Photo/Illutration A couple who opted out of getting legally married in Tokyo’s Toshima Ward in 2021 (Asahi Shimbun file photo)

A method developed by a researcher with Kyushu University to quantitatively evaluate people’s perceptions of masculinity and femininity on the basis of eight questions includes this chestnut: Women who are highly educated are bound to have more difficulty finding the perfect partner in life.

Kiho Muroga, a specialist at the university who analyzes data to address economic problems concerning the labor market, said her approach is intended to shed light on conservative attitudes by asking questions related to values that serve as impediments to the entry of women into the workforce and other avenues of life.

The other questions are as follows: a woman’s happiness is dependent on her getting married and having children; a woman’s happiness is not dependent on success in her professional career; a wife should walk three steps behind her husband; a woman’s looks are more important than her intellect; a woman should not attend the University of Tokyo as doing so will make it difficult for her to find a marriage partner later; a professional career gets in the way of a woman being able to find the perfect partner; and a wife should never reprove her husband.

Respondents can pick from four answers: “strongly agree,” “agree,” “disagree,” “strongly disagree.”

The first answer scores one point, the second two points, and so on. The perfect total score is 32.

The lower the overall total, the more conservative respondents are.

20211123-gender2-L
A daughter serves tea for family members at their home in Tokyo’s Nerima Ward in 1971, in line with a traditional notion of a division of roles based on gender. ((Asahi Shimbun file photo)

During a survey held in March last year using this method, the average score of male respondents came to 14.73, while the figure for their female counterparts was 16.01.

The survey involved about 2,400 individuals nationwide who had registered with a research company.

Not surprisingly, there was a disparity in the answers given by men and women. There also was a difference between age groups. For instance, men in their 40s and 50s were found to hold views that differed from men in their 30s.

The survey also showed that respondents who support feminism and the Me Too movement, which calls for the elimination of sexual harassment and sexual abuse, end up with higher total points.

The study was carried in a U.S. academic journal published this month by a society of sociologists.

“I hope that the index of masculinity and femininity will help people realize where they stand and spur them to talk about the issue more,” Muroga said. “I also pray that society will become more accommodating to women who want to give new things a try with a change of people’s way of thinking.”

Related News