Date of Award

2012

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Harley, Heidi

Keywords

Korea, Korean, Gender, Femininity, Masculinity, Cross-Cultural, Eastern, Western, Interdependent, Independent

Area of Concentration

Psychology

Abstract

South Koreans and (U.S.) Americans promote social norms (e.g., "flower boys" and muscular men) that suggest the cultures have divergent views of femininity and masculinity. In a formal investigation of these differences, 26 Americans and 13 Koreans completed a survey in which they rated the femininity and masculinity of potentially androgynous individuals and personality traits, and indicated their feelings toward hypothetical cross-gendered expression. Koreans rated individuals as being more masculine than did Americans, especially when rating males. Koreans also rated "playfulness" as being a predominantly masculine trait, whereas Americans rated the same trait as being predominantly feminine. When controlling for subjective differences in perceptions of femininity and masculinity, Americans had a more accepting attitude than did Koreans toward both a masculine female and a feminine male, and both cultures were more accepting of the masculine female than of the feminine male. The results suggest that Korean androgyny is more feminine and less masculine than is American androgyny, and that this discrepancy is influenced by views of playfulness.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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