Androgyny: back to the future?

Psychological androgyny

Have you ever looked at a passerby and wondered if it was a man or a woman? It must have happened. If you look at girls and guys of sixteen years old and not only, we will see a mass passion for the direction, style, first of all, in clothes, which is called the word unisex . Relaxed walk, loose knee-length sweater, skinny jeans and sneakers. Young men loitering on the street? A young couple - boy and girl? Or even two girls? Who knows, because today we cannot determine the gender of modern youth by their clothes. Today's teenagers of both sexes are relatively malleable to fashion trends.

The main feature of unisex style items is the complete, emphasized absence of signs indicating the gender of their owner, that is, androgyny features are introduced into the appearance. Unisex - a gift for fashion designers. The exponents of this style are now in great demand in the fashion industry, as they can outwardly resemble both men and women. This is very convenient both for modeling clothes and for trading them. It seems that ignoring sexual restrictions in clothing is not an attempt to shock, but a way of life. But soon these young people will graduate, go to work with a formal dress code - how will this trend develop further?

In our time, clothing has become an expression of psychological androgyny. Mental androgyny is also manifested in the desire of women to become like men, and not only in clothes: what is only women's boxing or wrestling worth! Some men do not lag behind, deliberately emphasizing some femininity and beauty in themselves. More recently, floral prints, sheer chiffon and lace have moved into the men's wardrobe.

In the religious mythology of many peoples, it is mentioned that the first man was created by an androgyne and only then was divided into a man and a woman. It is interesting that Plato in the dialogue "Feast" tells the myth about androgynes - the ancestors of people who combine sexual characteristics. N. Berdyaev notes a similar concept in ancient teachings: “A person deserves this name only insofar as he combines a man and a woman, both principles. And he was originally created by an androgyne . In fact, even today each of us carries within himself, in his character, the traits of both a man and a woman, with a predominance of traits of one of the sexes.

Is the desire for gender unification accidental?

Women

Style "unisex" (English unisex; also "unisex") appeared, apparently, as a result of a change in the male and female roles in modern society. Let's talk a little about changing the role of women in society. Talk about what a woman should be is very controversial. Some say that a woman should be weak, others, on the contrary, believe that she should be strong and self-sufficient.

In the recent past, it was believed that a woman should serve her children, her husband, she is responsible for order in the house. In short, “weather in the house” is the responsibility of a woman. A woman could rarely express herself outside her home, and this did not add to her happiness. So the unhappy mother passed on the scenario of unhappiness to her children. It is so arranged by nature that children copy the scenarios of their behavior from the environment. However, now circumstances are developing in such a way that a woman has to take on at least part of the responsibilities for providing the family with money. This means that you need to take care of the profession, work, earnings.

As the role changes, so does her self-awareness: she gains independence, firmness, and confidence that she can do everything that a man can do. Femininity has become synonymous with stupidity and infantilism. And to achieve everything by yourself is considered the only possible way to live with dignity and right. You should be exclusively a person, but not a woman. It is forgotten that a woman has a special mindset, that she is endowed with wisdom and heightened intuition, foreboding. In the end, only she is predestined to give birth, and the child cannot grow up full-fledged if she feels a lack of personal attention from the mother.

As you can see, the pendulum of the characteristics of what a woman should be has swung in a sharply opposite direction. Briefly, but very expressively, this point of view was characterized by Margaret Thatcher: “If you want to say something, ask a man. If you want something done, ask a woman . As always, the truth is somewhere between the poles.

Men

The shift in the usual gender role also applies to men. The stereotype of a male earner, as well as a female housewife, has not been working for a long time, the spouses have become equal partners. Ideas about masculinity are also undergoing changes, freeing themselves from previous stereotypes. More recently, a "real man" was not supposed to show his emotions. He does not cry, rarely talks about his feelings, but expresses them with deeds. To be a man is, first of all, “not to be a woman”, that is, to reject the female component of your personality. He is distinguished by responsibility, the ability to admit mistakes and responsibility for those whom he took under his wing.

The modern man is actively involved in the life of the family and takes his role as a father more seriously than ever. More and more men are cutting back on their workloads to spend more time at home. They establish a trusting relationship with their children from the very first years of their lives, whereas in the past, caring for a small child was considered the exclusive responsibility of the mother.

In our time, a man has received the right to greater emotionality and even to weakness, or rather, to what was previously considered weakness. He takes care of his appearance and enjoys shopping. An important attribute of masculinity today is independence and respect for friends. They are followed by financial stability, attractiveness and an active sex life. It was generally accepted that when a man and a woman approach each other, the man should take the first step. Now it will not surprise anyone if this notorious first step is taken by a woman.

The peculiarities of shifting gender roles could be continued, but the above facts already show a tendency towards their convergence. It follows from this that the appearance of the unisex style is not accidental. There is something new and attractive about a generation that doesn't judge colleagues by things. What is it, the new generation of men and women? What will they become?

Will we become creatures with an androgenic psyche? Or will we be smart, receptive, creative, cheerful people, each with its own peculiarity and zest? Perhaps the future man will think more not about his brutal self, but about his inner world, and thanks to this he will be able to open up more fully. Men do not always feel confident today, but in general they are doing quite well!

Women , having won the right to happiness, realized that in order to exercise this right, they need a man next to them. Ready to understand and support. Accomplished and versatile. Responsible and able to make decisions.

We are living in a difficult transitional period. Every moment in life changes it into "before" and "after", but everything always happens on time and by the way, believe me. Although we sometimes do not understand and do not accept. Let's try to treat with confidence what is happening, what is changing, and then, I am sure, fate will present unexpected gifts. Let's not forget that every turning point in life is a step forward.