Sundaze: 2B or !2B
Title reference: Elon’s tweet.*
Every individual carries both masculine & feminine traits, regardless of gender identity. One can be assertive and tender. One can focus on material success as well as quality of life. Gender roles are blurred. Now more than ever.
Hofstede: Masculinity / Femininity
According to Hofstede, this dimension focuses on the extent to which a society stresses achievement versus nurture. This index does not apply to literal masculinity, but rather to a culture’s tendency toward masculine values such as competitiveness, power and wealth acquisition. While the Masculine ascribes to assertiveness, the Feminine places higher value on traits such as relationship building, the arts and quality of life.
Masculinity is seen to be the trait which emphasizes ambition, acquisition of wealth, and differentiated gender roles.
Femininity is seen to be the trait which stresses caring and nurturing behaviors, sexual equality, environmental awareness, and more fluid gender roles.
Hofstede (2001), Culture’s Consequences, 2nd ed. p 297.
If you catch your brain automatically favoring one set of traits, acknowledge it and try to let go of the stigma for today’s prompt. Find a balance. Regardless of gender, lean into your lesser known side.
What masculine and feminine traits do you hold within yourself? Which traits do you want to focus on right now?
Solo date idea:
Volunteer.
There are so many ways to do it. In the last few years, I woke up at 6am to go to a soup kitchen and went to afterschool events with first generation college students. I manned a gala entrance that promotes writing for elementary school kids and most recently, signed up to be a greeter at a garden that the city is trying to take back. I’ve made friends and built community in a way I haven’t before.
If you are in New York, you can learn more about the Elizabeth Street Garden and sign up to volunteer here.
*If Twitter is now X, is a tweet still a tweet?