GENDER IDENTITY BALANCE CONCEPTUALIZATION IN ASTROLOGICAL DISCOURSE

КОНЦЕПТУАЛИЗАЦИЯ БАЛАНСА ГЕНДЕРНОЙ ИДЕНТИЧНОСТИ В АСТРОЛОГИЧЕСКОМ ДИСКУРСЕ

Научная статья

Голодная В.Н.*

Невинномысский институт экономики, управления и права, Невинномысск, Россия

* Корреспондирующий автор (verunchik10[at]mail.ru)

Аннотация

Статья посвящена концептуализации баланса гендерной идентичности человека в астрологическом дискурсе. Гипотеза исследования состоит в том, что индивид, независимо от своего биологического пола, обладает как традиционно мужскими, так и традиционно женскими качествами, которые проявляются в большей или меньшей степени в зависимости от ситуации. Исследование проводилось на материале аутентичных астрологических текстов, посвященных описанию мужчин, женщин и детей как представителей определенного знака зодиака. В результате исследования было выявлено, что гендерная идентичность, концептуализированная средствами астрологического дискурса, проявляется как баланс маскулинных и феминных черт в личности референта, а не как их асимметрия. Баланс гендерной идентичности дает более глубокое понимание индивида, чем просто представителя мужского или женского гендера.

Ключевые слова: гендер, гендерная асимметрия, маскулинность, феминность, стереотип, баланс гендерной иденичности.

GENDER IDENTITY BALANCE CONCEPTUALIZATION IN ASTROLOGICAL DISCOURSE

Research article

Golodnaya V.N.*

Nevinnomyssk institute of economics, management and law, Nevinnomyssk, Russia

* Corresponding author (verunchik10[at]mail.ru)

Abstract

The manuscript deals with the issue of gender identity balance conceptualization presented by means of astrological discourse. We hypothesize that an individual possesses both male and female features in different proportions, whose revelation level depends on the situation and the dominant social role at a particular time. The analysis is conducted on the authentic astrological texts devoted to the description of men, women and children as representatives of a certain zodiac sign. As a result, we have been able to conclude that gender identity, conceptualized by means of astrological discourse, reveals a balance of masculine and feminine qualities in a referent of either gender, rather contrasts feminine and masculine images. Gender identity balance makes it possible to see a person as a full-fledged individual beyond the framework of just being male or female.

Keywords: gender, gender asymmetry, masculinity, femininity, stereotype, gender identity balance.

Introduction

Gender is regarded as a “social and cultural sex” [1, P. 120] and gender stereotypes are built according to the expected traits and features revealed by males and females as well as on the unwritten rules of behavior the representatives of both genders are supposed to follow.

Gender systems vary in different cultures, but, as a number of researchers point out [2], [3], [4], these systems are always asymmetrical in such a way that males and everything “masculine” (traits of character, behavior models, way of life, occupations, etc.) are believed to be meaningful and important while everything “feminine” is considered to be inferior and trivial. Gender system as such reflects asymmetrical values and expectations addressed to men and women. Social rules may change during the time, but gender inequality remains, nevertheless.

Behavior models for both genders are constructed according to gender stereotypes, which can be defined as “a schematized, highly generalized sample of masculinity and femininity” [5, P. 120]. Such samples are oversimplified, on the one hand, and non-real, on the other. It means that there is no living male or female who would completely fit an existing stereotype. In real life, traditionally masculine and feminine features are often ambiguous, and social expectations of males and females can differ depending on a person’s age, social status, religion, education, occupation, etc., even in the framework of one and the same culture. For example, a female politician or a police officer is more “masculine” than a female teacher or a housewife, and a male pediatrician is more “feminine” than a male construction worker or a sailor.

In our research we hypothesize that an individual possesses both male and female features in different proportions, whose revelation level depends on the situation and the dominant social role at a particular time. Moreover, a gender-balanced individual is a final result of a gender identity search, meaning that a person both remains true to him / herself and is accepted by society as its full-fledged member.

The concept of gender in astrological discourse

Our article is an attempt to analyze the way gender identity balance is conceptualized in the astrological discourse. Everyday, or routine astrology does not picture the real life; it shows the life, which people would like to see. It appeals to a human desire to find a harmony within his / her inner and outside world as well as within the universe as a whole. Astrology touches upon almost all spheres of our life by means different types of horoscopes: date, financial, business, travel, health, professional, etc.

Gender as a social category and a cultural phenomenon is also conceptualized in astrological discourse. First, each zodiac sign has a ruling planet, which we see as “males” – Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Mercury, Neptune and Uranus or “females” – Venus and the Moon. In horoscopes, planets are personified by means of epithets, denoting masculine and feminine characteristics. For example, Venus as a female is romantic, enchanting, aesthetically minded, flirtatious while Mars as a male is powerful, assertive, energizing.

Second, all zodiac signs are divided into male (Aries, Gemini, Leo, Libra, Sagittarius, and Aquarius) and female (Taurus, Cancer, Virgo, Scorpio, Capricorn, and Pisces). This categorization has nothing to do with biological sex. It is connected with a person’s energy type and life strategy. The representatives of the first group are supposed to be independent, freedom-loving, open-minded and highly energetic. The second group is described as reserved, introvert, careful and patient as well as hard-working and goal-oriented.

Males and females in astrological discourse

Each zodiac sign has its male and female variants. Let us compare and contrast male and female versions of some zodiac signs.

The Taurus female is independent and emotionally strong. She wants to lead her life on her own terms. The zodiac Taurus woman personality traits show she is good at keeping her emotions in check most of the time. And she is likely to be creative and artistic.

Taurus man’s zodiac traits are synonymous with the determined man. He will always accomplish his goals. He enjoys physical activity and strives to enjoy the finer things in life. It is likely that he will be somewhat selfish and not want to share his possessions with anyone.

As we can see from the samples above, a typical Taurus female and male have some similar characteristics: both genders are described as strong, self-controlled, goal –oriented personalities (female – independent, emotionally strong, lead her life on her own terms, good at keeping her emotions in check; male – determined, always accomplish his goals). One more similarity is love of beautiful things (female – artistic and creative, male – enjoy the finer things in life).

The samples comparison reveals a gender blending in a person astrological conceptualization. Thus, independence and determination, which are traditionally regarded as masculine traits, are ascribed to a woman while creativity and art loving, stereotypically seen as a feminine domain are found in a man. A Taurus male also keeps such masculine features as selfishness and fondness of being physically active.

The Pisces woman could just be the most mature and sophisticated of all the zodiac signs. Pisces females always seem to know what they are doing now and what they are going to do next. She is a guardian angel in disguise to people in need.

The Pisces male is possibly the most emotional and spiritual man out of all the other zodiac signs. He is likely to be generous and helpful to his friends, as well as other people in need. His intuition and psychic abilities can be put to good use for the betterment of mankind.

Pisces people of both genders seem to possess purely feminine traits. What is interesting, feministic traits appear be to better developed in males than females. A Pisces man has a whole set of feminine qualities: he is described as emotional and spiritual, helpful and generous with intuition and psychic abilities. It is implied that other males should have some of these features, too (can be put to good use for the betterment of mankind).

Scorpio women are independent and determined individuals. She leads an unbalanced life. Almost every aspect of her life seems to be on one extreme or another. She is a good leader and has excellent skills of communication.

The Scorpio man zodiac personality would rather be in charge and giving the orders. The Scorpio male is always on the look out for new opportunities. They are extremely ambitious and have the ability to look at the bigger picture before making important decisions.

Although Scorpio belongs to a “female” zodiac group, masculine qualities are dominant in its representatives of both genders: independence, determination, leadership, ambitiousness. Females possess some negative traits of leading an unbalanced life and being prone to extremes. These, however, are made up for by a number of positive ones. The sample frame construction (the sentences containing negative descriptions are put in the middle) encourages readers to focus upon the “good” part of the statement. The use of the verb “seem” mitigates the negative impact and makes the sentence sound less categorical.

The table given below introduces us to male and female personalities of all the twelve zodiac signs.

 

Table 1 – Male and female personalities of all the twelve zodiac signs

Zodiac sign	Male	Female
Aries	adventurous, physically active, loving, caring, independent, passionate	energetic, passionate, independent, loyal
Taurus	determined, goal-oriented, sophisticated, selfish	independent, emotional, artistic, creative
Gemini	intelligent, social, anxious, easily stressed	intelligent, knowledgeable, emotionally unstable, social
Cancer	practical, reserved, secretive, helpful, loyal, intuitive	loving, caring, sensitive, shy
Leo	confident, bossy, flamboyant, proud, ambitious	strong, independent, confident, bossy

 

End of table 1 – Male and female personalities of all the twelve zodiac signs

Zodiac sign	Male	Female
Virgo	observant, perfectionist, slow, attentive, reserved	honest, efficient, meticulous, orderly
Libra	friendly, amicable, non-conflict, non-violent	balanced, peaceful, aloof, detached
Scorpio	determined, independent, bossy, stubborn, goal-oriented	determined, independent, prone to extremes, a leader
Sagittarius	sociable, flexible, adaptable, indecisive, disoriented	curious, logical, reserved, secretive, reserved, sociable
Capricorn	ambitious, hard-working, quiet, practical, simple-minded	determined, hard-working, resourceful, confident, loyal, caring
Aquarius	independent, creative, freedom-loving, adventurous, determined, ambitious	imaginative, freedom-loving, intelligent, creative
Pisces	emotional, spiritual, intuitive, generous, helpful	mature, sophisticated, sympathetic, helpful

 

Like there are no 100 per cent good and 100 per cent bad people, there are no absolutely “masculine” males and absolutely “feminine” females. Each person seems to combine these opposite features in his or her personality in different proportions. Despite certain gender-based differences, there are some similar qualities found in both male and female representatives of each zodiac sign: Aries people are independent and passionate, Tauruses are determined and creative, Gemini are intelligent and social, Cancers are caring and reserved, Leos are confident and bossy, Virgos are orderly and shy, Libras are balance-oriented, Scorpios are determined, independent and bossy, Sagitariuses are sociable, Capricorns are hard-working, Aquariuses are creative and freedom-loving and Pisces are generous and helpful.

Moreover, some qualities can be applied to both masculine (outside) and feminine (inside) worlds. For example, being hard-working is a masculine feature when it comes to earning money and ambitiousness and a feminine one when it comes to caring for a family and bringing up kids. Some qualities are ambivalent and can be seen as good or bad depending on a situation. For instance, generosity is a good thing when applied to family and friends, but a bad one when it is given to strangers. Stubbornness is good when one stands for one’s values and principles, but bad when it is directed at a closer circle of people – spouses, dates, kids, close friends.

Children in astrological discourse

It is interesting to note that child’s personalities are also seen and described as zodiac signs’ representatives. According to the introduction to kids’ astrology, “parents can learn how to better understand their children and to learn what they could grow up to be like”.

The use of the verb “understand” instead of, for instance “bring up” implies that we should accept others, even kids as they are rather than try to change them. Modal verbs “can” and “could” prevent the statement from sounding omnipotent and universal.

Let us consider the samples of kids’ horoscopes belonging to different zodiac signs.

Taurus child can be highly emotional, but also very loving. These children can be stubborn, but that just makes them more determined to complete their goals. Caring for a Taurus child is not always easy, but it is always rewarding.

Scorpio child is full of life, and they sometimes can be hard to understand. They are passionate about the things they love, hateful when others hurt them, secretive when they need to be and lovable when they feel safe. These kids have a lot going on, and they need a loving parent to guide them.

Pieces kids are highly imaginative. They love creating new things all the time. They take a little longer than most signs to get their own independence, but they make friends just fine. Also, they are lovely to their family members.

The first outstanding feature of kids’ horoscopes is that they are gender neutral. Zodiac signs’ representatives are referred to as child, children, kids rather than boys and girls. Since personality traits are built and developed in childhood, it would be fair to state that gender differences and contrasts adults have to face are a matter of upbringing and social rules we are to follow whether we want to or not.

The second thing is that an astrological child identity consists of both traditionally male and female qualities. For example, a Taurus kid is “masculine” due to being determined and emotional and “feminine” because of being highly emotional and very loving; Scorpio children combine love and hatred, passion, secrecy and dependence on others; Pieces kids are creative, depending, loving and friendly.

The personality balance is achieved by a mixture of positive and negative traits in almost equal proportions in such a way that the reader’s attention remains focused on good things, and bad things become compensated for or mitigated. For instance, the adversary conjunction “but” used when describing a Taurus child personality highlights the positive parts of the statements (but also very loving; but always rewarding; but that just makes them more determined to complete their goals) and lessens the impact of the negative ones (highly emotional, stubborn, not always easy). The same function of but can be noted in the Pisces horoscope (They take a little longer than most signs to get their own independence, but they make friends just fine).

The negative traits of a Scorpio kids are justified by negative situations (hateful when others hurt them, secretive when they need to be). At the same time, highly positive traits are revealed in favorable circumstances (passionate about things they love, lovable when they feel safe). The astrologist thus implies that the change of environment rather than a personality is required (they need a loving parent to guide them).

Conclusion

In conclusion we would like to highlight the following issues.

Masculine and feminine qualities are cultural and social phenomenon rather than a matter of a person’s biological sex.

Gender stereotypes oversimplify our perception of ourselves and people around us and exist in social rules, values and expectations rather than in real life.

Gender roles are interconnected with lots of factors such as age, ethnicity, social status, occupation, etc., and depending on them, masculinity and femininity can be revealed in both males and females.

Everyday non-professional astrology does not present the world in the way it really is, but rather in the way we would like to see it. And we want to be seen as unique and complex beings, with both positive and negative traits. Consciously or subconsciously each persons strives for a balance between his / her inner and outside world, which means being accepted by a social group without having to bend to its rules too much.

If we present masculinity and femininity in the form of two circles standing far apart, gender identity balance can be regarded as their crossing.

Fig. 1 – Masculinity and femininity in the form of two circles

 

As we can see the mutual surface of masculinity and femininity is not a circle, but a different shape, which means that gender identity balance is not just a simple sum of masculine and feminine features, but a new unique identity.

Gender identity balance is conceptualized in astrological discourse by combining both masculine and feminine qualities in one person (zodiac sign’s representative), thus making him/her a much more complicated personality than just a male or a female.

Конфликт интересов Не указан.

Conflict of Interest None declared.

 

Список литературы / References

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Список литературы на английском языке / References in English

1. Denisova I. V. Gendernaya identichnost’ yazykovoi lichnosti [Gender identity of a linguistic personality] / V. Denisova, L. A. Nefyodova // Lingvisticheskiie asdpekty issledovaniya identichnosti v izmenyayushemsya mire [Linguistic aspects of identity research in a changing world]: a collective monograph. – Chelyabinsk, 2012. – P. 43-57. [in Russian]
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