Does gender influence lifestyle? Since gender is a fairly significant part of everyone’s personal identity, there is no question that it does exert some influence over lifestyle. The real question, however is, ‘How much of a role does gender play in determining lifestyle?’ The answer may depend largely upon where you live, but in the United States and in most other industrialized western countries, the answer is probably, ‘Not as much as you might think.’

First, you need to look at what is actually meant when one talks about ‘lifestyle.’ Dictionary.com defines ‘lifestyle’ as “a collection of habits or a manner of being that reflects a person’s values and attitudes.” So, while gender can most certainly influence some of your habits, values and attitudes to a certain extent, the link between gender and lifestyle is probably not as strong as you might first imagine. At best, gender has more of an indirect influence on lifestyle, mainly because of its connection to other demographic factors.

Education and Income

Educational level and income are probably much more influential in determining lifestyle than gender will ever hope to be. The quantity and quality of one’s formal education has been shown to have a direct correlation to lifetime earning power. A 2002 report issued by the United States Census Bureau studied the average lifetime earnings of individuals based on their educational levels. The report found average annual earnings by educational levels as follows:

• $18,900 for high school dropouts

• $25,900 for high school graduates

• $33,000 for associate’s degrees

• $45,400 for bachelor’s degrees

• $54,500 for master’s degrees

• $81,400 for doctoral degrees

• $99,300 for professional degrees

There was a time in this country’s history where educational opportunities for women were limited and as a result, gender and marital status were significant in determining factors for income and lifestyle. But with greater access to educational resources and expanded opportunities in the workplace, there is probably a much weaker correlation between gender and lifestyle than in the past.

Health

The higher incomes achieved at increasing educational levels in turn influence other factors that contribute more to determining lifestyle than gender alone. Health is one example. People who enjoy better health tend to live longer and maintain more active lifestyles than those suffering from chronic illnesses. In turn, people with higher incomes generally enjoy better nutrition and have greater access to higher quality health care and preventative medicine.

Gender may play a slightly secondary role in determining lifestyle in that women still tend to live longer than men and the susceptibility to different kinds of conditions and diseases varies between men and women. These factors may well impact lifestyle, especially as individuals grow older. However, health is still likely to exert far more influence upon lifestyle than gender alone.

Geographic Location

Where you live also tends to be more impactful on lifestyle than gender alone. People living near the ocean and in warmer climates are often more likely to engage in outdoor activities. Mountainous or snowy regions tend to attract people to extreme sports like hiking, rock climbing, skiing or snowmobiling. People living in cultural centers or university towns are more likely to follow lifestyles that revolve around things like music or theater. People in rural, farming communities will generally favor different forms of entertainment and have different daily routines than people in the suburbs or the inner city.

When it comes to entertainment and leisure activities thankfully society is moving beyond sex role stereotypes. There are women who love watching professional sports and men who enjoy going to the opera. There are women who grew up riding horses and going rock climbing and men who may enjoy gourmet cooking or appreciating fine art. Often times how you like to play is a reflection of your favorite activities when you were growing up, and where you grew up almost certainly plays a greater role in that then your gender alone.

Conclusion

It seems safe to say that no single factor can determine a person’s overall lifestyle. Education, income, health, geographic location, race, age, marital status, sexual preference and gender work together in concert to determine your preferences and choices regarding how you live your life.

Plus, lifestyle isn’t static. This writer would never want to be “assigned” a lifestyle based on gender alone and never have the opportunity to live life in any other way. As you grow and change and have various experiences, your lifestyle will naturally change as well. Would you really want it any other way?