Abstract:
This article examines differences in subjective culture among three societies that
vary in their extent of urbanization and differentiation and within these societies
between females and males. David Bakan's agency-communion and Talcott
Parsons' instrumental-expressive distinctions are used to capture both these rural-urban
and male-female differences using data collected with Harry Triandis'
antecedent-consequent method of studying subjective culture. Both between society
and within-society differences in subjective culture are found, although
they occur independently of each other, Cross-cultural differences are stronger
for concepts dealing with group life, and sex differences are stronger for concepts
regarding individual actions and self-orientations. Specifications and extensions
of existing theory, as well as directions for future research, are suggested.