Offline and Online Gender Differences in Opinion Expression about Women Inclusion in the Police Force in the Arab Gulf State of Kuwait

ABSTRACT Employing the Spiral of Silence theory, this study examines the influence of four cultural dimensions (collectivism, resistance to change, commitment to religion, and patriarchy and hierarchy) on gender variations in opinion expression in incongruent offline and online opinion climates about women working in the police force in Kuwait. The response of 534 individuals indicated that a tendency for expressiveness and personal support for women were positive predictors of opinion expression, while fear of isolation and respondents’ beliefs about the stance of Islam on the issue were both negative predictors. Both genders were affected by the same variables when they expressed their opinions offline, but they were each affected by different variables when online. The results suggest that women benefit from online discussions more than men.