Cultural Psychology and Gender Roles: An Empirical Study Across Urban and Rural Settings of Bihar

This study investigates the cultural psychology of gender roles across urban and rural contexts in Bihar, India, with a specific focus on Patna city and Nalanda district. Employing a mixed-methods, cross-sectional design, data were collected from 48 respondents (24 urban and 24 rural) through both in-person and online interviews. A semi-structured interview schedule combined Likert-scale measures with open-ended questions to capture quantitative patterns and qualitative narratives. Findings reveal that urban respondents in Patna displayed more egalitarian attitudes, greater autonomy in household decision-making, and stronger support for women’s education and employment, particularly in STEM fields. Conversely, rural respondents in Nalanda upheld stronger traditional role values, lower levels of autonomy, and greater skepticism toward women’s professional participation. However, across both contexts, support for girls’ education was consistently high, and gender bias remained a shared experience, underscoring the resilience of patriarchal structures. The study concludes that cultural psychology provides a useful lens for understanding the interplay of socio-economic conditions, community norms, and gender role perceptions in Bihar. It highlights the need for interventions that leverage education and community engagement to promote gradual but meaningful cultural transformation toward gender equality.