The Psychology of Gender 4th Edition

14 Chapter 1

there were 108 males born for every 100 fe-

males; in 2010, the sex ratio was 123 to 100

(“The Worldwide,” 2010). In Korea, there is

a greater likelihood of abortion among mar-

ried women if they have sons than if they

have daughters (Chung, 2007). If a family

had two sons, there was an 80% chance of

abortion; if the family had two daughters,

there was a 41% chance of abortion.

In the United States, Gallup Polls have

shown a slight preference for boys over girls

that has remained over time. Respondents

are asked in these surveys which sex they

would prefer if they could have only one

child. In 2007, a Gallup Poll of 1,000 adults

in the United States showed that women

slightly preferred a girl to a boy (35% vs.

31%), but men strongly preferred a boy to a

girl (45% vs. 21%). One-third had no prefer-

ence. As shown in Figure 1.4, the preference

has remained fairly stable over time.

Most studies conclude that parents de-

sire one child of each sex. In Australia, there

is an equal preference for boys and girls,

recreational spheres. Not only are women’s

and men’s roles similar, but women and men

share similar personalities. There is no pres-

sure on men and women to behave differently

or to behave in accordance with traditional

gender roles. Men are not worried about

proving their masculinity, for example, and

do not feel the need to take risks. This simi-

larity of women and men is even reflected in

their language; there is no word for gender in

the language and there are no female or male

pronouns. The society is based on coopera-

tion rather than competition. Perhaps because

resources are available to people, there is no

economic reason to compete. There is little ag-

gression, no war, and no hunting; that is, there

is nothing for men to defend. Thus there is no

basis for an ideology of masculinity to have

evolved. The people in this society truly seem

to function without thinking about gender.

Status and Culture

With the exception of Tahiti and probably a

few other cultures, one commonality in the

way gender is construed around the world

is that men have higher status than women

(Chisholm, 2000). How is this status differ-

ence manifested?

There are a number of indices of gen-

der inequality. The higher illiteracy rates

of women, less access to medical care for

women, a lower earnings ratio of women

compared to men, and the legitimization of

physical abuse of women in some countries

are all manifestations of men’s higher sta-

tus relative to women’s (Chisholm, 2000).

In India and China, some female fetuses are

aborted because they are less valued than

males. The one-child policy in China has

led to the abortion of female fetuses even

though sex-selective abortion is prohibited

by the government. Between 1985 and 1989,

FIGURE 1.4 Gallup Polls conducted from

1941 to 2007 show that a slight preference for a

boy compared to a girl persists but that a sizeable

number of respondents have no preference.

Source: Adapted from Newport (2007).

0%

5%

10%

15%

20%

25%

30%

35%

40%

45%

1941 1947 1990 1997 2007

% Boy

% Girl

% No preference

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