t wishes PMM would enumerate those qualities

I get the military as being "male defined", DavidS, and agree. It troubles me some that I don't know why I agree, though. Were the Amazons less authoritarian than any other martial group? I really don't know.

edited, 'cuz "Amazonians" might be my own private word.

I'm guessing the word "cultures" is being used on a smallish scale, to define the characteristics of interaction in environments dominated by one gender or the other, as opposed to a country-wide thing.

Yes, that's how I'm using it. So we're on the same page. Military culture. Ballet culture. Construction work culture. Farmwork culture. Subculture environments dominated by one gender.

Like what?

Keeping in mind that the farming my mother and her sisters did was very, very rural and about 20 years behind the times (they didn't get running water until after she left home in 1954, and I'm not totally certain when the got electricity), so their farming experience would most like be wildly different from modern farming, I'll try to articulate it.

There's a lack of softness that's not a lack of caring. Life's rough, they know it, they'll deal as best they can with the hand dealt. Fairness. They're all big on fairness and everyone doing their share, though of course, they'd be the first people to bust out with, "Who told you life was fair?" in the event that you'd complain about lack of fairness. It's not so much that they're hard people as they are firm people. No-nonsense, and no time for it, either.

Well, I can see that in my parents (who both grew up on dairy farms as well). Maybe not so much in me and my siblings....

PMM' s synopsis of farm folk is so right on.

There's a lack of softness that's not a lack of caring. Life's rough, they know it, they'll deal as best they can with the hand dealt. Fairness. They're all big on fairness and everyone doing their share, though of course, they'd be the first people to bust out with, "Who told you life was fair?" in the event that you'd complain about lack of fairness. It's not so much that they're hard people as they are firm people. No-nonsense, and no time for it, either.

That's what I see in my mother's family. My grandfather came from a farming family in the Ukraine, my grandmother from a farm in North Dakota. While their kids were pretty much raised in the city, during the Great Depression they moved out to their farm near Flint, MI when grandpa was laid off at the Ford factory. My mother, aunts and uncle all had the down-to-earth, don't be afraid to get your hands dirty attitude. And somehow, a feeling of authority always seems to come with that. You never questioned any of those people when they told you to do something, you just did it.

From my semi-vague sociology recollection:

Male social groups tend to like explicit rules and heirarchies and value mastery (of a subject/skill/whatever), while female groups tend to be more relationship-based (and with fewer explicit rules) and open to exceptions, valuing relationships. So, yeah, the military's pretty male.

You never questioned any of those people when they told you to do something, you just did it.

Well, you may never have, but I'm a horrible brat. *g*

I'm shocked they haven't pushed me out the airlock.

Psychological studies show that a father's influence on his son tends to manifest as modeling proper (socialized?) ways to express aggression.

See, to me this says Sports. And also Work. And War. Socially acceptable outlets for aggression.

In my (extremely limited - meaning I know two guys, but they both act the same way) experience with men who grew up fatherless/without a constant (meaning "same person always there") male role model, I see a certain insecurity in them around how to be a man - always trying to prove themselves physically, defensive about their masculinity - and a barely-suppressed resentment towards women, especially strong ones. Very sensitive to perceived "bossiness" of tone coming from a woman. (It's almost like they blame their moms for not being dads.)

Contrast this with men who had an unreliable/disapproving father [figure] - they may be unhappy with themselves but they know who they are as men.

I was going to talk about women raised without fathers too but sense that I am veering into unintentional Electra syndrome talk so I'm stopping now.

All IMHO, YMMV etc obviously

ETA Shoulda listened to Hec:

Any gender generalizing always gets hammered.

Well, you may never have, but I'm a horrible brat. *g*

I was too afraid of my grandfather. He could deadlift an anvil with one arm. Freaky strong. And he wasn't afraid to show his wrath.