Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by pumpkin head on July 9, 2011 at 12:49pm

and then why is that? they don't believe in god?

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Permalink Reply by Lord Gaytheist on July 9, 2011 at 12:51pm

It's the weight of culture and traditions. But anyway, japanese are not exactly atheists, they do have their deities.

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Permalink Reply by pumpkin head on July 9, 2011 at 12:54pm

really?  i thought they were mostly buddhists?  which i also thought didn't have a god?

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Permalink Reply by Lord Gaytheist on July 9, 2011 at 12:56pm

They are either Buddhists or Shintos, and both religions do have some concept of a greater being.

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Permalink Reply by pumpkin head on July 9, 2011 at 1:02pm

i

don't think there is a deity in buddhism, and i thought shinto was just mostly an ancestor and spirit worship?

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Permalink Reply by pumpkin head on July 9, 2011 at 1:04pm

but no god is the point i'm making, which makes them atheists.  they're spiritual atheists, and that is possible.

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Permalink Reply by Steve on July 10, 2011 at 1:30pm

Yeah, very traditional. Just like most other Asian societies.

 

Family is also a huge thing in Asia. Both internally, but also the perception of the family to others. Honor, saving face, etc. Children are more or less expected to marry, procreate and continue the family line. Maybe in the long run, there could be a change in perceptions if gay couples having children becomes somewhat common.

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Permalink Reply by Guido on July 9, 2011 at 12:56pm

Yes of course. Homofobic behaviour is not only based on religion, but also on ignorance and some think it is an attack on their masculinity. It think it's also a cultural thing. 

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Permalink Reply by Lord Gaytheist on July 9, 2011 at 1:02pm

Yeah, this whole masculinity thing is causing some serious damage in our societies.

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Permalink Reply by Arcus on July 10, 2011 at 11:01am

You might find this interesting regarding the subject from Geert Hofstede:

"Masculinity is extremely low in Nordic countries: Norway scores 8 and Sweden only 5. In contrast, Masculinity is very high in Japan (95), and in European countries like Hungary, Austria and Switzerland influenced by German culture. In the Anglo world, masculinity scores are relatively high with 66 for the United Kingdom for example. Latin countries present contrasting scores: for example Venezuela has a 73 point score whereas Chile’s is only 28."

 

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Permalink Reply by Arcus on July 10, 2011 at 11:46am

I have his book "Riding the waves of culture" at work (unless my boss has borrowed it). But the questions posed are solid from a statistical bias standpoint and the author is widely regarded as a pioneer in the field.

This is a bit more descriptive of what is being measured:

"Masculinity (MAS), vs. femininity: “The distribution of emotional roles between the genders”. Masculine cultures’ values are competitiveness, assertiveness, materialism, ambition and power, whereas feminine cultures place more value on relationships and quality of life. In masculine cultures, the differences between gender roles are more dramatic and less fluid than in feminine cultures where men and women have the same values emphasizing modesty and caring."

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Permalink Reply by Dustin on July 9, 2011 at 1:00pm

Depends on what you mean by homophobia , really. I can easily guess that there are a small % of atheist males that would feel very uncomfortable if they were approached by a homosexual at a bar for instance. Or if a Gay man made a pass at one of them , mistaking them for being gay. Or if a Gay man were to simply be playful and flirt with them at work or something , like men do to women all the time. 

 

Personally , I find it to be flattering.  A gay bartender once gave me him phone number and hinted we should hang out sometime.  I just laughed , smiled and said that I preferred the opposite sex but if I was gay I would totally go out sometime.  He took it very well and I felt good about myself!

 

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