Massage Therapy Journal Summer 2025

Summer 2025 • 41

Masculinity

Femininity

Maximum emotional and social role differentiation between the genders Men should be and women may be assertive and ambitious

Minimum emotional and social role differentiation between the genders

Men and women should be modest and caring

Work prevails over family Admiration for the strong

Balance between family and work

Sympathy for the weak

Fathers deal with facts, mothers with feelings

Both fathers and mothers deal with facts and feelings

Girls cry, boys don’t; boys should fight back, girls shouldn’t fight Fathers decide on family size

Both boys and girls may cry, but neither should fight

Mothers decide on number of children Many women in elected political positions Religion focuses on fellow human beings Matter-of-fact attitudes about sexuality; sex is a way of relating

Few women in elected political positions Religion focuses on God or gods Moralistic attitudes about sexuality; sex is a way of performing

Masculinity Versus Femininity

Dimension 4: Masculinity Versus Femininity This is the separation of emotional roles between men and women, and a preference for masculine or feminine traits in a society. In Hofstede’s model, cultural masculine traits include assertiveness, competitiveness, boastfulness, power-seeking and orientation toward material success. Cultural feminine traits include compassion, relationship focus, modesty, caring for others who are weak and orientation toward improving quality of life. A high masculinity index (MAS) indicates the culture experiences a high degree of gender differentiation, with males dominating a significant portion of the society and females being controlled by males. A low MAS indicates the culture has a low level of differentiation and discrimination between genders. MASs are high in Japan, Saudi Arabia, German-speaking countries, and some Latin countries, such as Italy and Mexico. MAS scores are moderately high in English-speaking Western countries. MAS scores are low in Nordic countries and the Netherlands, and moderately low in some Latin and Asian countries, such as France, Spain, Portugal, Chile, Korea and Thailand. MAS for the United States is 62 .

Dimension 5: Long-Term Versus Short-Term Orientation This cultural dimension describes the focus of people’s energy on either the future or the present and the past. Long-term orientation is the extent to which people are willing to give up short-term gains for future rewards by emphasizing virtues of persistence, savings and thrift. Gratification is delayed. On the opposite end of the spectrum, short term orientation is about forgoing future rewards for short-term gains in the here and now, with an emphasis on immediate gratification and quick results. A high long-term orientation index (LTO) indicates the culture prescribes to the values of long-term commitments and respect for tradition. A low LTO indicates the country does not reinforce the concept of long-term, traditional orientation. LTOs are high in East Asian countries, followed by Eastern and Central Europe. Medium LTOs are found in South and North European and South Asian countries. Low LTOs are found in the United States, Australia, Latin America, Africa, and Muslim countries. The LTO for the United States is 26 .

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