Sex-Role Attitudes and Attitudes to Marriage Among Urban Greek-Australian and Anglo-Australian Youth

Abstract

Eighty-eight (45 male, 43 female) Greek-Australian and 89 (43 male, 46 female) Anglo-Australian young people, all residents of a multi-ethnic city with relatively small immigrant groups, completed a self-administered questionnaire which explored sexrole orientation and stereotypes and attitudes to marriage. Greek-Australian subjects of both sexes described themselves as having higher levels of masculine traits, and to desire these traits more, than did Anglo-Australian subjects. Other results revealed that Greek-Australian subjects advocated a less egalitarian pattern of decision-making within marriage, and that they placed more importance than Anglo-Australians on the practical and familial aspects of married life. Thus, Greek values and attitudes to marriage and sex roles appear to maintain some influence on these second generation Greek-Australians.