Cross-Cultural Views of Women and Men

Imagine that you are on an extended trip around the world and you have visited a number of different countries on every continent. On your final airplane ride home, you decide to thumb back through the diary you have kept while on your trip-to reminisce a bit before you have to face the many tasks that will require your attention when you get home. While looking back through your diary you note that during your stay in Pakistan, you observed that men were highly visible in day-to-day activities and seemed to be "in charge" in most situations. Women were rarely seen in public places and, when they were, they appeared to be on specific errands and were often dressed in a manner that made it difficult to tell much about them. You rarely saw young men and women walking together as couples, enjoying what would be called a date in the United States. Moving a few pages ahead in your diary you see an entry that indicated that during your stay in Finland, you noticed that men and women seemed to participateequally inmany daily activities. Heterosexual couples were everywhere and many young women and men were dressed in a similar unisex style. Reflecting on the various experiences you had in Pakistan, Finland, and the other countries you visited, you conclude that there are important differences in the way that men and women behave in different countries. It is obvious that the customs governing appropriate relations between men and women differ from country to country, but you wonder if there are differences in the way that people of the same gender in different countries view themselves. Are the self-concepts of men different in Pakistan and Finland? Do women in Pakistan view themselves as more feminine than women in Finland? Are the self-perceptions of men and women more similar in Finland than in Pakistan? What are the cultural perceptions and accepted behaviors of men and women in Pakistan and Finland?