prohibits them from remaining at home. Black women have always been seen as different from white women whether by the welfare societies or in the public media. The differential treatment elicits negative views about black women as mothers and as well promulgates the image that they are oversexual.

The definition of feminism has been dominated by conceptions of gender that apply to white middle-class women’s issues and circumstances. Additionally, lesbians have also challenged the implicit privilege of heterosexual women stating the gender norms and expectations that perpetuate sexual discrimination but also subordinate homosexuals.

The role of Native American women has also been affected by white expectations about their work. Historically, until the European conquest, Indian women were not economically dependent on men. Interactions with Europeans initiated ideas about a woman’s necessary dependency on a man. For example, land transactions between Europeans and tribal leaders often prohibited a woman’s access to land, which enforced her dependence on men.

The racialization of femininity has its roots not only in the particular race or culture but is also greatly affected by the idealization of the white woman, whether in the role of “goddess” or as the working woman who can take on any challenge related to home or work. Unfortunately, these stereotypes encourage women of all races to emulate an unrealistic ideal that is in some cases in contradiction to their cultural norms and not necessarily beneficial to their development as independent women.

Resource by Will

I am the editor for TheFreeResource.com, and owner of LinchpinSEO, a small business content creation company. The Free Resource has a select community of talented writers, teachers, and business people (and we are always looking for more) that bring you the most trusted resources on the web and credible articles about many topics.

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