Gendered Self-Views across 62 Countries: A Test of Competing Models

Social role theory posits that binary sex differences in gendered self-views should be larger in less egalitarian countries, reflecting these countries’ more pronounced sex-based power and labor divisions. Conversely, evolutionary theorists suggest that sex differences in gendered self-views should be larger in more egalitarian countries, reflecting these countries’ greater autonomy support. Using data from 62 countries (N = 28,640) we examine sex differences in
gendered self-views (agency and communality) as a function of country-level objective gender equality (the Global Gender Gap Index [GGGI]) and subjective distributions of social power (the Power Distance Index [PDI]). Findings show patterns that differ by dimension: In more egalitarian countries, sex differences in agency are smaller, and sex differences in communality are larger. These patterns are driven primarily by men’s self-views. We consider possible causes and implications of these findings.