Ok, so I have been called an "Alpha Female" and it may sounds like a good thing, too much of any good thing can be bad (as in cookies and maybe chocolate - I reserve judgement on the chocolate though)
Something you have to understand about me - I am a woman in a male dominated field. Just like IT, I am located on a base where the authority is mostly male. Not always bad, just that some men suck where I wish others would.
Anyways, I read something like this:
"The change in women’s social roles has led to the development of the concept of the alpha female, but currently there is no way to measure the construct. The present study discusses the development of a 14-item measure of an alpha female personality that is consistent with current definitions and examines the measure with respect to similar constructs (e.g., self-esteem, emotional intelligence, leadership, and sex-role). The three scales of the Alpha Female Inventory (leadership, strength, and low introversion) were positively related to self-esteem, emotional intelligence, the Student Leadership Profile Inventory, and masculine traits as measured by Bem’s Sex-Role Inventory. The Alpha Female Inventory can be used to identify women who embody alpha leadership qualities and to aid in our overall understanding of women as leaders."
And think - WTF - women have ALWAYS been leaders - otherwise there would be no children and thus no human population. Because when you get right down to it, men want US - WOMEN, they want to get into our pants (lol, love that phrase...) and there is no real subsitute for sex with us. So, yeah we have had to fight for getting laws made to make us "equal" in they eyes because let's face it, life for a woman has been a bitch for way too long. However, we have power. We just didn't always realize it until someone other woman pointed it out to us. Or told us how to use it. I am not saying sex is the ONLY power we have, but it is a good one. One bat of an eyelash, shake of a hip and heavens forbid a bit of cleavage and men stop - just stop.
And if you think about it, there have always been alpha females, just like there has always been alpha males. We lead the pack, we protect and care for the pack. We make sure the pack is going to survive. Wow, that sounds just like a fucking MOM. Hmmm, maybe all moms are really Alpha females in their own ways.
Society, now Society is just getting on the band wagon that there is a "new" Alpha female. One just like the Alpha male where we are confident, smart, sexy and always get our ways. Hmmm, sounds like most women I know.
"In the past, growing girls and women were taught to submerge these characteristics. Sometimes they were shamed or punished or even physically harmed when they used them. Today, those characteristics are applauded and rewarded, especially in the world of business and profession. Today you can be proud of them."
Granted, the last 1900 years or so have been bad, harsh and damn straight nasty for many/most women. However, the above just proves that there has always been Alpha's and that at the time(s) society dictated what was and was not acceptable. Fucking media.
"About 40% of the human female and male population is alpha. At their best, these characteristics allow the alpha female to fiercely protect and provide for herself and her family and to be a leader in the workplace and in her community."
So in other words, just a hair shy less than half the woman kick ass on a regular basis. I don't necessarily agree that Alpha females run in packs, as some have suggested. I think we do what we need to do period. So we're smart and have our girlfriends back us up when we need. Its not like we have our girlfriends every second of the day, to help on every single thing. We stand alone for most of it.
Also, we those to seem to think us Alpha females feel ourselves as perfect know it alls who deserves everything. Well guess what, bullshit. We're alpha for usually a couple reasons. Some are lucky enough to have parents that raised us to kick ass. Others, like me, were brought to kick ass but life trying to suck the joy right out of us and we said fuck you get your own life. If you really think that the prima donna's in HS were all alpha female, guess again. Granted they might have shown the fake little world of HS this type of attitude, but that does mean those Prima's were feeling it. So please don't confuse a down right bitch with an Alpha female.
Others try to say its all our hormones...which I can see a little bit. After all, its usually after we have a kid that we get seriously protective of our family. However, I really don't see how that can be ALL of it. An Alpha is a woman with a will.
Society and Media have really tried to force whatever the current trend is on a woman, and I'm sorry but almost all the women I know are really fucking busy to sit down and view what stupid shit is in front of them. If we, as a whole, took the time and then actually DID something about it, we would change the image we want to be mirrored...and not have this stupid shit mirrored already at us.
I am guilty of this. I don't normally have the time to really research, look into, talk about and figure out all the damn answers when I want to. I sorta go with my gut (which I do trust) and try to research when I have time. I took time to research organic food, and still do so on a regular basis because it's really important to me. When some stupid shit happens in my life, I go and do research and try to figure out whats best...but I also know that is one of MY strengths and not all Alpha's are strong in the same ways...
So, I know I am an Alpha because, I think for me personally, I don't let people change me. I believe in me. I trust myself. I love myself. I am not perfect. I am not some drop dead beautiful CEO who rules the roost. I am a mother, a sister, a best friend and someone who give fucking cares.
So deal with it :)
Sources:
http://alphadominance.com/?p=647
http://www.articleclick.com/Article/Alpha-Female-What-is-her-Role-/1061379
http://www.winningatlovebook.com/alpha-female-characteristics.htm
http://jlo.sagepub.com/content/17/3/309.short
