The norms of female behavior: Traditional and contemporary models

Abstract

The article aims to extract major components of women's behavior norms from the analysis of theoretical publications in gender studies. Then on the basis of these norms the article describes a traditional normative model of female behavior and a contemporary model. The analysis of publications in gender studies has allowed to highlight three groups of normative prescriptions within female gender roles: norms of women's attitude to marriage and motherhood, norms of female behavior during interpersonal communications, norms of women's care about their appearance. Gender phenomena are analyzed that characterize typical problems of women following traditional female norms: the conflict of roles of a working woman, fear of motherhood, all-consuming motherhood, sacrificial motherhood, syndrome of an empty nest, idealization of motherhood, female communication style, emotional donor syndrome, sandwich generation syndrome, exaggerated femininity. dominant-dependent relationship model, weak power strategy, sexual objectivation and self-objectivation of women. Some behavioral practices are highlighted that help to realize a contemporary model of female behavior. These phenomena include reaching work-family balance, joint parenting, partner relationship model, healthy lifestyle.