Proposal

Fallacies of Femininity

The presence of women in urban space

“The twentieth century urban skyscraper, a pinnacle of patricharchal symbology, is rooted in the masculine mystique of the big, the erect, the forceful – the full balloon of the inflated masculine ego.”

-Leslie Weisman²                                                

            Urban space has been dominated by masculinity beginning with even the architecture of the buildings. Women’s presence in the urban environment has often seemed awkward, as the mere construction of the city does not accommodate her.² A woman’s domain has been primarily inside the home, removed from the public. Since man has occupied the public ad become the leader of the public, it essentially leaves women ‘homeless.’¹ She is constantly living in a male-created world in which she is submissive and abides by the rules.  She has been a private entity, not to be seen or heard from. Female presence in urban space has obviously increased over time along with the opportunities afforded to us. However, there continues to be a dichotomy between femininity when in the urban setting as opposed to the rural. An urban or suburban woman has a completely different life experience than does one in a rural area. Urban women are known to be working women, whether you are working in office or in the streets. The word ‘urban’ becomes a connotation for sexuality and pleasure, an individual woman in the city becoming a ‘public woman’ or prostitute.³ Even in the office, women are subjected to sexual discrimination and unfair wages. Women in management positions are often stigmatized as being too “harsh” or manly,” often being labeled a “bitch.” Queen bee syndrome has come to describe a woman who, when she gets into a position of authority does not help other women rise through the ranks (Association for Psychological Science). In rural areas, women are not stigmatized as prostitutes nor are they associated with being business women. This distinct separation within femininity in urban space is intriguing. This is precisely why I chose to focus on the urban rather than the rural.

            The dichotomy between these two types of ‘working women’ exhibit exactly how space can impact a so-called social construct. Femininity is not just a social construct. It relies on its atmosphere as much as its atmosphere helps to shape it as a whole. The workplace is an especially intriguing setting when it comes to female presence. Spatializing gender is essential to finding out how we can improve our circumstances in any region we choose to occupy.