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Gender and genius in japan: Feminine eminence in masculine culture

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Abstract

The number of distinguished women was hypothesized to fluctuate over consecutive historical periods according to concomitant changes in the dominant male culture. Three conjectures were evaluated using a sample of 2453 Japanese creators and leaders active between 580 and 1959. Applying generational time-series analysis to 69 consecutive 20-year periods, indicators gauged changes in female literary and nonliterary eminence along with male literary activity, power and aggressive behavior, and ideology. Although the emergence of gender-biased belief systems was negatively associated with female distinction in all domains, literary success of both men and women was linked to similar contextual factors, especially a negative association with male power and aggressive activities. The group-level results are interpreted in terms of possible individual and interpersonal processes.

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  1. Department of Psychology, University of California, 95616-8686, Davis, CA

    Dean Keith Simonton

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  1. Dean Keith Simonton
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I thank Arakaki Makoto for his assistance on this project.

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Simonton, D.K. Gender and genius in japan: Feminine eminence in masculine culture. Sex Roles 27, 101–119 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00290012

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