Effemination
As effemination.a ( Latin effeminatus , effeminate ',' effeminate ',' effeminate ') is called womanhood or femininity of behavior, appearance or attitude of mostly males, but also by companies or objects. The ancient Greek word for a feminine man is μαλακός malakós 'soft'.
etymology
The term “effemination” comes in the etymological sense from the Latin term effeminatus , “effeminate”, “effeminate”. Effeminatus is a participle which has become an independent adjective in the Latin language in its linguistic development .
Effeminatus is a participle perfect passive , in the nominative singular of the masculine, from the verb effeminare (stem forms effemino, effeminavi, effeminatum ) 'soften'. The verb effeminare, on the other hand, is a compound from the prefix ex 'from', 'out' (with assimilation , i.e. articulatory simplification in the form of alignment with the following -f ) and the noun femina 'woman' (cf. feminine ); So 'make a woman', 'soften', 'pamper'.
The Latin verb effeminare has also been borrowed from other languages, e.g. B. to effeminate (English), effeminare (Italian), afeminar (Spanish) or efféminer (French).
Occur
Effemination in behavior
Effemination in men contradicts the classic male gender role and is rarely accepted in society. Particularly heterosexist and heteronormative attitudes and prejudices are a strong influence here, but also the fact that boys usually determine their rank among one another based on the fulfillment of male behavior patterns . Feminization through coercion is also possible, usually as a punishment, such as the radish punishment in ancient Greece.
According to Robert Jesse Stoller , one should distinguish between the natural femininity of men and an overly effeminate behavior. In the latter, he does not believe that he identifies with the role of women, but on the contrary, he recognizes an unconsciously hostile attitude towards women. Stoller sees it as a perversion of the libido as a result of a childhood trauma. Stoller advocates a sharp distinction between this effemination and gender identity irritation or disorder ( transsexualism ). According to Stoller, transsexuality is not a perversion, but a natural sexual variant .
Effemination is also sometimes associated with male homosexuality . RR Greenson writes about this phenomenon: "I have clinically gained the impression that the neurotic's fear of homosexuality, which is basically a fear of losing one's own gender identity, is more pronounced in men than in women."
The counterpart to effeminity is virility (see also Tomboy ).
Physical effemination
Diseases such as liver cirrhosis and hypogonadism or other forms such as testosterone deficiency or hormone replacement therapy using estrogens can lead to physical changes that can make a man appear androgynous or feminine. Usually testosterone and other hormone preparations are administered as compensation , such as B. in the genetically caused Klinefelter syndrome .
literature
- H. Begusch: Cross-dressing? Trans sex? Core gender? The construction of effemination as a representation of gender . Dissertation. University of Vienna , 1995.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Oliver Haag: When the homo sexually became homosexual, discourse on Richard von Krafft-Ebings: Psychopathia Sexualis . In: Web portal for the history of masculinity of the Institute for History of the University of Vienna.
- ^ Robert J. Stoller: Perversion. The erotic form of hate. Rowohlt 1979, p. 196.
- ↑ Tim Bergling: Sissyphobia: Gay Men and Effeminate Behavior . Harrington Park Press, New York 2001, ISBN 1-56023-990-5 .