I, personally, do not agree with this psychiatrist's definition of the role of women in 1960. It might have been in upper middle class Vienna of 1890, from which the Freudian concepts are derived, But that was 70 years ago. I have the feeling that we have need to be less static about the relationship of the sexes about what consititutes masculinity and femininity and what are the limits of each.
Again, may I cite a case as illustration. (Cases, of course, prove nothing. They are used merely to simplify.) A blind woman came to see me, escorted by her 19year-old son. She told me that sho had sensed that his friends were homosexual. He had denied it. Would I speak with him and let her know? Alone with me, the lad made no effort to conceal the truth. However, the fact that he was a homosexual is not the important issue here. It was his appearance. He was dainty, delicate, very beautiful and blond. He would have looked stunning in whito shiffon.
As scientists we must at once ask ourselves, how mascu~ line is he? If an endocrinologist were to examine him there would doubtless be no evidence as to which direction he veers. Anatomically, he is obviously male. In relation to our current, cultural stereotype, however, he is definitely un-male. In fact, our stereotype is difficult for many males to fit.
In Study of this subject made by Mrs. Helen Mayer Hacker, sociologist, (2) we find that our society has given the male of the species almost an impossible role to fill. Ho is conceived of as largo and brawny, and ruthless in his progress to success. As a son, before his marriage, he is obedient, docile and submissive with his parents, but even then he is aggressive and competitive with his peers. As a husband, he must be the sturdy, protective, supportive oak, aggressive in sex but with delicate considerati on of overy nuance of his sexual mate, to awaken her with proper techniques at Just the exact moment to the most exhilarating of all eostasies.
If this, then, is the accepted pattern, could we wonder that the delicate flower this mother brought to me would not be able to identify with it in any way. He would not
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