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Abstract

A Japanese market research unit, Wacoal, has published a survey among single working women aged 20-30 years in Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Jakarta, Seoul, Singapore, Taipei, and Tokyo. Gender stereotypes as found in the Wacoal survey have been correlated with Masculinity Index scores from Hofstede's IBM studies. In the more masculine cultures, as compared to the more feminine ones, sense of responsibility, decisiveness, liveliness, and ambitiousness were less often seen as feminine; caring and gentleness were more often seen as feminine. Meaningful correlations were also found for partner preferences (husbands compared to steady boyfriends). In the more masculine cultures, husbands should be more healthy, rich, and understanding; boyfriends should have more personality, affection, intelligence, and sense of humor. In the more feminine cultures, there was hardly any difference between preferred characteristics in husbands versus boyfriends.

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Gender Stereotypes and Partner Preferences of Asian Women in Masculine and Feminine Cultures

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