Acculturation and Gender Roles
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Authors
Zeising, Kristin
Issue Date
2001
Type
Dissertation
Language
en
Keywords
Alternative Title
Abstract
Many studies have investigated masculine and feminine gender roles, though none have taken the process of acculturation into account. The purpose of this study was to assess the role of acculturation in attitudes about masculine and feminine gender roles. The sample consisted of 167 students from a large university. A questionnaire packet was administered that included a demographic questionnaire, the Bern Sex-Role Inventory, the Acculturation Rating Scale· for Mexican Americans, and the Suinn-Lew Asian Self-Identity Acculturation Scale. The study asked subjects to identify how they view themselves, women or men in their culture of origin (CO), and women or men in their culture of residence (CR). The findings indicated that Latina women viewed women in their·CO as more feminine·than Caucasian women viewed women in their CO. There were no significant findings with regard to how Asian women viewed women in their CO. Asian women rated women in their CR as significantly more masculine, whereas Caucasian women saw them as more feminine. Latina women did not differ from either group in how they viewed women in their CR. Latino males rated men in their CO as significantly more masculine than Asian men. Caucasian men ·also rated men in their CO as significantly more masculine than Asians. There was no difference between how Latinos and Caucasian males view men in their CO. There were also no group differences in how they rated men in their CR. The subsidiary analysis for Asians showed no significant differences for Asian men in relation to views of sett men in their culture of origin and residence. However, Asian women view themselves as more feminine than women in their CR and less feminine than women in their CO. The subsidiary analysis for Latina's confirmed that Latina women view women in their CO as more feminine than women in their CR. When acculturation was added, the results differed depending on acculturation level, gender, and culture. We can not assume that acculturation impacts each culture and gender equally. Latinas showed that the more acculturated they were, the more feminine the women viewed women in their CR. Latino males rated men in their CO and CR as more masculine with increased acculturation. Asian males viewed themselves as more feminine and saw men in their CO as more masculine.