Psychology

How do culture and diversity directly and indirectly impact gender differences across cultures? Share an example of or statistics related to professional opportunities for advancement and how they differ for men compared to women.

ANSWER

How Culture and Diversity Directly and Indirectly Impact Gender Differences Across Cultures

Gender differences across cultures are impacted by a number of factors, both directly and indirectly. Culture plays a direct role in shaping gender roles and expectations, which can lead to different outcomes for men and women (Risman, 2018). For example, in some cultures women are expected to be primarily responsible for child-rearing and domestic work, while men are expected to be the breadwinners. This can lead to different opportunities and experiences for men and women, which can in turn impact gender differences.

Culture and diversity can have a direct or indirect impact on gender differences across cultures. For example, in some cultures women are not allowed to work outside the home, while in others they may be expected to do so. In addition, cultural values and beliefs can influence how men and women view each other and their respective roles in society (Giuliano, 2020). Indirectly, culture can also impact gender differences through things like social norms and expectations. For instance, in many cultures it is considered more appropriate for men to be assertive and outspoken, while women are expected to be more passive and submissive. This can lead to gender differences in areas like communication styles and decision-making.

Ultimately, culture plays a significant role in shaping gender differences across cultures. While some of these differences may be due to biological factors, many of them are largely influenced by social and cultural factors. As such, it is important to consider both when trying to understand gender differences in different cultures. For instance, professional opportunities for advancement differ among men and women in America largely because women have only recently begun to enter the workforce in large numbers. In contrast, in many traditional cultures, women have always worked alongside men and often held positions of authority. Statistics show that women indicate that 28 percent of women have joined the managerial positions globally (Bonnet, Vanek and Chen, 2019). Culture and diversity influence gender through functions that create meanings of being a female or male. Cultural processes and diversity of cultures have maintained gender differences which have acted as barriers to the elimination of gender equality.

References

Bonnet, F., Vanek, J., & Chen, M. (2019). Women and men in the informal economy: A statistical brief. International Labour Office, Geneva, 20.

Giuliano, P. (2020). Gender and culture. Oxford Review of Economic Policy, 36(4), 944-961.

Risman, B. J. (2018). Gender as a social structure. In Handbook of the Sociology of Gender (pp. 19-43). Springer, Cham.