Sex Roles & Temporal Value

The dimension of sex roles constitutes the masculine-feminine value pattern. Masculinity refers to societies in which social gender roles are clearly complementary and distinct. Men are expected to be assertive, masculine, tough, and focused on task based accomplishment and material success. Women are expected to be more modest, feminine, tender, and concerned with the quality of life. Complementary sex role domains are emphasized. Boys learn to be assertive, tough, and ambitious, while girls learn to nurture and forge relationships. Masculine families stress achievement and success. At work, different male and female roles are clearly distinguished, and organizations tend to stress the important role of business performance and gross profits.

Nations with high masculinity scores are Japan, Austria, Venezuela, Italy, Switzerland, Mexico, and Ireland. The U.S. ranks fifteenth on the scale of more than 50 nations evaluated, that is more at the masculine end of the global scale.

In feminine cultures, social gender roles are fluid and can overlap, whatever a man can do, so can a woman, and vice versa. Men and women alike are expected to be modest, observant, and tender, and concern with the ecological quality of their environment is prevalent. Flexible sex role behaviors prevail. Both boys and girls are taught to be caring and concerned with both feelings and facts. Feminine families stress issues surrounding quality of life. A feminine work environment stresses quality of work life and matters of family balance above workplace performance.

Nations with high femininity rankings are Sweden, Norway, the Netherlands, Denmark, Costa Rica, Yugoslavia, and Finland .


There are numerous additional value dimensions researchers have identified and analyzed. Space in this course permits the presentation of only one additional, however, the temporal value orientation, or conceptualizations of time. There are three categories to this dimension monochronic, polychronic, and fluid. The adage "time is money" best explains monochronic cultures. In these cultures, punctuality is prized, and even a couple of minutes past an appointment time can be considered "late." Punctuality is prized above maintaining relationships. If you meet a friend that you have not seen in some time in a monochronic culture, you cannot stop and talk for more than a couple of minutes or you will be late for your appointment; and the people waiting for you will consider it rude if you make them wait. The bus leaves at the time marked on the schedule, or very close to it.

Examples of highly monochronic cultures are the U.S., Germany, and Japan.

In a polychronic culture, punctuality and relational maintenance are more interwoven. The clock is used more as a general guide for when an appointment should commence rather than an absolute. In a polychronic culture, if you meet your friend whom you have not seen in some time while you are on your way to an appointment, you will spend some time with that friend, catching up, in an effort to maintain that relationship. Scuffling off in a hurry to make an appointment would be considered rude to your friend. The concept of being "on time" is not exactly at the scheduled appointment time, but can be perhaps an hour past the scheduled meeting time.

This conceptualization of time is often referred to in mainstream U.S. culture as "island time", and is prevalent in Italy, Turkey, and many Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. The bus leaves more or less at the scheduled hour, though it may take detours to meet a personal appointment of the driver.

In cultures with fluid time, the clock that marks the hour and counts time becomes essentially meaningless. The bus leaves when it is full.