Where am I on the scale of masculine to feminine?

[twopercent]

This is a question in a survey I am filling out. I don't know how to answer it. Very long heavy survey, quite important nationally.

I need to say where I fit on this scale, 0 being totally masculine and 10 being totally feminine.

Well, my first thought was 7ish.

I am a woman, but I don't think of myself as feminine particularly - I don't wear woman's clothing, I don't wear make up, I have short hair, I do my own DIY....

But then I thought, well, is it asking if I am a WOMAN? if so then yes, I am 100%, so should say 10?

I might contact the organisers and ask about this question, but nor sure how to frame it.

It must be about gender expression, as male/female is pretty binary. Very few people are less than 100% one or the other!

You could ask them to clarify… is it the breast cancer one? I used to do that.

I'd assume they're asking about social and cultural stereotypes.

I'm 100% female but not especially feminine.

What a weird question! Definitely email for clarification. It sounds like they are asking how well your appearance matches societal beauty standards/behaviour expectations for women? But what exactly are they talking about? And why would they even need to know that?

How have they framed the question? Is it sex or gender? Sex, is binary, so a scale isn't relevant. Gender, you could argue is a scale, but only if you think that wearing a dress or make up is an inherently gender specific thing, which it also isn't. I was around in the 80's...... So the survey has been badly put together, and is relying on gender norms which in fact don't exist.

I don't wear make up often, I live in jeans and jumpers in the Winter, dresses in the Summer. I have short, undyed white hair. I am 10/10 and adult human female, and 100% a woman.

I'd want to know what behaviours they count as masculine and feminine in their stereotypes.

Yesterday, I did ironing and sawed off a load of tree branches. I don't know whether thst makes me masculine or feminine, and more pertinently, I don't know what other people would think of me for doing those things.

Totally weird question. I’d kind of want to put a 5, but then wouldn’t want to feed into results like ‘73% of women don’t identify as a woman’

There is no scale of masculine to feminine.

Some traits are considered more masculine and some are considered more feminine, but they all vary as to mood and situation, and weather 🤷‍♀️

Maybe you could say something like: please can you clarify what you are measuring on this scale? Is this about looks, clothing, hobbies, etc? If so, could you provide a list of how you judge the relative feminist or masculinity of these elements? If you are basing them on stereotypes, could you give a brief description of the stereotypes you are referring to, please.

And come back to us with the response!

agree you should ask for clarification as it’s not a single line. So if I’m asked to solve a problem I may consider that I have a more masculine approach but if I’m asked whether I enjoy watching fighting I would say feminine. But I’d resent both questions as they are underpinned by stereotypes.

Every biological woman is 100% feminine whether we conform to imposed stereotypes or not. That question is a complete bolleaux.

What is this survey? Where did it come from?

I vary in masculinity and femininity depending on which 'microculture' I'm interacting with at any given time, or whether I'm spending time with my daughter, doing sporty things or lounging on the sofa. Sometimes I watch trash TV and a lot of the time I'm watching Star Trek.

Is Star Trek watching a masculine pursuit? I know LOADS of Trekkie women, in fact there are a lot of Trekkies on this board. Therefore it could be argued to be a feminine pursuit.

Last week I had a period, something only women do - does that make me less womanly now since I'm not having a period and men don't have periods.

I hate these stupid completely nonsensical questions! Might as well ask "are you a typical Libran or do you possess traits associated with the other star signs?".

You might gently tell them there is no scale. You are either male or female (even if you are one of a vanishing small number of people who have a DSD, and even then you would still be male or female).
One might say that there are nuances of masculine and feminine expression, but that has to do with personality.

I'm intrigued to know what this survey is! Do they account for cultural differences? My dh wears pink shirts. Does that make him more feminine? He's Italian though and doesn't equate pink shirts with being feminine - should I give him a few more masculine points? What on earth could this data be useful for?

Bizarre survey, whats it for, and why is it relevant?
Personally I wouldnt fill it out and if there was an option, Id say I dont identify as either construct, I just am.
If not Id write to them and say it, and point out many dont buy into these old fashioned boxes.

well, it is an important survey, so Iam still filling out the rest. I have left that blank for now.

This sort of shit question I would other go N/a or don’t know if available, or a 5 (absolute middle).

Perhaps they should have a couple of preliminary questions;
Were you born with a penis?
If yes, is it now in a jar of formaldehyde?

Can you just leave it blank? Or do you have to answer it?

I think I have to answer to submit, but the alternative is print out the survey and return by post, and I might do that instead. With comments on that question instead of an answer

I wouldn’t beable to take a sure seriously with a question like that in it.

What I mean is it is a very big, very long standing survey, involving thousands of people, every 5 years for many decades, and is used in many ways. I don't want to say what it is, because the demographic being surveyed is very specific, but it is a survey that matters.

I'd just answer 7, that was your gut feeling.

They should identify specific traits or behaviours and ask how relevant they are, eg how often do you clean/do childcare/wear makeup/change the oil in the car/think about the roman empire, and take it from there.