Femininity

In this episode of Overthink, Dr. Ellie Anderson and Dr. David Peña-Guzman delve into the resurgence of traditional femininity in contemporary culture, particularly among young women, as seen in trends like trad wife content, cottagecore, and the divine feminine movement on social media. They analyze the phenomenon through the lens of Simone de Beauvoir's "The Second Sex," discussing how femininity is a social construct that subordinates women, impacting their self-perception, economic opportunities, and bodily autonomy. The hosts explore the aesthetic aspects of femininity, the influence of beauty standards, and the complexities of choice feminism, while also considering the perspectives of French feminists like Hélène Cixous and her concept of "écriture féminine" as a means of reclaiming women's voices and bodies through subversive writing.