Research: Women become more feminine when they have more political and economic freedom

The brilliant GK Chesterton aptly observed: “Feminism often means the refusal to be feminine.”

Progressives and certain feminists like to believe that with greater political, educational, and economic opportunity, women can finally break free from patriarchal expectations of femininity. But while much of the world has thankfully recognized these greater opportunities for women—thanks in no small part to the world-changing values ​​of a historic Christian worldview—it turns out that women are using these freedoms to… behave in decidedly more feminine ways.

This fact has long been known in the research literature and even has a name: the gender equality paradox.

A New York Times Science journalist wrote about this many years ago. He explains: “A number of [evolutionary psychologist] Research teams have repeatedly analyzed personality tests taken by men and women in more than 60 countries around the world.” The Just claims,

It seems that personality differences between men and women are smaller in traditional cultures such as India or Zimbabwe than in the Netherlands or the United States. A husband and housewife in a patriarchal Botswana clan seem more similar than a working couple in Denmark or France. The more Venus and Mars have equal rights and similar occupations, the more their personalities seem to diverge.

But the differences between male and female become even more apparent in economically, politically and educationally advanced countries beyond personality tests. One only has to look at the fashion industry in cities like London, Paris and New York. On Park Avenue and Rodeo Drive, androgyny is not all that common. As countries develop, women's fashion becomes dramatically more feminine and desirable for women. In any high-fashion shopping district in the industrialized world, anyone can easily distinguish women's fashion from men's fashion.

The differences between men and women in fashion and body adornment are dramatic and are determined by personal choice and the free market. But does this still hold true as our cultures become more liberal and gender roles become confused?

A very sophisticated scientific study published earlier this year by Swedish scientists concludes that this is certainly the case.

A systematic review of 54 previously published research articles, as well as a “new analysis of 27 meta-analyses and large-scale studies,” concludes that the gender equality paradox still holds. In fact, they say that gender differences “may even become more pronounced with improvements in living conditions, such as economic conditions, gender equality, and education.”

These scholars explain in detail,

In summary, the results suggest that gender differences are larger rather than smaller in countries with higher living standards. It is therefore expected that the magnitude of most psychological gender differences will remain unchanged or become more pronounced as living conditions, such as the economy, gender equality and education, improve.

These scholars temper the progressive desire that greater progress in gender equality would reduce differences between male and female behavior, attitudes, and life choices. They state bluntly:

Our results also show that there is little data to suggest that men and women are becoming more similar as the world evolves. Instead, policymakers should assume that gender differences will remain largely unchanged. or grow larger as the world evolves … (emphasis added)

These scientists do not believe that significant gender differences between men and women are merely socially constructed and patriarchally enforced. They admit: “The results of this systematic review and new analyses highlight several psychological gender differences and show that the pattern of female and male strengths and weaknesses is the same in most of the countries studied.”

The previous research reported The New York Times made the same point. The Grey Lady admits: “These results are so counterintuitive that some researchers have argued they must be due to cross-cultural problems with personality tests,” she concludes, “but after analyzing new data from 40,000 men and women on six continents, David P. Schmitt and his colleagues conclude that the trends are real.”

The research by Professor Schmitt and other colleagues to reach this conclusion is extensive and varied. Some examples can be found here, here, here and here.

The differences between men and women are universal and make the world and human life work. Progressives are wrong to try to wish them away. The gender binary of boys and girls, men and women is a fundamental gift and honest, non-ideological academic research shows us again and again how true this is.

Related articles and resources:

Advanced research from Stanford University documents further facts about the male-female brain

What are man and woman in God's story?

Why does Focus on the Family care about gender issues?

Yes, sexuality and gender are undeniable themes of the gospel

Even die-hard evolutionists are fighting against gender madness

How the issue of “trans” and gender redefinition attacks the family

Addressing gender identity with honesty and compassion

Don’t fall for the lie “Confirm them or they will die”

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