{"id":28075,"date":"2020-02-04T13:13:18","date_gmt":"2020-02-04T12:13:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/?p=28075"},"modified":"2024-09-29T22:00:07","modified_gmt":"2024-09-29T20:00:07","slug":"androgyny","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.lelo.com\/blog\/androgyny\/","title":{"rendered":"What Exactly Is Androgyny?"},"content":{"rendered":"

We continue to tell ourselves that men are from Mars and women are from Venus\u2026 two totally separate entities that are so indecipherable that they must come from different planets.<\/p>\n

But is this really the case? The term \u2018androgyny\u2019 may make you believe otherwise.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Does \u2018Androgyny\u2019 Mean?\u2019<\/span><\/h2>\n

The word \u2018androgyny\u2019 comes from the Greek words, \u2018andro\u2019 meaning man, and \u2018gyne\u2019 meaning woman. It\u2019s when one person holds both male and female characteristics (or adversely, neither male nor female).<\/strong> <\/span><\/p>\n

There are two kinds of androgyny, physical and psychological.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Physical Androgyny?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Physical androgyny is when someone holds physical traits that makes their biological sex hard to decipher due to the way in which they represent themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Someone who identifies as physically androgynous often adapts their clothing style and appearance in such a way that their biological sex is unclear.<\/span><\/p>\n

An example of physical androgyny would be that of the late Michael Jackson, David Bowie, and Prince.<\/span><\/p>\n

Androgynous Fashion Today<\/span><\/h2>\n

For those who are physically androgynous, there\u2019s been a huge rise in <\/span>fashion brands<\/span> that actively celebrate androgyny. Today, it\u2019s not so much about hiding or disguising gender, but more so about embracing where one lies on the <\/span>gender spectrum<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

What is Psychological Androgyny?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Psychological androgyny is when one person exhibits both masculine and <\/span>feminine characteristics<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

According to Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Psychologist and author of <\/span>Creativity, the Psychology of Discovery and Invention<\/span><\/i><\/a>:<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPsychological androgyny is a much wider concept, referring to a person\u2019s ability to be at the same time aggressive and nurturant, sensitive and rigid, dominant and submissive, regardless of gender. A psychologically androgynous person in effect doubles his or her repertoire of responses and can interact with the world in terms of a much richer and varied spectrum of opportunities.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

With that, an example of a man who is psychologically androgynous is one who is able to lift heavy weights, change a flat tyre, and watch <\/span>football<\/span> with the guys whilst enjoying activities like cooking, reading poetry, and gardening.<\/span><\/p>\n

An example of a woman who is psychologically androgynous is one who works as a mechanic by day, enjoys competitive sports like wrestling, yet loves finding interior decorating inspiration on <\/span>Pinterest <\/span><\/i>in the evenings whilst taking a bubble bath and drinking pink <\/span>wine<\/span> cocktails.<\/span><\/p>\n

In both of these examples, there is no limit when it comes to adapting. Both examples are able to control and adjust their behavior accordingly, and neither feel constricted in their nonverbal <\/span>communication<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n

Androgyny and Sexual Orientation: Are They Linked?<\/span><\/h2>\n

In no way, shape, or form is being androgynous synonymous of being a certain <\/span>sexual orientation<\/span>. Someone who is androgynous is no less masculine or feminine when it comes to sexuality than those who adhere to strict gender roles.<\/span><\/p>\n

Androgyny: How Far Have We Come?<\/span><\/h2>\n

Since the early 20th century, professionals have been looking at the behaviors and responses of both men and women in such a way to deduce differences between the sexes. These behaviors and responses were monitored using the original masculinity-femininity scale called the <\/span>Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory<\/span><\/i><\/a> (MMPI).<\/span><\/p>\n

This scale was in no way multidimensional, with masculinity at one end of the spectrum, and femininity on the other end. This essentially meant that one person could either be masculine or feminine, and not hold traits true of both sexes which, back then, indicated that someone was <\/span>mentally healthy<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n

When the 70\u2019s rolled around however, professionals began to question this scale, and a new test was brought about by American psychologist, Sandra Lipsitz Bem, called the <\/span>Bem Sex Role Inventory<\/span><\/i><\/a> (BSRI). This scale was used in such a way that it was able to assess masculinity and femininity as separate dimensions.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this way, a participant could walk away with one of four results:<\/span><\/p>\n