The Japanese-American: A cross-cultural, cross-sectional study of sex guilt

Abstract

The purpose of the present investigation is to examine cultural differences in sexual standards and the process of acculturation, using three generations of Japanese-Americans and matched Caucasian-American controls. Japanese-Americans were selected for study because of their generational, ethnic, and social structure. The present study hypothesized a change in sex guilt across the three generations of Japanese-Americans, approximating a bicultural adaptation. The results indicated that although the Japanese-American is a highly acculturated ethnic group, significant cross-cultural differences continue to emerge, especially among Japanese-American women. Furthermore, where gender differences do occur, they favor greater flexibility for men, in general, and for Japanese-American men in comparison to Japanese-American women. Finally, the results suggest that pronounced cultural changes in sexual standards have occurred over the past 70 years.