Stereotyped views of active masculinity and passive femininity have recently come under increasingly critical scrutiny. From the abstract to the practical, the authors see a growth of efforts toward equality of social opportunity regardless of biological differences. The central thesis of the paper is that women are repeatedly subject to experiences which entail loss of control which serves not only to explain the stereotyped view of passive femininity but also to guide our understanding of personality development, sex roles and current social controversy concerning females' need for personal identity. (Author/SBP)