 Relationships (Outline) |
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Awomance is a close but non-sexual, non-romantic relationship between two or morewomen.[1][2][3][4][5][6] It is an exceptionally tightaffectional,homosocialfemale bonding relationship exceeding that of usual friendship, and is distinguished by a particularly high level of emotional intimacy.
The wordwomance is aportmanteau of the wordswoman andromance.[7] The emergence of the termsbromance and womance has been seen as reflecting increased relationship-seeking as a modern behavior.[6] Although womance is sometimes seen as the female flip side ofbromance,[8][9] some have seen different nuances in thesocial construction of the two concepts.[1][2][10] Hammarén sees "different values assigned to male and female friendships"[further explanation needed] and a dissimilarity in the "underlying power relation between the concepts",[2][further explanation needed] and Winch has asserted several differences in the social construction.[1][further explanation needed]
Examples of film womances seem to be less prevalent thanbromances.[2]In Her Shoes (2005),Baby Mama (2008),The Women (2008),Bride Wars (2009),The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants (2005),Desatanakkili Karayarilla, an Indian Malayalam language movie (1986), andBridesmaids (2011) have been seen as womances, and their characteristics andtropes discussed.[1] Winch expands on the assertion that "The womance can be distinguished from earlier friendship films because of its focus on the female self as entrepreneurial self-project."[1] She sees differences from bromance, in "practices of consumption and hypervisability differentiates their togetherness from the togetherness of the buddies of the bromance" as well as dissimilar themes—girlfriend competition, female solidarity in the face of concerns about economic security andbridezilla behavior.
The Australian feature filmJucy (2010) is billed as a "womantic comedy".[11][12]Frances Ha (2013) has been seen as a character study, with two close female protagonists, who "have quite a womance going".[13]
Several 2010's TV series feature notable "womances"[14] as well as the earlier TV seriesLaverne and Shirley[15] andMel & Sue.[16]
"Womance" has also been used to describe the real life friendship between female celebrities.[8][17]
In the Now.Here Book Saga, the main character, Kiona, has a strong womance relationship with Rubecula, but is also shared with her closest friends like Abenanka and Birtá.
