Final answer:
Feminine culture is defined by societal values that prioritize cooperation, caring, and quality of life. It's a construct that varies internationally and is challenged by feminist ethics which push for an ethics of care, and by cultural anthropologists who study gender role enactment.
Step-by-step explanation:
A feminine culture is characterized by values and social norms that emphasize cooperation, modesty, caring for the weak, and quality of life. Femininity in different cultures is constructed through social norms, and varies significantly across societies. While traits like gentleness and emotion are broadly categorized as feminine, the expression of these traits is deeply influenced by cultural context. For instance, the wearing of skirts, considered feminine in many Western cultures, is masculine in others. Scholars such as Simone de Beauvoir and Carol Gilligan have critiqued and analyzed the social construct of femininity extensively, arguing that it is a learned behavior and not an inherent biological characteristic.
Furthermore, feminist ethics challenge the traditional norms which celebrate masculine traits like strength and rationale as the ideal standards for human behavior. They promote an ethics of care, supporting morality centered on interpersonal relationships, sensitivity, and empathy, traits often associated with femininity. Cultural anthropologists and sociologists use frameworks like symbolic interactionism to understand how gender roles are enacted and understood in daily interactions, highlighting how culturally embedded notions of femininity and masculinity perform important functions in society.