GENDER- FAIR LANGUAGE

Gender-Fair Language (GFL) aims at reducing gender stereotyping and discrimination. Two principles
strategies have been employed to make languages gender-fair and to treat women and men
symmetrically.

TWO PRINCIPLES STRATEGIES

1. Gender Neutral Language. This strategy involves using language that does not specify or
emphasize gender.
2. Gender Balanced Language. This strategy aims to ensure balanced representation of both
genders in language usage.

FANCTIONS OF LAGUAGE

1. Medium of Communication. is a body of signs, symbols, sounds and words with significant
meanings which used for communications.
2. Instrument for building Civilizations. It is a building block, adhesive, and essential means of
developing science, technology and arts.

WHAT IS SEXISM IN LANGUAGE?

It is the use of language which devalues members of one sex, almost invariably women, and fosters
gender inequality.

CONCERNS ABOUT MERE WORDS

1. Language articulates consciousness

2. Language reflects cultures and values in our cultures
3. Language affects Socializations

SEXISM

To foster gender equality and combat sexism language, it is important to promote the use of gender-
fair language strategies that treat all genders with respect and avoid perpetuating stereotypes.

Filipino language was originally Gender-fair:

In the English language, there is a distinction between;

*he & she (third person)

*son & daughter (kids)

*husband & wife (siblings)

*brother & sister (sibling)

*hero & heroine (lead)

In filipino, regardless of the gender/ sex;

*It is always '' siya''

*It is always ''anak''

*It is always "asawa"

*It is always "kapatid''

*It is always "bayani"

IMPORTANCE OF GENDER-FAIR LANGUAGE

It helps reduce gender stereotyping, promotes social change and contributes to achieving gender
equality.

Social inequality is characterized by the existence of unequal opportunities and

rewards for different social positions or statuses within a group or society. It contains
structured and recurrent patterns of unequal distributions of goods, wealth, opportunities,
rewards, and punishments.

Two main ways to measure social inequality:

Inequality of conditions

refers to the unequal distribution of income, wealth, and

material goods.

Inequality of opportunities

refers to the unequal distribution of life chances

across individuals. This is reflected in measures such as level of education, health
status, and treatment by the criminal justice system.

2 Main Theories

1. Functionalist theorists

Functionalism views the society as a system that is created of different

parts. Each part has a specific function in the society.

2. Conflict theorists

The conflict theory highlights that various groups within the society have
different interests that can lead to conflict.

GENDER ISSUES IN NATURAL RESOURCES

It provides a comprehensive overview that identifies the main economic, social and
environmental impacts, as well as the opportunities for incorporating gender perspectives into
public policies for natural resources in the region. One of the main factors that has created a
differentiated impact between men and women is the unequal access to ownership and control of
natural resources, which creates a gender gap in natural resource governance.

GENDER GAP

A gender-based inequality; it is any disparity in treatment or situation between women and

men, often rooted in social, cultural and legal norms and customs.
 Gender gaps create barriers to effective sustainable development and livelihoods by limiting or
restricting women’s access to resources and decision-making opportunities.

 Under Gender Gap

Unequal and Insecure Rights over Land
Land is essential in securing livelihood resources, including shelter, food and income;
facilitating access to decision-making power and maintaining cultural identity. Access to and secure
tenure over land is also closely linked to natural resource access and management, such as water
and forest resources, with benefits for sustainable ecosystems.

UNDERREPRESENTATION IN NATURAL RESOURCE DECISION MAKING AND LEADERSHIP

In many communities, cultural norms and time-intensive household care duties often
impede women’s abilities to participate in community consultations and decision-making processes
about sustainable management initiatives

 women make up less than 25% of all national parliamentarians around the world.
 where women hold only 12% of top ministerial positions in environment-related sectors
worldwide, as well as in district or community level committees, where women are generally
underrepresented.

REGIONAL GENDER AGENDA

seeks to close the gaps in this area by supporting public policies that guarantee women’s
autonomy and rights, and by presenting recommendations to address the causes of inequality,
policy proposals and perspectives in favor of gender equality, women’s human rights,
intersectionality and interculturality, parity-based democracy and inclusive sustainable
development

Dimensions of gender and natural resources in Latin America and the Caribbean
(ECLAC, 2017)

Women and men interact in different ways with natural resources and the care economy, both
in unpaid activities in the household (e.g. managing water, energy and food) and in income-
generating activities inside or outside the household (e.g. land tenure and agricultural work).
This is a result of culture, but it also has to do with their relationships with the territory, the
environment and biodiversity.
Inequalities related to traditional gender roles lead to pronounced inequalities in time use.
Globally, women spend 2.6 times more time on unpaid domestic and care work than men (UN-
Women, 2018). In Latin America and the Caribbean, the average is slightly higher, with women
working 2.8 hours for every hour of unpaid work that men perform (ECLAC, 2020).
Global data indicate that “women perform most of the domestic work, such as cooking and
cleaning” and, at the same time, they “are the main caregivers of children and adults needing
care” (UN-Women, 2018).

Economic dimension: unfair division of labor in natural resource governance

Women and men have traditionally used natural resources in different ways and their
gender roles are associated with different sets of knowledge and different responsibilities,
 although there is an increasing participation of women in all processes.

Social dimension: the impacts of gender inequality and inequity on natural resource access and
management
Water is indispensable for sustaining life and a key element in housework, including
cooking, cleaning and laundry, tasks that are undervalued (unpaid) and that, in contexts of
poverty and social vulnerability, affect the lives and time-use decisions of women and children,
who bear the chief responsibility for obtaining this resource for care work (Ayala, Bogado and
Cañiza, 2020).

WORLD VISION

Begun to adopt a more responsive approach to address barriers to access, decision-making,

and meaningful participation that exist due to gender-based social norms.

UN MELLINIUM PROJECT


Reforming laws and supporting women claim to property and joint titling in both
partner’s names.
 Collective approaches to support women’s access to land.
 International action in support of national movements for women’s property.
 Inheritance Right
GENDER CONCEPTS

What is Gender?

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles and relationships, personality traits, attitudes,
behaviors, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a differential
basis. When we say gender it is not about talking physiological and biological makeup it is about the
characteristics of women men girls and boys that are socially constructed regardless with our sexes
this includes norms behaviors and roles associated with being a woman a man a girl or a boy as well
as the relationship with each other. As a Social constract gender varies from society to society and
can change over time meaning sexes or fixed but gender will change from time to time one can be
conclusive with a sex of an individual but no one can directly define the gender of a person.
Academically speaking gender is flexible to both men and women.

INSTITUTIONS THAT PERPETUATE GENDER POWER RELATIONS -Manipulation -Canalization -Verbal

Appelation -Sexist Activities -etc.

FAMILY Composition of the family

Role of each member is often defined by gender:

Father- responsible for the material well being of the wife, children, and elderly dependents. Mother-
responsible for the emotional and spiritual welfare of the family unit.

COLORS

Gender stereotyping and gender based inequality in the family begins with child care and rearing.
CLOTHES

In many places around the world, clothing is gendered, meaning there are clothes for men, and
clothes for women. And if you don't wear the clothing meant for your gender, you may be seen as
unusual.

Toys Kids Play With

Toys marketed to boys tend to be more aggressive and involve action and excitement. Girl toys, on
the other hand, are usually pink and passive, emphasizing beauty and nurturing.

Activities boys and girls engage in

Boys don't play with dolls and girls don't play with boys and climb trees. Girls are supposed to learn
cooking, stitching, learn music.

Fairy Tales Kids Grew Up With

The ideal men are portrayed as savior, attractive, courageous. On the other hand, the ideal women
are portrayed as pretty and in need of saving.

SCHOOL

In nursery and kindergarten classes, boys and girls are taught what toys and games are "appropriate"
for their gender. -Heavy block, trucks, airplanes and carpentry for boys. -Dolls and home making
equipment for girls.

ADVERTISEMENTS

When we look at advertisements radio and tv programs news articles and highlights and other forms
for men dominates the time slot rather than women in sales you will see that more men are always
at the front lines and women are the supporting actresses which shows weak roles who are too
dependent to men. These constructed or mediated realities may have normative or perspective
values. However women are in contrary the society always accepts that women are sexy when they
have smaller hips, they are thin, have white skin and beautiful like a barbie and when women are
getting beyond the prescribe looks and capacity branded for them this women will become subject
to bullying and body shaming.

IMAGES OF MEN IN MEDIA

In reality also men are always presented in media as successful and have a good life. Men are mostly
the symbol of shaping the future because they are branded always as firm, decisive, strong and
always possess leadership qualities.

WOMEN IN ADVERTISING

Along the way women are misinterpreted as gauged by their ability to catch a man or an eager male
companion. Most of their advertising are focus on slenderness, dieting, attaining a feminine ideal as
not just thin but also weak and vulnerable. Most their advertisement used images of women who are
defined as sexy by using photographs that are exposing too much parts of the body.

BUSINESS/MARKET
In business and marketing most men penetrates the business operations and executive positions
than women. Most men are higher in company positions and there are outnumbered women who
heads the companies. There are even more cases of women who are subjected to trafficking and
sexual harassment.

EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE POSITION

When it comes to executive and legislative positions more and more men became the members of
this policy making body compared to women. Women become outnumber in political participation
and representation because they believed that men are most strategic and firm than women.
Because of an even and unjust GENDER POWER RELATIONS, women and men are BOXED into
situations which CONSTRAIN their capacity to do under capacity to be. Both men and women have
been curtailed by the freedom to choose and decide on matters pertaining to improvement of life
because there are controlled by the biases that surrounds their community their capacities are
becoming slimmer because the society dictates them what to do and what should be.

The capacity to do means- ability or power

When we control the capacity to do of our men and women because of gender bias we prevent them
to grow and be productive and satisfy work, we prevent them to enjoy nature and the natural
environment, we prevent them to procreate and rear children and we prevent them to care for
others and to travel in search of opportunities.

The capacity to do means- a right and opportunity

When we control the capacity of our men and women because of gender bias we deprive them to be
knowledgeable and skillful, we deprive them to be healthy, we deprive them to be confident of own
abilities we provide them to be comfortable with achievements independence and power. If our
society controls our men and women they will not grow accordingly.

GENDER ISSUES/CONCERNS

So what are the gender issues now and how would we allow ourselves to understand gender and
development and what tangible steps are we going to design in order to balance how our men and
women live equally?

GENDER BIASES AGAINST MEN

First we have to understand that is not only women who are suffering from biases and wrong
thoughts men also along the way are being judged with unfair notions coming from the different
units of the society. The society believes that men are inherently aggressive and violent that they
don't feel pain or incapable of experiencing human relations that men are inherently expressive and
their sexuality and don't need closeness, reassurance, and attention but in the country men as
human beings also have their soft spot and weaknesses that needs considerations.

GENDER ISSUES & BIASES AFFECT WOMEN MORE How about for women what are the gender issues
and biases that affect women more?

WOMEN'S GENDER ISSUES -Number one marginalization in the economics sphere little opportunities
are given for career advancement because most trainings are available or accessible to men only
although most women we know are empowered individuals but there are more women out there for
suffering from any forms of abuse and marginalization. -Second subordination in the political sphere
few women in decision-making including at home only 10% of women or only 10% are women in
most legislators and promotions are slow and even some leadership positions are not for women.

-Third one is gender stereotyping "kinakahon ang mga babae" most of them serve only as assistance
to men's place, assistant to the men's role, assistant to the men's work which prevents women from
full enjoyment of rights and expression of her talents.

-And the last one is the multiple burden women must still do the household chores after the long
hours of work. Men are not expected to do household chores sometimes they do but only when they
want to.

MANIFESTATION OF GENDER BIAS

Violence against women -all forms of gender violence -women constantly in fear of abuse -freedom
curtailed -legal & judicial system not gender-sensitive.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON PERSONHOOD

-No self-determination & self-actualization -low self-esteem/ lack of self-confidence -inability to set
higher goals -etc.

WHAT IS GENDER & DEVELOPMENT?

GAD is about recognizing that gender biases impede development because: -They prevent people
from attaining their full potentials. -They exacerbate social inequity and inequality. -They distort the
understanding of social realities.

DEVELOPMENT IS FOR ALL

Justice and equity demands that everyone in society, weather male or female has the right to the
same opportunities to achieve a full, satisfying and peaceful life. Development that is gender-
responsive should: - Expand/Enlarge women's range of choices and opportunities - second delivery
address obstacles to women's effective participation in and their enjoyment of the benefits of
development - and lastly strengthen their capabilities to attain a full satisfying and peaceful life.

GENDER CONCEPTS

What is Gender?

Gender refers to the socially constructed roles and relationships, personality traits, attitudes,
behaviors, values, relative power and influence that society ascribes to the two sexes on a differential
basis. When we say gender it is not about talking physiological and biological makeup it is about the
characteristics of women men girls and boys that are socially constructed regardless with our sexes
this includes norms behaviors and roles associated with being a woman a man a girl or a boy as well
as the relationship with each other. As a Social constract gender varies from society to society and
can change over time meaning sexes or fixed but gender will change from time to time one can be
conclusive with a sex of an individual but no one can directly define the gender of a person.
Academically speaking gender is flexible to both men and women.

INSTITUTIONS THAT PERPETUATE GENDER POWER RELATIONS -Manipulation -Canalization -Verbal

Appelation -Sexist Activities -etc.

FAMILY Composition of the family

Role of each member is often defined by gender:

Father- responsible for the material well being of the wife, children, and elderly dependents. Mother-
responsible for the emotional and spiritual welfare of the family unit.

COLORS

Gender stereotyping and gender based inequality in the family begins with child care and rearing.

CLOTHES

In many places around the world, clothing is gendered, meaning there are clothes for men, and
clothes for women. And if you don't wear the clothing meant for your gender, you may be seen as
unusual.

Toys Kids Play With

Toys marketed to boys tend to be more aggressive and involve action and excitement. Girl toys, on
the other hand, are usually pink and passive, emphasizing beauty and nurturing.

Activities boys and girls engage in

Boys don't play with dolls and girls don't play with boys and climb trees. Girls are supposed to learn
cooking, stitching, learn music.

Fairy Tales Kids Grew Up With

The ideal men are portrayed as savior, attractive, courageous. On the other hand, the ideal women
are portrayed as pretty and in need of saving.

SCHOOL

In nursery and kindergarten classes, boys and girls are taught what toys and games are "appropriate"
for their gender. -Heavy block, trucks, airplanes and carpentry for boys. -Dolls and home making
equipment for girls.

ADVERTISEMENTS

When we look at advertisements radio and tv programs news articles and highlights and other forms
for men dominates the time slot rather than women in sales you will see that more men are always
at the front lines and women are the supporting actresses which shows weak roles who are too
dependent to men. These constructed or mediated realities may have normative or perspective
values. However women are in contrary the society always accepts that women are sexy when they
have smaller hips, they are thin, have white skin and beautiful like a barbie and when women are
getting beyond the prescribe looks and capacity branded for them this women will become subject
to bullying and body shaming.

IMAGES OF MEN IN MEDIA

In reality also men are always presented in media as successful and have a good life. Men are mostly
the symbol of shaping the future because they are branded always as firm, decisive, strong and
always possess leadership qualities.

WOMEN IN ADVERTISING

Along the way women are misinterpreted as gauged by their ability to catch a man or an eager male
companion. Most of their advertising are focus on slenderness, dieting, attaining a feminine ideal as
not just thin but also weak and vulnerable. Most their advertisement used images of women who are
defined as sexy by using photographs that are exposing too much parts of the body.

BUSINESS/MARKET

In business and marketing most men penetrates the business operations and executive positions
than women. Most men are higher in company positions and there are outnumbered women who
heads the companies. There are even more cases of women who are subjected to trafficking and
sexual harassment.

EXECUTIVE AND LEGISLATIVE POSITION

When it comes to executive and legislative positions more and more men became the members of
this policy making body compared to women. Women become outnumber in political participation
and representation because they believed that men are most strategic and firm than women.
Because of an even and unjust GENDER POWER RELATIONS, women and men are BOXED into
situations which CONSTRAIN their capacity to do under capacity to be. Both men and women have
been curtailed by the freedom to choose and decide on matters pertaining to improvement of life
because there are controlled by the biases that surrounds their community their capacities are
becoming slimmer because the society dictates them what to do and what should be.

The capacity to do means- ability or power

When we control the capacity to do of our men and women because of gender bias we prevent them
to grow and be productive and satisfy work, we prevent them to enjoy nature and the natural
environment, we prevent them to procreate and rear children and we prevent them to care for
others and to travel in search of opportunities.

The capacity to do means- a right and opportunity

When we control the capacity of our men and women because of gender bias we deprive them to be
knowledgeable and skillful, we deprive them to be healthy, we deprive them to be confident of own
abilities we provide them to be comfortable with achievements independence and power. If our
society controls our men and women they will not grow accordingly.

GENDER ISSUES/CONCERNS

So what are the gender issues now and how would we allow ourselves to understand gender and
development and what tangible steps are we going to design in order to balance how our men and
women live equally?

GENDER BIASES AGAINST MEN

First we have to understand that is not only women who are suffering from biases and wrong
thoughts men also along the way are being judged with unfair notions coming from the different
units of the society. The society believes that men are inherently aggressive and violent that they
don't feel pain or incapable of experiencing human relations that men are inherently expressive and
their sexuality and don't need closeness, reassurance, and attention but in the country men as
human beings also have their soft spot and weaknesses that needs considerations.

GENDER ISSUES & BIASES AFFECT WOMEN MORE How about for women what are the gender issues
and biases that affect women more?
WOMEN'S GENDER ISSUES -Number one marginalization in the economics sphere little opportunities
are given for career advancement because most trainings are available or accessible to men only
although most women we know are empowered individuals but there are more women out there for
suffering from any forms of abuse and marginalization. -Second subordination in the political sphere
few women in decision-making including at home only 10% of women or only 10% are women in
most legislators and promotions are slow and even some leadership positions are not for women.

-Third one is gender stereotyping "kinakahon ang mga babae" most of them serve only as assistance
to men's place, assistant to the men's role, assistant to the men's work which prevents women from
full enjoyment of rights and expression of her talents.

-And the last one is the multiple burden women must still do the household chores after the long
hours of work. Men are not expected to do household chores sometimes they do but only when they
want to.

MANIFESTATION OF GENDER BIAS

Violence against women -all forms of gender violence -women constantly in fear of abuse -freedom
curtailed -legal & judicial system not gender-sensitive.

NEGATIVE EFFECTS ON PERSONHOOD

-No self-determination & self-actualization -low self-esteem/ lack of self-confidence -inability to set
higher goals -etc.

WHAT IS GENDER & DEVELOPMENT?

GAD is about recognizing that gender biases impede development because: -They prevent people
from attaining their full potentials. -They exacerbate social inequity and inequality. -They distort the
understanding of social realities.

DEVELOPMENT IS FOR ALL

Justice and equity demands that everyone in society, weather male or female has the right to the
same opportunities to achieve a full, satisfying and peaceful life. Development that is gender-
responsive should: - Expand/Enlarge women's range of choices and opportunities - second delivery
address obstacles to women's effective participation in and their enjoyment of the benefits of
development - and lastly strengthen their capabilities to attain a full satisfying and peaceful life.

Stereotyping

Stereotyping happens when we attribute a certain trait or characteristic to an entire group of people.
It's really a process of categorizing people in broad ways, based on things that are not usually true.

Stereotypes can be categorized as:

Explicit- meaning the person is aware that they have these thoughts towards a group of people and
they can say it out loud.

Implicit-wherein a person does not know if they have these stereotypes since it lies in their
subconscious.

How do gender stereotypes affect people?

A stereotype is a widely accepted judgment or bias about a person or group even though it's overly
simplified and not always accurate. Stereotypes about gender can cause unequal and unfair
treatment because of a person's gender. This is called sexism.

There are four basic kinds of gender stereotypes:

Personality traits For example, women are often expected to be accommodating and emotional,
while men are usually expected to be self-confident and aggressive.

Domestic behaviors-For example, some people expect that women will take care of the children,
cook, and clean the home, while men take care of finances, work on the car, and do the home
repairs.

Occupations Some people are quick to assume that teachers and nurses are women, and that pilots,
doctors, and engineers are men.

Physical appearance For example, women are expected to be thin and graceful, while men are
expected to be tall and muscular. Men and women are also expected to dress and groom in ways that
are stereotypical to their gender (men wearing pants and short hairstyles, women wearing dresses
and make-up,

Hyperfemininity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that's believed to be feminine.

Hyperfeminine folks exaggerate the qualities they believe to be feminine.This may include being
passive, naive, sexually inexperienced, soft, flirtatious,graceful, nurturing, and accepting.

GENDER AND CONTEMPORARY PHILIPPINE SOCIETY 2020.MODULE 1

Hypermasculinity is the exaggeration of stereotyped behavior that's believed to be masculine.

Hypermasculine folks exaggerate the qualities they believe to be masculine. They believe they're
supposed to compete with other men and dominate feminine folks by being aggressive, worldly,
sexually experienced, insensitive, physically imposing, ambitious, and demanding.

These exaggerated gender stereotypes can make relationships between people difficult.
Hyperfeminine folks are more likely to endure physical and emotional abuse from their partners.
Hypermasculine folks are more likely to be physically and emotionally abusive to their partners.

Discrimination

While prejudice refers to biased thinking, discrimination consists of actions against a group of
people. Discrimination can be based on age, religion, health, and other indicators; race-based laws
against discrimination strive to address this set of social problems.

The most frequent types of discrimination There are many types of discrimination. Although some
may look similar, they have their differences. Many types of discrimination often overlap when
making a value judgment towards a person or group of people.

1-Racism- it considers some human groups inferior to others because of their ethnic origin. The most
common case is racism against the black race, but it also extends to other races such as indigenous,
Asian, etc.
2- Discrimination by nationality or ethnic origin More commonly called xenophobia, it is nothing
more than the rejection or hostility towards the foreigner by the simple fact of being it, beyond the
race or the color of skin.

3- Discrimination based on sexual orientation

Homophobia is a term that explains the aversion to homosexuals, whether these men or women,
and ultimately also includes transsexuals, bisexuals, metrosexuals and anyone who has attitudes or
ways that, according to the discriminator, are not according to their gender.

4-Discrimination by gender

It is the rejection of a person for the simple fact of being a man or a woman, although this attitude is
mostly associated with the rejection of women as weak or inferior to men.

5- Discrimination against women at work

The woman has been discriminated against for the simple fact of being a woman for centuries. But
since the last decades, when the female sex began to leave their homes to enter the formal labor
camp, brought with it another type of discrimination more particular.

6- Maternity Discrimination

The main cause why some companies avoid hiring women and prefer to hold those positions with
men is because of the wonderful ability of women to bring life to the world.

7- Discrimination by age. They discriminate or stereotype the individual based on their age, whether
they are older adults, children or adolescents. In Western societies there is an exacerbated cult of
youth, despising or minimizing the old, without considering that the experience of the years is an
invaluable capital.

8- Discrimination in the workplace.

Even in societies that regularly proclaim and practice equal opportunities, members of discriminated
groups are far from enjoying equal conditions in the workplace.

9-Wage Discrimination

Companies believe that one person should not win the same as another doing the same job, because
of his status as a woman, his race, etc.

10-Discrimination by physical appearance

Obese, albinos, people with marks or scars, tattoos or perforations on the skin, etc. Are usually
rejected a priori.

11- Discrimination due to disability or illness

The twentieth century brought with it a modern form of disease discrimination: HIV/AIDS has
relegated people suffering from this disease to a corner.

12- Religious Discrimination

Throughout history has been seen how, in the name of some God, have been fought the most bloody
battles. This happens today with as much or more vigor as before.
13-Ideological Discrimination

It is perhaps, along with religious discrimination, the most widespread and harmful form of
discrimination today.

14-Linguistic discrimination

An individual or social group is rejected for its language, accent or dialect. It is common for a
foreigner to be mocked by his pronunciation.

15- Cultural Discrimination

It is often in conjunction with racial or ethnic discrimination caused by ethnocentrism. Its most
common expression is the rejection of indigenous communities, which become Minority groups.

16- Economic discrimination

It differentiates between people by the amount of money or assets they possess. This usually results
in discrimination by social class.

17-Discrimination by social clas

It marginalizes certain individuals from the benefits they could have within society. Both economic
and social discrimination comes from inequality in income or education opportunities. The most
degrading form of discrimination for these reasons is slavery.

18-Discrimination in school socialization

As school is the seedbed of the adults of the future, it is worrying that in recent times education will
not be able to contribute to overcoming inequalities or reducing the social gap.

19-Discrimination by laterality

It is the discrimination that exists between right-handed and left-handed. For centuries the lefties
have been seen with rarity and have been awarded demonic characteristics

Masculinity and Femininity Across Cultures

“Masculinity stands for a society in which social gender roles are clearly distinct: Men are supposed
to be assertive, tough, and focused on material success; women are supposed to be more modest,
tender, and concerned with the quality of life.”

“Femininity stands for a society in which social gender roles overlap: Both men and women are
supposed to be modest, tender, and concerned with the quality of life.”

Masculine & Feminine Cultures

Geert Hofstede, a social psychologist, was one of the first people to define cultures by gendered
traits. His theory says that cultures can be categorized by gender based on how they stress the
balance between individual achievement and social nurturing.

A masculine culture or masculine society is one that stresses different expectations for men
and women. In a masculine culture, men are expected to be assertive, competitive, and focused on
material success. Women are expected to be nurturing and focused on people and quality of life. In
contrast, Hofstede says a feminine culture or feminine society is one where gender roles are more
fluid. Both men and women are expected to be nurturing and focused on people and quality of life.
Cultural Dimension Masculinity – Femininity

The cultural dimension Masculinity – Femininity says something about the expected behavior of men
and women in any given society.

To simplify it: In high scoring cultures, there seems to be relatively little role overlap; men are
supposed to provide for their families, be the head of the family and do manly tasks like taking the
garbage out.

Take a look at the image below. This picture was taken during one of my trips to the Middle-East. A
sign like that would be impossible in a feminine country like Sweden, for instance.

What are the Gender Differences Within one Culture?

In any country in the world, you will find so called Intra-cultural differences; differences within one
country, say the American East coast and the American West coast. Or the differences between the
North and the South of Spain.

Differences within one country are called Intra-cultural differences; example a conversation between
two American citizens who both grew up on the farms of Georgia would be intracultural because
they will essentially have the same background and cultural orientations.

Differences between countries are called Inter-cultural differences; example a conversation between
a man who grew up in Nepal and a woman who grew up in Micronesia would probably be an
intercultural conversation because we could study how the different cultural backgrounds of the two
people affect their communication strategies towards each other.

A clear example is the following “Word Cloud“ that illustrate the use of words in Social Media of
English speaking men and women.

There is a big significant difference is between those two countries/groups when you look at the
scores of these countries on this masculinity and femininity dimension.

Examples of Masculinity Countries

• Japan (highest scoring country in the world!)

• USA (not surprisingly maybe)

• The UK

• Italy

• Nigeria

Examples of Feminine Countries

• The Netherlands

• Nordic Countries

• Iceland

• Chile

• Thailand

Individualism vs. Collectivism

The individualism vs. collectivism dimension considers the degree to which societies are integrated
into groups and their perceived obligations and dependence on groups.

• Individualism indicates that there is a greater importance place on attaining personal goals. A
person’s self-image in this category is defined as Ï”.

• Collectivism indicates that there is a greater importance placed on the goals and well-being
of the group. A person’s self-image in this category is defined as “We”.

Our society has a set of ideas about how we expect men and women to dress, behave, and present
themselves.