Gender Role Values in Serbia and Spain: A Contribution to Comparative Gender Sociolinguistic Research

Abstract

Language and culture are interconnected in such a way that one cannot exist without the other; they cannot exist separately. Since language serves as a symbolic system that expresses culture, comparative research on language inherently involves a comparison of cultures. The aim of this comparative study is to provide insights into recognizing cultural differences between two societies: Serbian society and Spanish society. We will use values that express the distribution of gender roles as an approximation to cultural differences. Using representative data from the European Values Study (EVS) 2018, we will present a comparative analysis of attitudes in these two populations toward gender roles in both public (business, politics) and private (home, child-rearing) spheres. Since both societies are seen as patriarchal, we offer a different interpretation and point out that there has already been a divergence of values. Relatively strict male and female roles, as well as a high appreciation of the heteronormativity of marriage, are still quite present in Serbia while they are significantly questioned in Spain.